Elena Craft

Work

Elena Craft, Ph.D.'s area of expertise is on air toxics issues, focusing specifically on reducing criteria and greenhouse gas emissions from the energy and transportation sectors. She has worked to reduce emissions especially around port areas and environmental justice communities. She has also worked to reduce toxics used in shale gas drilling practices such as hydraulic fracking. She has been an integral strategist in designing and initiating comprehensive clean air measures, as well as in developing standards to measure environmental performance. Her efforts have led to the creation of clean truck programs in Houston and other ports around the Southeast.

Elena is also involved in innovative projects to increase efficiency from goods movement operations. Her strategy in securing emission reductions includes development of strategic partnerships with retailers and other stakeholders, with the ultimate goal of incorporating clean air and efficiency improvements into a sustainable business model. She advocates for policies that increase energy efficiency, reduce exposure to toxic compounds, and improve human health.

Background

Previously Elena did scientific consulting and research on human health risk assessment. Her research, which uses a variety of molecular biological techniques, has been published in peer-reviewed publications and presented at professional scientific symposia.

Degrees and awards

• Ph.D. in toxicology from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth and Ocean Sciences.
• M.S. in toxicology from North Carolina State University.
• B.S. from UNC-Chapel Hill.
• Intramural Research Training Associate (IRTA) Fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
• Karen Wetterhahn memorial award for research in metals from the Superfund Basic Research Program in 2002.
• Young Scientist Award at the Fifth International Meeting on Metallothionein in Beijing, China in 2005.

Publications

• Craft, ES, Donnelly, KC, Neamtiu, I, McCarty, KM, Bruce, E, Surkova, Kim, D, Uhnakova, I, Gyorffy,E, Tesarova, E, Anderson, B. "Prioritizing Environmental Issues around the World: Opinions from an International Central and Eastern European Environmental Health Conference" (2006) Environmental Health Perspectives 114(12) 1813-1817.
• Crofton, K.M., Craft, E.S., Hedge, J.M., Gennings, C., Simmons, J.E., Carchman. R.A., Carter, W.H., DeVito, M.J. "Thyroid-Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals: Evidence for Dose-Dependent Additivity or Synergism" (2005) Environmental Health Perspectives 113(11).
• Craft, E.S., Abu-Qare, A.W., Flaherty, M.M., Garofolo, M.C., Rincavage, H.L., Abou-Donia, M.B. "Depleted and Natural Uranium: Chemistry and Toxicological Effects" (2004) Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, 7:297-317.
• Craft E.S., Crofton K.M., DeVito M.J. "Comparative Responsiveness of Hepatic Enzyme Induction and Hypothyroxenemia in Long Evans Rats versus C57BL/6J Mice Exposed to TCDD-like and PB-like Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Congeners" (2002) Toxicological Sciences, 68 (372-380).