Bio
Dr. Mitchell joined St. George’s University (SGU) in 2016. He is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, where he oversees the academic and administrative functions of the department and its CEPH-accredited MPH program. He has a strong record of scholarly activity, contributing to numerous peer-reviewed journals in the field of environmental health. His current research focuses on the environmental and health impacts of air pollution, with particular emphasis on the spatial and temporal distribution of particulate matter in the Caribbean.
Dr. Mitchell also serves as an Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, acting as a key liaison among students, faculty, and administration to support a safe, supportive, and thriving university environment.
As Vice-Chair of the Institutional Review Board at SGU, he promotes ethical research practices and responsible innovation. He also serves on the Technology Advisory Committee of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), where he contributes to the Task Force for the Responsible and Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Public Health. His work prioritizes the ethical adoption of technology to ensure that students can effectively apply digital tools throughout their public health careers.
Professional Philosophy
Dr. Mitchell is dedicated to training future health professionals through an active-learning approach that bridges theoretical knowledge with practical, real-world application. By prioritizing group collaboration and critical problem-solving, he fosters the social versatility and technical skills essential for successful public health practice. A committed mentor to MPH and MD students, Dr. Mitchell views the educator-student relationship as a mutually beneficial exchange, providing a patient and creative environment where students can translate academic concepts into impactful professional solutions.
Research & Interests
- Research on the impacts of environmental exposure on human health.
Affiliations
- Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
- International Society for Environmental Epidemiology
Academic Degrees
- PhD in Biological Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Basic Sciences Center, Mexico
Course Teachings
- PUBH807 - Principles of Environmental Health
- PUBH804 - Principles of Biostatistics; PUBH849 - Toxic Exposure and Public Health
Institutional Services & Committees
- Basic Sciences Curriculum Subcommittee
International & National Committees
- Technology Advisory Committee, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
- Global Engagement and Partnerships Advisory Committee, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
Memberships in Associations / Societies
- International Society for Environmental Epidemiology
- Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
Academic Appointments
- Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine
- Associate Dean, Office of Student Affairs
Books
- Beesley, L., Trakal, L., Hough, R., & Mitchell, K. (2022). Mobility and crop uptake of Zn in a legacy sludge-enriched agricultural soil amended with biochar or compost: insights from a pot and recirculating column leaching test. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 29(55), 83545–83553. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21744-3
- Crespo-Toledo, T., Avelar-González, F., Guerrero-Barrera, A., Mitchell, K., Yamamoto-Flores, L., & Flores-Amaro, O. (2025). Integrative assessment of heavy metal risks in mining polluted sediments and soils of Aguascalientes, Mexico. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 11, 101130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscee.2025.101130
- Dirienzo, N., Mitchell, K., Forde, M., Rainham, D., & Villeneuve, P. J. (2023). Temporal trends in ambient fine particulate matter and the impacts of COVID-19 on this pollutant in Grenada, West Indies. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (1995), 73(2), 97–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2022.2126555
- Farmer-Diaz, K., Matthew-Bernard, M., Cheetham, S., Mitchell, K., Macpherson, C. N. L., & Ramos-Nino, M. E. (2025). Optimized aluminum hydroxide adsorption–precipitation for improved viral detection in wastewater. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(2), 148. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22020148
- Flores de la Torre, J. A., Mitchell, K., Ramos Gómez, M. S., Guerrero Barrera, A. L., Yamamoto Flores, L., & Avelar González, F. J. (2018). Effect of plant growth on Pb and Zn geoaccumulation in 300-year-old mine tailings of Zacatecas, México. Environmental Earth Sciences, 77(10), 0–0. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7563-7
- Flores-Amaro, O. A., Ramos-Gómez, M. S., Guerrero-Barrera, A. L., Yamamoto-Flores, L., Romo-Rodríguez, P., Mitchell, K., & Avelar-González, F. J. (2024). Characterization and evaluation of the bioremediation potential of Rhizopus microsporus Os4 isolated from arsenic-contaminated soil. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 235(8). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-024-07232-z
- Forde, M. S., Cashman, A., & Mitchell, K. (2024). Sustainability of water resources in Caribbean small island developing states: an overview. Discover Sustainability, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00478-x
- Graffam, J. T., La, A., Afon, I., Idahor, U., Oladimeji, T., Mitchell, K., & Keku, E. O. (2023). Particulate matter and infant mortality: A narrative review. International Public Health Journal, 15(1), 7–14.
- Joshi, A., Magana, L., Tsai, K.-H., Maddah, D., Mitchell, K., Ruggiero, D., Hawkins, W. B., Dharamsi, S., Makhoul, J., Reis, R., Kim, S. Y., Low, W. Y., Amde, W., Nja, G., Jeu, M., Kelly, B., Saliba, B., Jha, N., Kalediene, R., … Mackey, T. K. (2025). Public health diplomacy: summary of the methods and outcome of the 1st University of Memphis School of Public Health Diplomacy Summit. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1564709. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1564709
- Macías, R., Ramos, M. S., Guerrero, A. L., Farfán, M. G., Mitchell, K., & Avelar, F. J. (2022). Contamination Assessment and Chemical Speciation of Lead in Soils and Sediments: A Case Study in Aguascalientes, México. Applied Sciences, 12(8592), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12178592
- Matthew-Bernard, M., Farmer-Diaz, K., Dolphin-Bond, G., Matthew-Belmar, V., Cheetham, S., Mitchell, K., Macpherson, C. N. L., & Ramos-Nino, M. E. (2025). Phenotypic Antibiotic Resistance patterns of Escherichia coli isolates from clinical UTI samples and municipal wastewater in a Grenadian community. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22010097
- Mitchell, K., Mendoza-González, C. V., Ramos-Gómez, M. S., Yamamoto-Flores, L., Guerrero-Barrera, A. L., Macias-Medrano, R., & Avelar-González, F. J. (2020). The effect of low-temperature biochar and its non-pyrolyzed composted biosolids source on the geochemical fractionation of Pb and Cd in calcareous river sediments. Environmental Earth Sciences, 79(7), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-08908-5
- Mitchell, K., Moreno-Jimenez, E., Jones, R., Zheng, L., Trakal, L., Hough, R., & Beesley, L. (2020). Mobility of arsenic, chromium and copper arising from soil application of stabilised aggregates made from contaminated wood ash. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 393(122479), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122479
- Mitchell, K. N., Ramos Gómez, M. S., Guerrero Barrera, A. L., Yamamoto Flores, L., Flores de la Torre, J. A., & Avelar González, F. J. (2016). Evaluation of Environmental Risk of Metal Contaminated Soils and Sediments Near Mining Sites in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 97(2), 216–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-1820-9
- Mitchell, K., Trakal, L., Sillerova, H., Avelar-González, F. J., Guerrero-Barrera, A. L., Hough, R., & Beesley, L. (2018). Mobility of As, Cr and Cu in a contaminated grassland soil in response to diverse organic amendments; a sequential column leaching experiment. Applied Geochemistry: Journal of the International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, 88(Part A), 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.05.020
- Moncur, C., Kamotho, M., Jain, T., Weslock, N., Ragheb, M., & Mitchell, K. (2025). Early life exposure to ambient particulate matter and Kawasaki disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 12(1611757). https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2025.1611757
- Moncur, C., Kamotho, M., Jain, T., Weslock, N., Ragheb, M., & Mitchell, K. (2025). Early life exposure to ambient particulate matter and Kawasaki disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 12(1611757). https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2025.1611757 Trakal, L., Raya-Moreno, I., Mitchell, K., & Beesley, L. (2017). Stabilization of metal(loid)s in two contaminated agricultural soils: Comparing biochar to its non-pyrolysed source material. Chemosphere, 181, 150–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.04.064
- Weslock, N., Drew, D., Palanichami, D., La, A., Shoctor, H., Amir, A., Ramdass, P., & Mitchell, K. (2025). Association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and atopic dermatitis—a systematic review. Discover Public Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00502-z
- Yang, N. K.-H., Dirienzo, N., Forde, M. S., Villeneuve, P. J., Sealy, A., Compton, S., & Mitchell, K. (2025). Temporal trends in ambient fine particulate matter in Grenada between 2009 and 2022. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 197(8). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-025-14334-6
Reviewer/Editorships
- Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine; Epidemiology and Preventive Section, ISSN: 2297-055X
- Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Springer Nature, ISSN: 0718-9516
- Frontier in Soil Science, Frontiers, ISSN: 2673-8619
- Communications Earth & Environment, Springer Nature, ISSN: 2662-4435
- Environmental Sciences Europe, Springer Nature, ISSN: 2190-4715
- Scientific Reports, Springer Nature, ISSN: 2045-2322
- Environmental Geochemistry and Health, Springer Nature, ISSN: 1573-2983
- Environmental Earth Sciences, Springer Nature, ISSN: 1866-6299
- Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Springer Nature, ISSN: 1573-2959
- Biochar, Springer Nature, ISSN: 2524-7867
- Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, Springer Nature, ISSN: 1614-7499
- Bragantia, Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, ISSN: 1678-4499
Dissertations
- Mitchell, K. N. (2016). Stabilisation of Metals in Soils and Sediments Contaminated by Mining Activity Using Biomass [Doctoral Disstertation]. Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes.
Selected Projects
- Health risk assessment of exposure to ambient particulate matter
- Spatiotemporal trends in ambient particulate matter concentrations using satellite assimilation data
Get In Touch
fun Fact
Outside the classroom, he can be found hiking, walking, running, exercise, gastronomy, reading, playing flight simulation games and plane spotting.