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Microplastics in female reproductive organs & other environmental threats to women’s health

With guest Raveen Syan, M.D.
Raveen Syan sitting with Dean Ford
 Raveen Syan, M.D. with Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A.

February 4, 2025

Guest: Raveen Syan, M.D.
Listen Time: 32m 8s

Discover the hidden environmental threats to women’s health in this episode of “Inside U Miami Medicine.” Raveen Syan, M.D., assistant professor of clinical urology at the Desai Sethi Urology Institute, joined the podcast to discuss a groundbreaking study that will examine how microplastics accumulate in female reproductive tissue and the potential health effects of these toxins.

“Many studies have shown that we harbor microplastics in our tissue, but no research has yet examined their presence in female reproductive tissues,” 
Raveen Syan, M.D. 

With an estimated 390 million tons of plastic produced globally each year, microplastics and their synthetic byproducts (including BPA and phthalates) are rampant in air, water, soil, and food. This poses a major exposure risk to humans through inhalation and ingestion. Could these microscopic pollutants play a role in infertility or cancer? Dr. Syan and her team are determined to find out.

“Many studies have shown that we harbor microplastics in our tissue, but no research has yet examined their presence in female reproductive tissues,” said Dr. Syan. “We will investigate not only the presence of microplastics and their byproducts but also, in malignant tissue, we’ll conduct the first study to look at microplastics in tumor tissue in humans. This will help us better understand which tissues store these particles and at what concentrations.”

 

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Raveen Syan

Raveen Syan, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Urology
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Syan earned her medical degree at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine (2008-2012) and completed her Urologic Surgery residency at New York University, Langone Medical Center from 2012-2017. Dr. Syan completed an ACGME-accredited fellowship at Stanford University in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (2017-2019). As a fellow,...
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