OUR PEOPLE
Academic Credentials
- Ph.D., Toxicology, Texas A&M University, 2021
- M.P.H., Environmental Health, Texas A&M University, 2017
- B.S., BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE, Texas A&M University, 2015
Professional Honors
- Research Intern, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Chemical Threat Laboratory, 2018
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program Trainee, 2018-2021
- National Institute of Health T32 Trainee Fellowship, 2017
- Ä¢¹½tv Excellence Awards (2), 2024
Dr. Hearon is a toxicologist with an interdisciplinary background in biomedical sciences, public health, and environmental and regulatory toxicology. She performs chemical exposure and human health risk assessments, product stewardship and regulatory compliance program development, and industrial hygiene evaluations.
Dr. Hearon's product stewardship work involves managing consumer product due diligence assessments including tracking developing regulations, assisting clients with evaluating products for regulatory compliance, and reviewing health, safety, and toxicological data on product components. Dr. Hearon excels at supporting clients in understanding and addressing current and anticipated future regulations for emerging chemicals of concern, assists in developing regulatory compliance and product stewardship programs, and advises on potential compliance issues with products and supply chains. She actively tracks the development of regulations for emerging chemicals of concern in the US at the federal and state level, including state consumer product programs such as California DTSC's Safer Consumer Products program, Safer Products for Washington, and Oregon's Toxic Free Kids Act. She conducts chemical and product reviews and coordinates product testing for consumer products to support compliance assessments.
Dr. Hearon is experienced with California's Proposition 65, including deriving Safe Harbor Levels using established regulatory guidance and best practice scientific principles, and conducting exposure assessments for consumer products. Dr. Hearon also supports occupational assessments and other industrial hygiene evaluations, including assessments of chemicals of concern in indoor environments as well as mitigation and control of mold and microbial agents. She is experienced with conducting toxicological analyses and developing exposure and risk assessments for occupational and environmental settings.
Dr. Hearon's academic background and areas of focus included human health risk assessments and the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment. As part of this work, she developed broad-acting sorbents to reduce human exposures to environmental chemicals. She also worked on the application of these sorbents to reduce the bioavailability of contaminants from soil, specifically glyphosate, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). During her doctoral research, Dr. Hearon also worked on product development research for a nutritional animal feed additive to address mycotoxins and supported translation of the product to the market.
