Shiwen Li, PhD, MPH
Associate Member, Population Sciences in the Pacific Program (Cancer Epidemiology), University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center
Academic Appointment(s):
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Degree(s):
Postdoctoral Scholar (Environmental Health), University of Southern California
PhD (Epidemiology), University of California, Los Angeles
MPH (Epidemiology), University of California, Los Angeles
Honor(s)
Center for Occupational and Environmental Health Student Project Award
HEALRISE Scholarship
Research Focus
Dr. Shiwen Li is an environmental and molecular epidemiologist. He is interested in understanding how chemical pollutants affect the development and comorbidity of cancers and the underlying molecular mechanism through application of multi-omics data. He has previously evaluated how drinking water contamination, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), affect the incidence of cancers across the US. His work on drinking water contaminants and cancer is now expanded to many cohorts including the Multiethnic Cohort Study. His current work focuses on: a) exposure assessment of PFAS and microplastics exposure in Hawaiʻi, b) risk of cancers and neurodegeneration due to drinking water contaminant exposure, c) multi-omics integration to explain disease mechanism and predict disease risk.
Selected Publications
Li S, Oliva P, Zhang L, Goodrich JA, McConnell R, Conti DV, Chatzi L, Aung M. Associations between per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and county-level cancer incidence between 2016 and 2021 and incident cancer burden attributable to PFAS in drinking water in the United States. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2025;35(3):425-36. Epub 20250109. doi: 10.1038/s41370-024-00742-2. PubMed PMID: 39789195; PMCID: PMC12069088.
Van Deventer D, Contreras ZA, Li S, Iwundu C, Ritz B, Cockburn M, Heck JE. Childhood Cancer Risk in Hispanic Enclaves in California. J Immigr Minor Health. 2025;27(3):472-9. Epub 20250403. doi: 10.1007/s10903-025-01675-0. PubMed PMID: 40178778; PMCID: PMC12037673.
Li S, Ritz B, Gong Y, Cockburn M, Folle AD, Del Rosario I, Yu Y, Zhang K, Castro E, Keener AM, Bronstein J, Paul KC. Proximity to residential and workplace pesticides application and the risk of progression of Parkinson's diseases in Central California. Sci Total Environ. 2023;864:160851. Epub 20221214. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160851. PubMed PMID: 36526213; PMCID: PMC11121507.
Li S, Wang H, Maretti-Mira AC, K D Manea T, Kim SY, Chatzi L, Goodrich JA, Alderete TL, Young N, Wood RI, Aung MT. Developmental perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) exposure alters gene expression in nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex and impairs cognition in rats: A transcriptomic and mediation analysis. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2026 Jan 1;309:119648. PubMed PMID: 41601074.
Li S, Goodrich JA, Chen JC, Costello E, Beglarian E, Liao J, Alderete TL, Valvi D, Baumert BO, Rock S, Eckel SP, McConnell R, Gilliland FD, Chen Z, Conti DV, Chatzi L, Aung M. Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and disrupted sleep: mediating roles of proteins. Environ Adv. 2024 Oct;17 PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11542765.
Publications List on NIH MyBibliography
Publications List on Google Scholar
Active Grants
PI: Li, S.
SC-EHSC, supported by NIEHS grant P30 ES007048
Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center Pilot Grant
Project: Investigate the associations between PFAS and diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases
11/2023 – 11/2024
MPI: Li, S.
SC-EHSC, supported by NIEHS grant P30 ES007048
Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center Pilot Grant
Project: Integrating Geospatial and Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Drinking-Water PFAS
Exposure to Assess Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk in the Multiethnic Cohort
06/2025 – Present
