Dr. Caroline Barakat is an environmental health researcher and Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ontario Tech University. Her research focuses on indoor and outdoor environmental exposures, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and their impacts on health across the life course, with particular attention to children and adolescents. She is committed to translating research evidence into practical strategies that support healthier indoor environments and informed public health action.
She has led major research initiatives, including the Hamilton Children Cohort Study on Air Quality and a national project in the UAE that collected data on medical diagnoses and environmental exposures from over 30,000 residents, including 6,000 adolescents. Dr. Barakat also served as a Co-Investigator for a Public Health Agency of Canada project that reviewed risk factors for neurological conditions. Her recent work examines exposures to toxins from personal care and cleaning products, the influence of environmental factors on adolescent physical activity, and cannabis use during adolescence.
Dr. Barakat has secured over $4M in research funding, with nearly $3M as principal or co-investigator. She has been awarded 12 Tri-Council grants, including seven as principal investigator, and currently holds five ongoing Tri-Council grants, reflecting a strong and sustained research program in child and adolescent environmental health. With more than 60 publications, her work informs policy on environmental health issues, including air quality, food safety, and public health interventions.