Center Affiliation and Expertise:  Associate Center Member, Pulmonary Toxicology Facility

Dr. Adamcakova-Dodd is a toxicologist in the Pulmonary Toxicology Facility of the EHSRC. She has led or collaborated on toxicity studies of inhaled particulate aerosols, gases or vapors (polychlorinated biphenyl vapors, metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, metal working fluids, endotoxin, inhaled biological agents including pathogenic microorganisms, and aerosols with therapeutic potential). In more recent years, her research has been focused on biological adverse responses to various xenobiotics after inhalation prenatal and postnatal exposures using animal models as well as on understanding cells communications through extracellular vesicles in pulmonary inflammation.

List of publications:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1z7R7pKYpxyAU/bibliography/public/

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Population Health Thematic Area

Dr. Anthony conducts research in industrial hygiene and engineering, particularly in the use of computational fluid dynamics modeling to investigate exposures. Her work to investigate contaminant transport in concentrated animal farming operations will inform the industry and contribute to the optimization of solutions to hazardous concentrations within CAFOs.

Complete List of Published Work

Research Areas
Dr. Martinez conducts research on environmental contaminant fate and transport modeling, with an emphasis on analyzing and simulating the behavior of organic pollutants in urban, remote, and industrial areas

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Population Health Thematic Area

https://publichealth.buffalo.edu/epidemiology-and-environmental-health/faculty-and-staff/faculty-directory/kelly-baker.html

Dr. Baker’s research focuses on understanding how poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions affect maternal and child health in low-income communities. Part of her work is focused on using systems-level approaches to characterize the ecology of disease transmission, beginning with understanding how limitations in water and sanitation access affect variability in human behavior, and how behavior and the associated environmental stressors interact to create exposure that leads to a broad spectrum of adverse health outcomes. She explores a spectrum of outcomes, from diarrhea and malnutrition in young children to reproductive tract infections in women to adverse pregnancy outcomes. She is particularly interested in methodological challenges of evaluating impacts from community-level interventions, especially around the topic of sanitation management. Another part of Dr. Baker’s work involves developing scientifically rigorous tools and strategies for conducting microbial risk assessments that can track how sanitation-associated microbes spatially disperse in ecological systems populated by human populations.

Complete List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Population Health

Dr. Bishop’s laboratory is interested in the molecular mechanisms which underlie the processes of B lymphocyte activation in normal immunity, autoimmunity, and malignancy. They are particularly interested in how signals delivered via B cell transmembrane molecules regulate these events, with a particular area of focus on antigen-specific, T cell-B cell interactions.

http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/labs/bishop/

Complete List of Published Work in My Bibliography:

Center Affiliation and Expertise:  Population Health

Dr. Blount is a physician scientist studying air pollution health effects both in the US and globally. His current research focuses on the immunologic mechanisms through which air pollutants increase risk for tuberculosis (TB) and other pulmonary infections. He has substantial research, teaching, and clinical experience in East Africa and Southeast Asia. Prior to fellowship, he led an international health education program in Kenya, teaching Kenyan and American students, residents, and fellows as well as caring for HIV and TB patients. Over the past 4 years, Dr. Blount has been collaborating with the Vietnam National Tuberculosis Program and is currently developing air pollution monitoring and immunology lab infrastructure for a K23 project to elucidate the immunologic and clinical effects of air pollution on childhood tuberculosis.

Publications:

• Blount RJ, Phan H, Trinh T, Dang H, Merrifield C, Zavala M, Zabner J, Comellas AP, Stapleton EM, Segal MR, Balmes J, Nhung NV, Nahid P. Indoor Air Pollution and Susceptibility to Tuberculosis Infection in Urban Vietnamese Children. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2021. Epub 2021/08/04. PubMed PMID: 34343025.  DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202101-0136OC [doi]
• Blount RJ, Pascopella L, Barry P, Zabner J, Stapleton EM, Flood J, Balmes J, Nahid P, Catanzaro DG. Residential urban tree canopy is associated with decreased mortality during tuberculosis treatment in California. Sci Total Environ. 2020;711:134580. Epub 2020/02/01. PubMed PMID: 32000313.  DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134580
• Stapleton EM, Manges R, Parker G, Stone EA, Peters TM, Blount RJ, Noriega J, Li X, Zabner J, Polgreen PM, Chipara O, Herman T, Comellas AP. Indoor Particulate Matter From Smoker Homes Induces Bacterial Growth, Biofilm Formation, and Impairs Airway Antimicrobial Activity. A Pilot Study. Frontiers in Public Health 2020; 7. PMCID: PMC6992572.
• Blount BC, Karwowski MP, Shields PG, Morel-Espinosa M, Valentin-Blasini L, Thomas J, Pirkle JL, Blount RJ (Lung Injury Response Laboratory Working Group), et.al. Vitamin E Acetate in Bronchoalveolar-Lavage Fluid Associated with EVALI. The New England Journal of Medicine 2019. PMCID: PMC7032996.
• Cho J, Villacreses R, Nagpal P, Guo J, Pezzulo A, Thurman A, Hamzeh N, Blount RJ; Fortis S, Hoffman E, Zabner J, Comellas A. 2022. Quantitative Chest CT Assessment of Small Airways Disease in Post-Acute SARS-CoV-2 Radiology. In Press
• Blount RJ, Pascopella L, Catanzaro DG, Barry P, English PB, Segal MR, Flood J, Meltzer D, Jones B, Balmes J, Nahid P. Traffic-Related Air Pollution and All-Cause Mortality during Tuberculosis Treatment in California. Environmental health perspectives 2017;125:097026.
• Blount RJ, Daly KR, Fong S, Chang E, Grieco K, Greene M, Stone S, Balmes J, Miller RF, Walzer PD, Huang L. Effects of clinical and environmental factors on bronchoalveolar antibody responses to Pneumocystis jirovecii: a prospective cohort study of HIV+ patients. PLoS One 2017; 12(7):e0180212.
• Blount RJ, Tran MC, Everett CK, Cattamanchi A, Metcalfe JZ, Connor D, Miller CR, Grinsdale J, Higashi J, Nahid P. Tuberculosis progression rates in U.S. Immigrants following screening with interferon-gamma release assays. BMC Public Health 2016; 16: 875.
• Blount RJ, Tran B, Jarlsberg LG, Phan H, Van TH, Nhung VN, Lewinsohn DA, Nahid P. Childhood tuberculosis in Northern Viet Nam: a review of 103 cases. PLoS One 2014;9(5):e97267. PMCID: PMC4018290.
• Blount RJ, Djawe K, Daly KR, Jarlsberg LG, Fong S, Balmes J, Miller RF, Walzer PD, Huang L, International HIV-associated Opportunistic Pneumonias Study. Ambient air pollution associated with suppressed serologic responses to Pneumocystis jirovecii in a prospective cohort of HIV-infected patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia. PLoS One 2013;8:e80795. PMCID: PMC3827464.
• Blount RJ, Jarlsberg LG, Daly KR, Worodria W, Davis JL, Cattamanchi A, Djawe K, Andama A, Koch J, Walzer PD, Huang L, International HIV-Associated Opportunistic Pneumonias (IHOP) Study. Serologic responses to recombinant Pneumocystis jirovecii major surface glycoprotein among Ugandan patients with respiratory symptoms. PLoS One 2012;7:e51545. PMCID: PMC3528778.
• Blount RJ, Davis JL, Huang L. Pneumocystis Pneumonia. In: Volberding PA, Greene WC, Lange J, Gallant J, Sewankambo N eds. Sande’s HIV/AIDS Management. Saunders Elsevier, 2013.
• Gibb E, Blount R, Lewis N, Nielson D, Church G, Jones K, Ly N. Management of plastic bronchitis with topical tissue-type plasminogen activator. Pediatrics 2012;130:e446-50.
• Blount R, Huang L. Clinical approach to HIV-associated pulmonary disease. Clin Pulm Med 2010;17(5):210-217.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Systemic and Redox Toxicology

Dr. Buettner’s research focuses on the flow of electrons through chemical, biochemical, and biological systems and the consequences of changing the current in different biological circuits. In mitochondria electrons flow through a high flux circuit efficiently producing CO2 and H2O, capturing energy in ATP (respiration); some electrons do not flow to dioxygen, rather just to NAD+ (glycolysis). Of special interest to our lab is the flow of electrons into the many low flux biochemical circuits that partially reduce dioxygen producing superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Understanding quantitatively the elements of these circuits (e.g. antioxidants, redox enzymes, and proteins) and how they dictate the fundamental biology of cells and tissues and overall health of organisms is the primary goal. Using this information to improve human health is the ultimate reward. A goal of the lab is to understand the basic chemistry and biology of free radicals and related oxidants in human health and of course antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, glutathione, as well as the enzyme systems that work in concert with these molecules. His work has provided a new view of ascorbate as the terminal, small molecule, water-soluble antioxidant. See: The pecking order of free radicals and antioxidants: Lipid peroxidation, -tocopherol, and ascorbate (PMID: 8434935); The ascorbate free radical as a marker of oxidative stress: An EPR study (PMID: 8384150); The concentration of glutathione in human erythrocytes is a heritable trait (PMID: 23938402). His lab has initiated the new research field of Quantitative Redox Biology. This represents a transition from understanding basic biology of cells and tissues at an observational level to a true mechanistic level. His work in this arena has changed the working paradigm of redox biology and toxicology. Examples are: A new paradigm: Manganese superoxide dismutase influences the production of H2O2 in cells and thereby their biological state (PMID: 17015180) and Superoxide dismutase in redox biology: The roles of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (PMID: 21453242). The primary goal of our research program is: to do some good.

Complete List of Published Work 

Center Affiliation and Expertise:  Systemic and Redox Toxicology Thematic Area

Dr. Burnett studies the relationship between EGFR and AKT signal transduction pathways, energy metabolism and NADPH oxidase (NOX)-induced oxidative stress in cancer cells to develop highly targeted strategies to improve cancer patient treatment and outcomes.

Complete List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise:  Associate Center Member, Population Health Research Thematic Area

The primary research focus of the Chatterjee lab is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying long-term memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD). His lab uses multifaceted state-of-the-art approaches such as single-nuclei (RNA+ATAC) multi-omics, spatial transcriptomics, native chromatin enrichment studies, proximity labeling, pharmacology, behavioral techniques, and AAV-based manipulation of transcription in the mouse brain. Using these tools, his goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms that go awry in neurodegeneration. His lab also employs humanized mouse models of ADRD, susceptible to amyloid or tauopathy to study the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) induced neurotoxicity leading towards the risk for dementia (in collaboration with Dr. Hans Lehmler). His research on environmental health sciences focuses on assessing how human-relevant PCB mixtures alter the development and progression of ADRD-like phenotypes in animal models of ADRD.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Nanotoxicology; Population Health

Dr. Donovan’s laboratory has been actively investigating the absorption of compounds via the nasal cavity for over 20 years. Current research is focused on identifying the mechanisms controlling the preferential disposition of materials absorbed across the nasal mucosa and transferred to the CNS. The lab is examining the ability of uptake and efflux transporters, along with endocytotic processes to transfer materials from the nasal cavity to the brain while bypassing the blood-brain barrier. With the increasing interest in the ability of inhaled environmental contaminants reaching the brain via the nasal/olfactory pathways,Dr. Donovan’s lab has initiated new investigations in the uptake of nanoparticles and other environmental toxins into the brain.

Publications:

• Dhamankar V, Assem M, Donovan MD. Gene expression and immunochemical localization of major cytochrome P450 drug-metabolizing enzymes in bovine nasal olfactory and respiratory mucosa. Inhal Toxicol. 2015 Dec;27(14):767-77. PubMed PMID: 26572092.
• Al-Ghabeish M, Scheetz T, Assem M, Donovan MD. Microarray Determination of the Expression of Drug Transporters in Humans and Animal Species Used for the Investigation of Nasal Absorption. Mol Pharm. 2015 Aug 3;12(8):2742-54. PubMed PMID: 26106909; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4671632.
• Chemuturi NV, Donovan MD. Role of organic cation transporters in dopamine uptake across olfactory and nasal respiratory tissues. Mol Pharm. 2007 Nov-Dec;4(6):936-42. PubMed PMID: 17892261.
• Shah AJ, Donovan MD. Rheological characterization of neutral and anionic polysaccharides with reduced mucociliary transport rates. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2007 Apr 20;8(2):Article 32. PubMed PMID: 17622110; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2750371.
• Zhang H, Lin CW, Donovan MD. Correlation between nasal membrane permeability and nasal absorption rate. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2013 Mar;14(1):60-3. PubMed PMID: 23225081; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3581654.
• Chemuturi NV, Hayden P, Klausner M, Donovan MD. Comparison of human tracheal/bronchial epithelial cell culture and bovine nasal respiratory explants for nasal drug transport studies. J Pharm Sci. 2005 Sep;94(9):1976-85. PubMed PMID: 16052562.
• Huang Y, Donovan MD. Large molecule and particulate uptake in the nasal cavity: the effect of size on nasal absorption. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 1998 Jan 5;29(1-2):147-155. PubMed PMID: 10837585.
• Huang Y, Donovan MD. Microsphere Transport Pathways in the Rabbit Nasal Mucosa. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Advances. 1996; 1:298-309.
• Xu J, Li G, Wang Z, Si L, He S, Cai J, Huang J, Donovan MD. The role of L-type amino acid transporters in the uptake of glyphosate across mammalian epithelial tissues. Chemosphere. 2015 Dec 14;145:487-494. PubMed PMID: 26701683.
• Al-Ghabeish M, Scheetz T, Assem M, Donovan MD. Microarray Determination of the Expression of Drug Transporters in Humans and Animal Species Used for the Investigation of Nasal Absorption. Mol Pharm. 2015 Aug 3;12(8):2742-54. PubMed PMID: 26106909; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4671632.
• Huang Y, Donovan MD. Large molecule and particulate uptake in the nasal cavity: the effect of size on nasal absorption. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 1998 Jan 5;29(1-2):147-155. PubMed PMID: 10837585.
• Donovan MD, Flynn GL, Amidon GL. Absorption of polyethylene glycols 600 through 2000: the molecular weight dependence of gastrointestinal and nasal absorption. Pharm Res. 1990 Aug;7(8):863-8. PubMed PMID: 2235883.
• Dhamankar V, Assem M, Donovan MD. Gene expression and immunochemical localization of major cytochrome P450 drug-metabolizing enzymes in bovine nasal olfactory and respiratory mucosa. Inhal Toxicol. 2015 Dec;27(14):767-77. PubMed PMID: 26572092.
• Zhang H, Prisinzano TE, Donovan MD. Permeation and metabolism of cocaine in the nasal mucosa. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2012 Dec;37(4):255-62. PubMed PMID: 22351075.
• Chemuturi NV, Donovan MD. Metabolism of dopamine by the nasal mucosa. J Pharm Sci. 2006 Nov;95(11):2507-15. PubMed PMID: 16917843.
• Chung FY, Donovan MD. Nasal Pre-systemic Metabolism of Peptide Drugs: Substance P Metabolism in the Sheep Nasal Cavity. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 1996; 128:229-237.
• Khanvilkar K, Donovan MD, Flanagan DR. Drug transfer through mucus. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2001 Jun 11;48(2-3):173-93. PubMed PMID: 11369081.
• Bhat PG, Flanagan DR, Donovan MD. Drug diffusion through cystic fibrotic mucus: steady-state permeation, rheologic properties, and glycoprotein morphology. J Pharm Sci. 1996 Jun;85(6):624-30. PubMed PMID: 8773960.
• Pavan BG, Flanagan DR, Donovan MD. Drug Binding to Gastric Mucus Glycoproteins. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 1996; 134:15-25.
• Shah AJ, Donovan MD. Formulating gels for decreased mucociliary transport using rheologic properties: polyacrylic acids. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2007 Apr 20;8(2):Article 33. PubMed PMID: 17622111; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2750372.
• Sinn PL, Shah AJ, Donovan MD, McCray PB Jr. Viscoelastic gel formulations enhance airway epithelial gene transfer with viral vectors. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2005 May;32(5):404-10. PubMed PMID: 15695737.
• Zhou M, Donovan MD. Intranasal Mucociliary Clearance of Bioadhesive Polymer Gels. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 1996; 135:115-125.
• Miller SC, Donovan MD. Effect of Poloxamer Gels on the Miotic Activity of Pilocarpin Nitrate in Rabbits. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 1982; 12:147-152.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Systemic and Redox Toxicology

Dr. Duffel’s research activities centered on enzyme-catalyzed reactions that occur with xenobiotics. The major component of this effort included studies to better understand and predict the role that sulfotransferases play in the cytotoxic, immunologic, mutagenic and carcinogenic responses to drugs, environmental chemicals, and other xenobiotics. This exploration of sulfotransferases employed a broad array of techniques in enzymology, biological chemistry, and chemistry that range from laboratory-based to computational approaches. These studies included investigations into the molecular bases for the substrate specificities, catalytic mechanisms, stereospecificities, and regulation of these enzymes. One major current research project, Aryl and Alcohol Sulfotransferases in Drug Metabolism, was funded by the National Cancer Institute. This project included investigations on the role of sulfotransferases in a carcinogenic side-effect of a metabolite of the drug tamoxifen, studies on the mechanism and catalytic regulation of aryl and alcohol sulfotransferases, and development of methods to discover highly selective inhibitors of sulfotransferase isoforms. A second major research effort was directed towards understanding how polychlorinated biphenyls and their hydroxylated metabolites alter the regulation and catalytic function of the hydroxysteroid sulfotransferases. This was a component project, entitled PCBs and Hydroxysteroid (Alcohol) Sulfotransferases, within the Iowa Superfund Basic Research Program entitled Semi-volatile PCBs: Sources, Exposures, Toxicities. This research was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Complete List of Published Work 

Pronouns: She/her

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Member, Population Health and Systemic Redox and Toxicology Research Thematic Areas, Awardee of Career Enhancement Program

The Eggers Lab focuses on understanding the role of the human microbiome in mediating the relationship between environmental exposures and downstream health outcomes through the life course. Areas of particular interest include: 1) programming of the gut microbiome and neurodevelopment in childhood by prenatal exposure to multiple metals; 2) statistical method development for investigating the human microbiome as a component of the exposome; 3) reverse translational in vitro examination of the effects of environmental chemical exposures on human gut microbes.

For a full list of publications:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/12kF8zxzp7t5t/bibliography/public/

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Inflammation and Innate Immunity

Research in the Engelhardt laboratory focuses on the molecular basis of inherited and environmentally induced diseases, and on the development of gene therapies for these disorders. Included are two major research areas: 1) the study of lung molecular and cellular biology as it relates to the pathogenesis and treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease, and 2) the molecular mechanism underlying redox-mediated injury and the development of molecular therapies for ischemia/reperfusion injury, sepsis, and the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Research on lung biology includes the study of adult epithelial stem cells and their niches in the airway, and dissecting the pathogenesis of lung disease in animal models of cystic fibrosis. The laboratory is currently elucidating transcriptional signals important for early establishment of the airway glandular stem cell niche, and for mobilization of stem cells from this niche following airway injury. The newly generated ferret and pig models of cystic fibrosis are being used to understand how stem cells in the adult airway respond to injury resulting from dysfunction of CFTR (the chloride channel that is defective in cystic fibrosis). These new genetic models of CF are also being used to dissect pathophysiologic mechanisms of disease and to develop gene therapies that target the lung with recombinant adeno-associated virus. A second area of interest is the development of pharmacologic and gene-based therapies for redox-dependent disorders of the liver and spinal cord. Such studies are aimed at the treatment of environmentally induced liver injuries–those resulting from sepsis, ischemia/reperfusion, and (in the case of ALS) motor neuron injury. We are using rodent transgenic and knockout models to better understand the mechanisms that are involved in inflammation and injury and are controlled by reactive oxygen species. Of particular interest in this area are mechanisms of redox-regulated NF?B activation via several NADPH oxidase complexes (Nox1, Nox2 and Nox4), whose roles include generating intracellular superoxides in response to extracellular pro-inflammatory cytokine signals (IL-1beta and TNFalpha pathways are a major focus). This redox-signaling program heavily utilizes recombinant viral vectors, transgenic/knockout mice, and proteomic approaches to address basic aspects of pathophysiology, and also to generate new therapies capable of promoting organ regeneration and repair while also minimizing the deleterious inflammatory responses to injury.

Complete List of Published Work in Google Scholar:

The Fain lab is dedicated to developing functional imaging of the lungs using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multiple methods are in development and are actively in use for clinical research. Most prominently, ultra-short time to echo (UTE) pulmonary MRI and hyperpolarized xenon gas MRI are actively being used to study long COVID, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, lung transplant rejection and asthma. Our work has applications in understanding of environmental population health given our ability to measure ventilation and gas exchange regionally with sufficient sensitivity to detect subclinical changes not detected by conventional pulmonary function tests. The MRI techniques developed in the Fain lab are furthermore complementary to quantitative CT methods by providing functional information without using ionizing radiation.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Center Member, Nanotoxicology

Research in Dr. Fiegel’s laboratory focuses in two broad areas: 1) the design of improved therapeutic drug delivery strategies for the treatment and prevention of infections and 2) enhancing our fundamental understanding of interactions between foreign materials and biological environments. Our work in aerosol biointeractions is applied to both environmental aerosols and inhalable drug delivery systems. While most of our work has focused on respiratory infections, we have expanded our efforts to develop sprayable systems for skin infections which complements our expertise in formulation development, aerosol spray analysis, and bacterial pathogen eradication.

Complete List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Associate Center Member, Population Health Thematic Area

The Flunker lab seeks to characterize, quantify, and refine spatiotemporal estimates of environmental and occupational exposures and associated adverse health outcomes among at-risk populations. Research areas of interest include climate-change-driven exposures, namely extreme heat and wildfire smoke, biomarkers of exposure, respiratory health, illness/injury surveillance, and exposure-outcome statistical modeling.

Link to publications

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Associate Member, Nanotoxicology

Inorganic mineral species influence most of the physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur in the natural world. However, soluble inorganic nanoclusters (0.5 – 10 nm) may be the driving force for many of these processes as they exist in nearly every naturally occurring aqueous system and are among the most reactive components in the environment. Research in the Forbes group focuses on obtaining a molecular level understanding these clusters by synthesizing and characterizing environmentally relevant model compounds.

Publications:

• Basile, M., Unruh, D. K., Gojdas, K., Flores, E., Streicher, L., and Forbes, T.Z. (2015) Chemical controls on uranyl citrate speciation and the self-assembly of nanoscale macrocycles and sandwich complexes in aqueous solutions. Chemical Communications, 51, 5306-5309.
• Unruh, D. K., de Groot, J., Fairley, M., Libo, A., Miller, S and T. Z. Forbes (2015) Interplay of condensation and chelation in binary and ternary Th(IV) complexes. Inorganic Chemistry 54, 1395-1404.
• Alessi, D.S., Symanowski, J.E.S, Forbes, T.Z., Quicksall, A. N., Sigmon, G.E., Burns, P.C., Fein, J. B. (2013) Mineralogic Controls on Aqueous Neptunium(V) Concentrations in Silicate Systems. Journal of Nuclear Materials 433, 233-239.
• Forbes, T.Z., Burns, P.C., Soderholm, L, Skanthakumar, S. (2007) Synthesis, structure determination, and magnetic susceptibility of Np2O5. Journal of the American Chemical Society 129, 2760-2761
• Basile, M., Unruh, D. K., Gojdas, K., Flores, E., Streicher, L., and Forbes, T.Z. (2015) Chemical controls on uranyl citrate speciation and the self-assembly of nanoscale macrocycles and sandwich complexes in aqueous solutions. Chemical Communications, 51, 5306-5309.
• Unruh, D. K., Gojdas, K, Flores, E., Libo, A., and Forbes, T.Z. (2013) Synthesis and structural characterization of hydrolysis products within the uranyl iminodiacetate and malate systems. Inorganic Chemistry 52, 10191-10198.
• Basile, M, Unruh, D.K., Flores, E., Johns, A. and Forbes, T.Z. (2015) Structural characterization of environmentally relevant ternary uranyl citrate complexes present in aqueous solutions and solid state materials. Dalton Transactions, 44, 2597-2605.
• Nelson, A. W., Eitrheim, E.S., Knight, A. W., May, D., Merhoff, M. A., Shannon, R., Litman, R., Burnett, W. C., Forbes, T.Z. and Schultz, M. K. (2015) Understand the radioactive ingrowth and decay of naturally occurring radioactive materials in the environment: an analysis of produced fluids from the Marcellus shale. Environmental Health Perspectives 123, 689-696.
• Knight, A.W., Nelson, A. W., Eitrheim, E. S., Forbes, T.Z. and Schultz, M. K. (2015) A chromatographic separation of neptunium and protactinium using 1-octanol impregnated onto a solid phase support. Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange DOI 10.1007/s10967-015-4124-3.
• Jayasinghe, A, Unruh, D.K., Kral, A., and Forbes, T.Z. (2015) Structural features in metal organic nanotube crystals that influence stability and solvent uptake. Crystal Growth and Design, 15, 4062-4070.
• Sahu, S. K., Unruh, D.K., Forbes, T.Z. and Navrotsky, A. (2014) Energetics of formation and hydration of a porous metal organic nanotube. Chemistry of Materials 26, 5105-5112.
• de Groot, J., Gojdas, K., Unruh, D.K., and Forbes, T.Z. (2014) Use of charge-assisted hydrogen bonding for the supramolecular assembly of hybrid uranyl materials. Crystal Growth and Design 14, 1357-1365.
• Unruh, D. K., Gojdas, K., Libo, A., and Forbes, T.Z. (2013) Development of metal-organic nanotubes exhibiting reversible exchange of confined ‘ice channels’. Journal of the American Chemical Society 135, 7398-7401.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Associate Center Member, Population Health Thematic Area

The Gaine Lab is dedicated to the study of biological and environmental factors that drive the risk for brain disorders. Through large-scale human studies and complementary animal models, her lab group studies the role of the environment and DNA methylation in individuals with bipolar disorder and a history of suicidal behavior. They are also interested in the role of PKA signaling in neurodegeneration with the use of a Prkar1b mouse model.

Center Affiliation and Expertise:  Inflammation and Innate Immunity

Dr. Gerke’s current research is directed at evaluating the role of vitamin D on lung immunity and host defense. Her clinical interests focus on sarcoidosis and interstitial lung disease.

Publications:

• Gerke AK, Tang F, Yang M, Foster ED, Cavanaugh JE, Polgreen PM. Predicting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalizations based on concurrent influenza activity. COPD. 2013 Oct;10(5):573-80.
• Mikulski MA, Gerke AK, Lourens S, Czeczok T, Sprince NL, Laney AS, Fuortes LJ. Agreement between fixed-ratio and lower limit of normal spirometry interpretation protocols decreases with age: is there a need for a new GOLD standard? J Occup Environ Med. 2013 Jul;55(7):802-8.
• Foster ED, Cavanaugh JE, Haynes WG, Yang M, Gerke AK, Tang F, Polgreen PM. Acute myocardial infarctions, strokes and influenza: seasonal and pandemic effects. Epidemiol Infect. 2013 Apr;141(4):735-44.
• Hansdottir, S, Monick M, Lovan N, Powers L, Gerke AK, Hunninghake, GW. Vitamin D Decreases RSV Induction of NF-?B-linked Chemokines and Cytokines in Airway Epithelium While Maintaining the Antiviral State. Journal of Immunology. 184: 965-974, 2010.
• Monick M, Powers L, Walters K, Lovan N, Zhang M, Gerke AK, Hansdottir S, Hunninghake GW. Identification of an Autophagy Defect in Smokers’ Alveolar Macrophages. J Immunol. 2010 Nov 1;185(9):5425-35. NIHMS243655.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Water Quality Thematic Area

Pronouns: She/Her

Keri Hornbuckle is the Donald E. Bently Professor of Engineering and former Department Chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the College of Engineering, and serves as on the faculty of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, all at the University of Iowa. She is a recognized expert on the environmental fate and transport of PCBs and other semivolatile organic pollutants, and published many (>70) peer-reviewed scientific papers showing how these toxic compounds are released and transported through the environment. She and her team operate large scale air sampling networks in Chicago, Northwest Indiana and rural Iowa. She leads the Analytical Core for the Iowa Superfund Research Program (isrp, NIEHS/NIH), providing field and laboratory measurements of PCBs and related compounds in indoor/outdoor air, water, sediment, soils, human serum, and tissues from laboratory animals. In addition to the isrp, her research is also funded by the Great Lakes National Program Office of the U.S. EPA and the National Science Foundation. Prof. Hornbuckle is a past President of the International Association for Great Lakes Research and is Associate Editor of the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology. She was awarded an early CAREER development award from NSF, the University of Iowa Distinguished Achievement Award for women faculty, and the College of Engineering Distinguished Research Award. Her ongoing contributions to the body of research in air and water quality are of great value to the EHSRC.

http://research.engineering.uiowa.edu/hornbuckle/

Complete List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Water Quality; Population Health

Dr. Just is trained as a chemist and environmental engineer and conducts research that interfaces with state of the art analytical instrumentation and deployable sensors. He is a faculty member in the University of Iowa’s Water Sustainability Initiative which facilitates research collaborations with colleagues in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; College of Public Health; and in his own College of Engineering. He is an affiliate of the world-renowned water research institution, IIHR – Hydroscience & Engineering and the graduate program coordinator for the Environmental Engineering & Science graduate program which is ranked in the “top ten” for public institutions by U.S. News and World Reports. Dr. Just studies the impact of freshwater mussels on nitrogen chemistry in the agriculturally influenced water of the North American Midwest. He studies the activity of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria and archaea in mussel beds and during wastewater treatment. In addition, he studies the fate of explosives in plants, fungus and microbial systems as a means to protect and/or remediate receiving waters. Increasingly, Dr. Just is working in “rural” areas of the North American Midwest to better understand how small communities will achieve water sustainability in the face of decreasing population and deteriorating infrastructures.

http://www.craigjust.org/

Complete List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise:  Pulmonary Toxicology Thematic Area

The objective of Dr. Kim’s research program is to advance our understanding of how emerging hazards and exposures lead to adverse health outcomes at various levels of biological organization (from cellular and molecular levels to populations) and how the human body modifies these responses to maintain homeostasis (host-defense) using innovative health risk assessment tools. His research program and research activities are currently focused on studies leading to new insights into: i) the associated toxicological mechanisms and pathways of adverse health outcomes in relation to occupational and environmental exposures; ii) an innovative biomarker of human exposure to occupational and environmental hazards; iii) effective target intervention strategies to prevent or mitigate adverse health outcomes in response to such exposures.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Inflammation and Innate Immunity Thematic Area

Dr. Klesney-Tait’s research focuses on the role of neutrophils in the regulation of inflammation. Her laboratory utilizes animal models of pneumonia, sepsis and reperfusion to study neutrophil function. In particular, they are exploring the Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1), an innate immune receptor expressed on neutrophils that functions as an amplifier of proinflammatory signaling.

Complete List of Published Work 

EHSRC Role(s): Center Member Inflammation and Innate Immunity; Integrative Health Sciences Facility

Dr. Kline’s research focuses on modulation of airway inflammation in asthma. Using murine models, he is investigating how DNA containing CpG motifs and other innate immune stimuli can prevent and reverse eosinophilic airway inflammation, bronchial hyper responsiveness, and airway remodeling. As the Associate Director of the General Clinical Research Center as well as the Environmental Health Science Research Center, he also leads clinical research investigations in airway disease. Dr. Kline is the Director of the UI Adult Asthma Center, whose purpose is to integrate clinical care, clinical research, and basic research in asthma and airway inflammation.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Systemic and Redox Toxicology

Our research has diversified into two main areas: 1) How viruses infect and disseminate in skin; 2) How microbial and environmental factors play a role in the development of metabolic syndrome. Our prior research addressed how human cells senesce, leading to aging, and how they become immortal, leading to cancer, with a particular interest in on how human papillomaviruses transform cells. Our expertise in cell immortalization and cell culture techniques has allowed us develop 3D cell culture models that recapitulate human tissue for our research.

1) How viruses infect and disseminate in skin. Collaborative studies were recently initiated with Wendy Maury’s lab to examine how Ebola virus (EBOV) infects and transmits through human skin. We found that EBOV can infect and replicate in different skin cell populations. We are currently working to understand the course of infection in skin, what specific receptors are being utilized by EBOV in skin cells, and what role skin infection plays in transmission and pathogenesis.

2) How microbial and environmental factors play a role in the development of metabolic syndrome. Our success with immortalizing human preadipocytes (pre-fat) cells has led to studies on how environmental and bacterial toxins cause or exacerbate type II diabetes through effects on fat tissue. We found that dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are persistent organic pollutants, can disrupt adipogenesis (i.e. the development of functional fat cells) through activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). This causes a proinflammatory response and inhibits master regulatory genes involved in adipogenesis. Endogenous microbial-derived tryptophan metabolites are also able to activate AhR. Studies are underway to determine the mechanism by which AhR activation disrupts adipogenesis and to develop 3D cultures and in vivo genetic models to assess the role of AhR in the development of metabolic syndrome.

Complete List of Published Works https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=klingelhutz+aj

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Center Member, Water Quality Thematic Area

Non-point source pollutants are the leading cause of water quality degradation. Dr. LeFevre’s research focuses on the biotransformation mechanisms (e.g., plants, bacteria, fungi) of trace organic contaminants to create natural systems-based treatment technologies that improve water quality. Understanding of pollutant transformation processes facilitates low-energy engineered natural treatment systems that are reliable, robust, and resilient. Examples include understanding the fate and transformation of contaminants in stormwater and the use of bioretention systems to capture and degrade pollutants. Additionally, the LeFevre Lab studies pesticide fate and transport in urban and agricultural systems, and fate/impacts of emerging organic contaminants in recycled water in ecosystems and when used for crop irrigation.

Lab website

List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Computational Fluid Dynamics Specialist, Exposure Science Facility

Dr. Lin’s field of knowledge includes four-dimensional data assimilation, large-eddy simulation, lattice-Boltzmann method for microfluidics, turbulence dynamics, and high performance parallel computing. He is currently conducting research in turbulent flow in complex geometry, four-dimensional assimilation of atmospheric lidar data, gas transport and aerosol deposition in the lungs, fluid-structure interaction, and TeraGrid computing.

http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/~ching/

Complete List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Population Health

Dr. Lynch’s major research interest centered around population-based research that involved a cancer surveillance program (Iowa Cancer Registry) and cancer epidemiology and surveillance, cancer pathology, and environmental epidemiology.

http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/cancercenter/research/cancerepidem.html

Complete List of Published Work 

Research Summary

The work in Dr. Malkova’s lab is focuses on investigation of the mechanisms of double-strand break (DSB) repair. DSB is the most lethal form of DNA damage, and their research attempts to unravel its role in genome destabilization. In particular, they are interested in how imprecise or faulty repair of DSBs leads to structural genomic variations including mutations, copy number variations (CNVs) and chromosomal rearrangements similar to those that cause genetic diseases and cancer in humans. This research is focused on one particular pathway of DSB repair called Break-Induced Replication (BIR). BIR is the main pathway to repair broken chromosomes containing only one repairable end, which can result from the collapse of a replication fork or from telomere erosion. Importantly, BIR plays a significant role at the onset of carcinogenesis, when cells undergo a massive collapse of replication forks, and which are repaired by BIR. The lab uses sensitive genetic assays, direct physical methods and genomic approaches to unravel the mechanisms of genetic instabilities resulting from BIR, and the effects of various environmental factors in the development of such instabilities.

Lab Phone: (319) 384-1274

Google Scholar Link:

Publications

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Associate Member, Inflammation and Innate Immunity Thematic Area

The major goal of my research is to understand the interaction between gut microbiota, environmental contaminant(s) and immune response and how these interactions can influence the development of diseases. Recent studies on gut microbiota suggest that microbiome and/or their metabolites play an essential role in maintaining homeostasis at mucosal as well as peripheral organs. My research program focuses on two interconnected themes: (i) to determine how environmental factors can modulate the normal gut microbiota which might result in predisposition/precipitation of diseases; and (ii) to identify gut microbiota with therapeutic ability and/or identify critical pathways in pathogenic microbiota for precision targeting without affecting the whole gut microbiota (e.g., antibiotic treatment deplete all flora). Our research group was the first in the USA to show that MS patients had distinct gut microbiota with depletion of some bacteria whereas enrichment of others (PMID: 27346372). The gut microbiota help in maintaining our health by regulating various functions, including food metabolism, energy homeostasis, maintenance of the intestinal barrier, inhibition of colonization by pathogenic organisms and shaping of both the mucosal and systemic immune responses. Alteration of the gut microbiota and resulting changes in its metabolic network perturb this homeostasis, often leading to intestinal and systemic disorders such as MS, obesity and metabolic syndrome. Our microbiome study showed that MS patients have an alteration in gut bacteria involved in the metabolism of phytoestrogens, fibers/carbohydrates, bile acids and tryptophans. Therefore, multiple projects in the laboratory are investigating the mechanism through which gut bacteria regulate host physiology, e.g., numbers of bacteria responsible for the metabolism of phytoestrogens (specifically Prevotella, Parabacteroides, and Adlercreutzia) are depleted in MS patients. As a proof of concept, we isolated Prevotella histicola from a healthy individual (one of the bacteria linked with phytoestrogen metabolism) and observed that it could induce regulatory CD4 T cells as well as suppress disease in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS (PMID: 28793252). Based on these two observations we are testing the hypothesis that a decrease in microbial flora associated with metabolism of plant lignan and isoflavone might be responsible for pro-inflammatory state and predisposition to disease. In another project, through a pilot funding from EHSRC, we are investigating how environmental contaminants/toxins can have an adverse impact on human health through perturbation of gut microbiota composition. In summary, my research program focuses on determining the role of gut microbiota in maintaining human health and factors (environmental, diet, and genetics) which can affect the composition of gut microbiota leading/ predisposing to the development of diseases. A better understanding of these interactions will lead to the identification of gut microbiota with therapeutic ability and/or identification of critical pathways in pathogenic microbiota for precision targeting without affecting the whole gut microbiota (e.g., antibiotic treatment deplete all flora).

https://mangalam.lab.uiowa.edu/

Center Affiliation and Expertise:  Water Quality Thematic Area

Dr. Mattes possesses expertise in the areas of environmental microbiology, environmental biotechnology, bioremediation and environmental engineering.  His current research interests include application of molecular microbial ecology techniques to understand the roles of microorganisms in biodegradation of hazardous compounds in environment (including chlorinated ethene (CEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)). He is also interested in the evolution of biodegradation pathways and microbial network interactions to effect removal of pollutants from groundwater, soils, and sediments.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Inflammation and Innate Immunity

Ongoing projects in the laboratory address several questions pertinent to the cell biology of neutrophil-mediated responses during inflammation and host response to infection. We have a longstanding interest in two important aspects of neutrophil biology, namely the NADPH-dependent oxidase and the granule hemeprotein myeloperoxidase (MPO), and are examining various aspects of each during acute inflammation. NADPH-dependent oxidase studies address two major questions. First, how does lipopolysaccharide, a component of most gram-negative bacteria, induce the neutrophil to become primed for subsequent activation? Detailed analysis of the subcellular localization and phosphorylation state of p47phox and p67phox are under study. Second, we are examining the role of the membrane-associated cytoskeleton in regulating and/or directing assembly of the NADPH-dependent oxidase. Current attention is focused on p57, a 57-kDa homologue of the protein coronin found in Dictyostelium, and its association with oxidase components and its recruitment to the nascent phagosome. Studies related to MPO include characterization of MPO biosynthesis and the identification of various genotypes of hereditary MPO deficiency. These include include characterization of the role of molecular chaperones calreticulin and calnexin as well as assessment of the various quality control mechanisms operating in the endoplasmic reticulum. We are searching for peptide motifs recognized by calreticulin and calnexin in their roles as chaperones. Studies are ongoing to define the mechanism by which heme is incorporated into MPO and the impact of heme insertion on the subsequent proteolytic processing and intracellular targeting of MPO. Studies of hereditary MPO deficiency include identification of the specific genotype and then characterization of the impact of that mutation on synthesis of MPO. For these studies we use transfected K562 cells to express mutant MPO cDNA and characterize the biosynthesis. Our findings from such analysis complement well those derived from studies of MPO biosynthesis in established myeloid cell lines.

http://www.int-med.uiowa.edu/research/Inflammation/Inflammation.html

Complete List of Published Work 

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Population Health Thematic Area

https://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/departments/environmental/facultyandstaff/matthew-nonnenmann.html

Dr. Nonnenmann’s research interests include organic dust exposure among agricultural workers and markers of lung inflammation; risk factors and epidemiology for musculoskeletal disorders among occupational groups; environmental contaminants resulting from animal confinement facilities; health effects of pesticide exposure assessment, and; physical, chemical and biological exposures among workers and families in agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries. He is also exploring exposure assessment techniques using molecular microbiology and techniques for assessing exposure to risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders

Complete List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Community Engagement Core

A constant theme of my research is the design of community health promotion interventions that address major social determinants of health and health disparities, particularly those that use a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach. Since 1998, my research has combined my knowledge and interest in CBPR with an interest in the intersection of environmental health and health behavior and health education. I am particularly interested in how health promotion theories and models, from individual to policy level, can: be applied to assist in the assessment of pathways of environmental exposures; aid in designing interventions to reduce exposures (Parker et al., 2004); and inform dissemination and translation of results of environmental exposure assessment studies for policy change.

Publications:

• Zikmund-Fisher BJ, Turkelson A, Franzblau A, Diebol JK, Allerton LA, Parker EA. The effect of misunderstanding the chemical properties of environmental contaminants on exposure beliefs: a case involving dioxins. Sci Total Environ. 2013 Mar 1;447:293-300. PubMed PMID: 23391895; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3652325.
• Parker EA, Chung LK, Israel BA, Reyes A, Wilkins D. Community organizing network for environmental health: using a community health development approach to increase community capacity around reduction of environmental triggers. J Prim Prev. 2010 Apr;31(1-2):41-58. PubMed PMID: 20306137; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2891016.
• Parker EA, Israel BA, Robins TG, Mentz G, Xihong Lin, Brakefield-Caldwell W, Ramirez E, Edgren KK, Salinas M, Lewis TC. Evaluation of Community Action Against Asthma: a community health worker intervention to improve children’s asthma-related health by reducing household environmental triggers for asthma. Health Educ Behav. 2008 Jun;35(3):376-95. PubMed PMID: 17761540; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4676080.
• Parker EA, Baldwin GT, Israel B, Salinas MA. Application of health promotion theories and models for environmental health. Health Educ Behav. 2004 Aug;31(4):491-509. PubMed PMID: 15296631.
• Israel BA, Schulz AJ, Parker EA, Becker AB. Review of community-based research: assessing partnership approaches to improve public health. Annu Rev Public Health. 1998;19:173-202. PubMed PMID: 9611617.
• Parker E, Margolis LH, Eng E, Henr�quez-Rold�n C. Assessing the capacity of health departments to engage in community-based participatory public health. Am J Public Health. 2003 Mar;93(3):472-6. PubMed PMID: 12604498; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1447766.
• Parker EA, Israel BA, Williams M, Brakefield-Caldwell W, Lewis TC, Robins T, Ramirez E, Rowe Z, Keeler G. Community action against asthma: examining the partnership process of a community-based participatory research project. J Gen Intern Med. 2003 Jul;18(7):558-67. PubMed PMID: 12848839; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1494884.
• Methods for Community-Based Participatory Research for Health. Second Edition ed. Israel BA, Eng E, Schulz AJ, Parker EA, editors. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2013.
• Batterman S, Du L, Parker E, Robins T, Lewis T, Mukherjee B, Ramirez E, Rowe Z, Brakefield-Caldwell W. Use of Free-standing Filters in an Asthma Intervention Study. Air Qual Atmos Health. 2013 Dec;6(4):759-767. PubMed PMID: 24436726; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3889137.
• Sampson NR, Parker EA, Cheezum RR, Lewis TC, O’Toole A, Patton J, Zuniga A, Robins TG, Keirns CC. A life course perspective on stress and health among caregivers of children with asthma in Detroit. Fam Community Health. 2013 Jan-Mar;36(1):51-62. PubMed PMID: 23168346; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3984896.
• Parker EA, Chung LK, Israel BA, Reyes A, Wilkins D. Community organizing network for environmental health: using a community health development approach to increase community capacity around reduction of environmental triggers. J Prim Prev. 2010 Apr;31(1-2):41-58. PubMed PMID: 20306137; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2891016.
• Parker EA, Israel BA, Robins TG, Mentz G, Xihong Lin, Brakefield-Caldwell W, Ramirez E, Edgren KK, Salinas M, Lewis TC. Evaluation of Community Action Against Asthma: a community health worker intervention to improve children’s asthma-related health by reducing household environmental triggers for asthma. Health Educ Behav. 2008 Jun;35(3):376-95. PubMed PMID: 17761540; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4676080.
• Eng E, Parker E, Harlan C. Lay health advisor intervention strategies: a continuum from natural helping to paraprofessional helping. Health Educ Behav. 1997 Aug;24(4):413-7. PubMed PMID: 9247821.
• Parker EA, Schulz AJ, Israel BA, Hollis R. Detroit’s East Side Village Health Worker Partnership: community-based lay health advisor intervention in an urban area. Health Educ Behav. 1998 Feb;25(1):24-45. PubMed PMID: 9474498.
• Eng E, Parker EA. Emerging Theories and Models in Health Promotion Research and Practice. DiCliemente R, Crosby R, Kegler M, editors. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2002. Natural helper models to enhance a community�s health and competence; p.126-156.
• Parker EA, Israel BA, Robins TG, Mentz G, Xihong Lin, Brakefield-Caldwell W, Ramirez E, Edgren KK, Salinas M, Lewis TC. Evaluation of Community Action Against Asthma: a community health worker intervention to improve children’s asthma-related health by reducing household environmental triggers for asthma. Health Educ Behav. 2008 Jun;35(3):376-95. PubMed PMID: 17761540; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4676080.

EHSRC Role(s): Aerosol Measurement Specialist, Pulmonary Toxicology Facility; Aerosol Measurement Specialist, Exposure Science Facility;  Population Health; Nanoscience thematic area

Dr. Peters is engaged in research on the mechanics of aerosols, including sampling and transport, instrumentation, and filter design. In addition, he conducts studies on industrial ventilation and the capture and control of workplace pollutants. He is also interested in the design of detectors and control strategies for harmful bioaerosol agents. Current projects include Ultrafine Particles in Heavy Vehicle Manufacturing; Ambient Particle Monitoring with Passive Samplers, and; Airway and Immune Response to Inhaled Endotoxin and Diesel Exhaust Particles.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Inflammation and Innate Immunity Thematic Area

Dr. Pierce’s research seeks to understand the mechanisms that contribute to vascular endothelial dysfunction with aging, obesity/ prediabetes, endotoxin exposure and sepsis in humans. His lab uses an integrative experimental approach, including non-invasive and semi-invasive approaches to assess vascular function in human subjects and study cells/tissues (endothelial cells, mononuclear cells, sera, adipose) from humans to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in abnormal vascular function. Dr. Pierce has specific expertise in measuring vascular endothelial function in humans via brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, limb blood flow using venous occlusion lethysmography and peripheral artery tonometry, and aortic stiffness via pulse wave velocity. In addition, he has conducted small and medium sized singlecenter randomized, controlled intervention studies (e.g., pharmacological, exercise) on vascular endothelial function and arterial stiffness in relation to metabolic, inflammation and oxidative stress outcomes in healthy young, middle-aged and older adults, and patients with end-stage heart failure and heart transplantation.

Complete List of Published Work 

Center Expertise: Population Health

Dr. Rohlman’s research activities have focused on the design, development, and validation of computerized test methods to assess neurotoxic effects and neurological disorders in humans exposed to chemical and physical agents. Her numerous research projects employ neurobehavioral and psychological test methods to study populations of all ages, with emphasis on the detection and characterization of impaired populations exposed to workplace hazards. She has extended the methods developed for adult working populations, to children and adolescents. These methods have been applied in research examining the effects of pesticide exposures in migrant workers and families, wartime stressors in Persian Gulf Veterans, and chemical exposures in Air Force fuelers. She has conducted research examining exposure and health effects in agricultural communities including Hispanic seasonal and migrant workers. Her current research is focused on identifying and characterizing adverse effects of pesticide exposure, specifically organophosphate exposure, on neurobehavioral performance. Dr. Rohlman has also been part of the development of computerized training methods for use in the workplace. The cTRAIN software has been used in agricultural settings, construction with immigrant workers, construction workers, office workers, and graduate students. Her research involves the use of neurobehavioral methods to examine pesticide exposure in children whose parents apply pesticides, refugees working in Lebanon, young children in the Philippines exposed to pesticides and Egyptian cotton workers. Her work in Egypt was featured in a NIOSH science blog.

Dr. Roman has longstanding interest in cellular signaling initiated by G-protein coupled receptors and the regulation of those signaling pathways. In addition, the Roman lab has utilized high throughput screening technologies to investigate chemical libraries at novel targets for therapeutic discovery. The connection to the EHSRC is in the application of high throughput technologies to toxicology, through the identification of targets impacted by established and emerging contaminants. Currently, the Roman lab using these techniques to: (1) Interrogate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) against a focused set of GPCRs to identify PFAS-GPCR relationships that mediate effects of PFAS exposure, (2) Conduct a comprehensive screen of various contaminants against the ‘druggable’ GPCR-ome, to discover unpredictable contaminant-GPCR pairs, and finally (3) characterize the newly identified contaminant-GPCR pairs in detail regarding their impact on receptor pharmacology, and cellular consequences. Overall our goals are to (1) identify GPCR-mediated effects of contaminants, (2) discover specific targets engaged/impacted by environmentalcontaminants, and (3) characterizing molecular mechanisms of contaminant exposure in the relevant context of cellular consequences.

Center research affiliation: Systemic Redox and Toxicology (SART)

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Population Health

As Director of the Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders (formerly the Iowa Birth Defects Registry), Dr. Romitti is active in surveillance for congenital and inherited disorders in the State of Iowa. Among Dr. Romitti’s primary research interests are the etiology and prevention of birth defects, family history and health, pregnancy loss, and molecular epidemiology. He has also explored behavioral and environmental epidemiology of congenital and inherited disorders. In addition, Dr. Romitti has conducted research in cancer and reproductive health.

Complete List of Published Work 

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Water Quality Thematic Area

Dr. Schnoor conducts research in the areas of environmental health and chemistry, mathematical modeling of natural waters and groundwater, phytoremediation, water sustainability, and climate change. He is a registered professional engineer and a member of the National Academy of Engineering (elected in 1999) for pioneering work using mathematical models in science policy decisions for environmental protection. Dr. Schnoor has testified several times before Congress on pressing environmental health issues, including the environmental effects of acid deposition and the importance of passing the 1990 Clean Air Act. He served as Chair of the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council, 2007-2009, appointed by Governor Chester J. Culver. Currently, he is a Core Director of the Iowa Superfund Research Program on “Phytoremediation of Airborne Sources of PCB Congeners from Soil and Groundwater,” and leads the W.M. Keck Phytotechnology Laboratory, which specializes in using plants to help clean and protect the environment, while reducing chemical exposures to humans. Dr. Schnoor brings expertise to the EHSRC in the areas of chemical exposure assessments, water sustainability and health effects, water quality modeling, and interventions involving phytoremediation.

Complete List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Water Quality

Dr. Schultz is a subject matter expert in radiochemistry, radiopharmaceutical science, environmental radiochemistry, and nuclear science. His research platform includes quantitative redox biology and free radical chemistry toward the development of a more detailed understanding of cancer and for the development of new targeted imaging and therapy agents for metastatic melanoma. This research is focused on Dr Schultz’s discovery of a new class of compounds that target tumor cell mitochondria and promotes cancer cell specific cell death via induced oxidative stress mechanisms. His environmental radiochemistry research is currently focused on co-extraction of significant quantities of natural radioactivity that occurs with the use of new mining technologies. These initiatives involve working toward a complete understanding the environmental chemistry of co-extracted natural radionuclides, seasonal impacts on radionuclide solubility and bioavailability and cellular mechanisms of incorporation of these radionuclides into phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrophytes, and higher organisms.

Complete List of Published Work 

The Shen lab seeks to bridge basic science and health services research by exploring the intersection of nature and nurture in mental health. We draw upon tools and perspectives from diverse fields (including neuroscience, genomics, and environmental health) to dissect the complex interplay between genes and the environment. We are especially interested in how early-life and cumulative exposures influence later-life outcomes for mood disorders, psychosis, substance use, and neurodegenerative disorders. By identifying cellular endophenotypes and their molecular correlates, we aim to advance the detection and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Link to publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=WCYqysoAAAAJ&hl=en

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Associate Member, Integrated Health Sciences Facility; Population Health

Dr. Sieren’s research interests include medical imaging for lung cancer detection and monitoring; three dimensional micro-imaging and pathology, and; exploring correlation between pathology and non-invasive imaging

Complete List of Published Work

Center Expertise and Affiliation: Population Health, CDP Awardee and Associate member

Dr. Simmering’s research interests are in the use of large administrative data sets, such as health insurance claims, with measures of environmental exposure to understand the interplay between health and the environment. Specifically, he is interested in meteorological exposures (temperature, rainfall, amount of UV light) and atmospheric pollution (especially particulate matter) and how these measures affect respiratory health, especially incidence of pneumonia, influenza, and other infections. His expertise is in combing large databases with detailed exposure summaries, such as automatic records from weather stations, to construct large, geographically and climatologically diverse cohorts, to answer these questions.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Population Health

Pronouns: He/Him

Dr. Stanier’s research interests include laboratory investigation and field sampling of air pollution, particularly of aerosol particles; computation simulations to elucidate questions of atmospheric, aerosol chemistry, and the health effects of airborne contaminants.

http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/~cs_proj/

Complete List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise:  Associate Center Member, Inflammation and Innate Immunity Research Thematic Area

Dr. Stapleton researches the biological impacts of air pollution exposure on respiratory outcomes in distinct cohorts (COPD, biomass-induced lung injury, sarcoidosis). The lab focuses on the in vitro effects of combustion and bioaerosol particulate on epithelial response including antimicrobial peptide production, and integrity of the airway barrier. They have also assessed exposure mitigation strategies including reduced PM_2.5 exposure through air purifier intervention, and the effect of in vitro vitamin D supplementation, which increases antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin production and airway bacterial killing and decreases sodium absorption across the epithelium. The lab also seeks to decrease the environmental impact of science through various initiatives.

Bibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/emma.stapleton.1/bibliography/public/

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Associate Member, Population Health

Hanna Stevens runs the Psychiatry and Early Neurobiological Development Lab (PENDL) at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Her research seeks to understand molecular and cellular aspects of early brain development and their relevance to psychiatric disorders. Her work is particularly focused on understanding how prenatal stress, environmental exposures and genes that play a role in early development have an impact on childhood behavior and act as risk factors for multiple psychiatric disorders. The goal of the lab is to advance mental health diagnosis and treatment of disorders across the lifespan. The lab is particularly focused on the high risk times of pregnancy and early development.

https://stevens.lab.uiowa.edu/

Publications:

• Abbott PW; Gumusoglu SB; Bittle J; Beversdorf DQ; Stevens HE (2018) Prenatal stress and genetic risk: how prenatal stress interacts with genetics to alter risk for psychiatric illness. Psychoneuroendocrinology. Jan 30;90:9-21. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.01.019. PubMed PMID: 29407514.
• Bittle J, Stevens HE. (2018) The role of glucocorticoid, interleukin-1beta, and antioxidants in prenatal stress effects on embryonic microglia. Journal of Neuroinflammation. Feb 16;15(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s12974-018-1079-7. Pub Med PMID: 29452586.
• Gumusoglu SB, Fine RS, Bittle J, Murray S, Stevens HE. (2017) The role of IL-6 in neurodevelopment after prenatal stress. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2017 Oct;65:274-283. PMID: 28546058.
• Salmaso N, Stevens HE, McNeill J, ElSayed M, Rena Q, Maragnoli ME, Schwartz ML, Tomasi S, Sapolsky RM, Duman R, Vaccarino FM (2016) Fibroblast growth factor 2 modulates hypothalamic pituitary axis activity and anxiety behavior through glucocorticoid receptors. Biological Psychiatry. 2016 Sep 15;80(6):479-89. PMID: 27133954.
• Lussier SJ, Stevens HE. Delays in GABAergic Interneuron Development and Behavioral Inhibition after Prenatal Stress. Dev Neurobiol. 2016. doi: 10.1002/dneu.22376. PubMed PMID: 26724783.
• Hamed AM, Kauer AJ, Stevens HE. Why the Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Matters. Front Psychiatry. 2015;6:168. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00168. PubMed PMID: 26635643; PMCID: PMC4659921.
• Brotnow L, Reiss D, Stover CS, Ganiban J, Leve LD, Neiderhiser JM, Shaw DS, Stevens HE. Expectant Mothers Maximizing Opportunities: Maternal Characteristics Moderate Multifactorial Prenatal Stress in the Prediction of Birth Weight in a Sample of Children Adopted at Birth. PLoS One. 2015;10(11):e0141881. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141881. PubMed PMID: 26544958; PMCID: PMC4636431.
• Stevens, H. E., Vaccarino, F. M. (2015). How animal models inform child and adolescent psychiatry. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 54(5), 352-9. PMID: 25901771.
• Fine, R. S., Zhang, J. & Stevens, H. E. (2014). Prenatal stress and inhibitory neuron systems: implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Mol Psychiatry, 19(6), 641-51. PMID: 24751963.
• Stevens, H. E., Su, T., Yanagawa, Y. & Vaccarino, F. M. (2013). Prenatal stress delays inhibitory neuron progenitor migration in the developing neocortex. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38(4), 509-21.
• Stevens, H. E., Jiang, G. Y., Schwartz, M. L. & Vaccarino, F. M. (2012). Learning and memory depend on fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 functioning in hippocampus. Biol Psychiatry, 71(12), 1090-8.
• Vaccarino, F. M., Urban, A. E., Stevens, H. E., Szekely, A., Abyzov, A., Grigorenko, E., Gerstein, M. & Weissman, S. (2011). The promise of stem cell research for neuropsychiatric disorders. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 52(4), 504-16.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Integrative Health Sciences Facility

Dr. Stoltz’s research focuses on the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis related airway disease with a particular emphasis on studying airway epithelial and smooth muscle cells, the role of paraoxonases (PONs) on Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum-sensing regulation, mucociliary clearance, and advanced airway imaging modalities and analysis.

Complete List of Published Work

Dr. Thippeswamy’s research is focused on neuroinflammation and disease modification in epileptogenesis and epilepsy. Since 1995, he has been focused on identifying neurobiological changes in rodent models of nerve injury and epilepsy. The core theme of his research has been the role of glial-neuronal communication in neuroprotection mediated by the nitric oxide-cGMP pathway.

List of publications

EHSRC Role:  Career Enhancement Awardee

Dr. Thompson’s research investigates the health risks associated with exposure environmental contaminants. He is the Associate Director of UI’s Center of Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC), a state-sponsored research center focused on improving the environmental quality and public health. CHEEC is Iowa-centric, engages research that is community-based research, and promotes the public’s awareness on environmental health issues. CHEEC also manages a school lead testing and remediation program for elementary schools in Iowa.

Google Scholar Link:

Publications

Dr. Watkins is a scholar of public health whose work aims to illuminate social and structural barriers that individuals face in achieving their full health potential in order to inform efforts that promote health equity. Her current work investigates patterns of tobacco initiation, progression, product switching, and cessation, with specific interests in adolescent and young adults, non-cigarette tobacco products (e.g. e-cigarettes), characterizing flavors, and co-use with cannabis. This work informs interventions to promote cancer prevention and reduce tobacco-related health disparities. Another thread of research has focused on urban environments, particularly understanding social and environmental impacts of citizen engagement in caring for urban environmental resources and evaluating evidence, determinants, and outcomes of urban forest inequity. She approaches her research with an interdisciplinary lens and employs a variety of methodological approaches, including epidemiological and econometric techniques, qualitative methods, meta-analysis, and spatial analysis. A core component of her research program is engagement with public and policy stakeholders and public dissemination of her work.

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Inflammation and Innate Immunity

Dr. Welsh’s research focuses in three main areas. First, his lab is working to understand the biology and pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis and on developing new treatments. Second, he investigates the physiology and cell biology of airway epithelia, including the cilia that cover their surface. Third, he is investigating the biology of acid sensing ion channels in the central and peripheral nervous systems with an emphasis on their role in fear and neurological diseases.

Complete List of Published Work

Center Affiliation and Expertise: Inflammation and Innate Immunity

Dr. Zabner has significant experience at basic CF research, clinical CF research, and the care of patients with lung disease, including CF. Several aspects of his research would be best classified as translational research. His basic research focuses in two areas, gene transfer to airway epithelia, including the basic mechanisms and development of new approaches to gene transfer, and investigation of the pathogenesis of CF airway disease, including mechanisms of electrolyte transport and bacterial killing. The main goal of his current gene therapy efforts include work is to improve efficiency of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to the airways. Dr. Zabner’s laboratory is also involved in delineating mechanisms of altered NaCl concentration in the airway surface fluid (ASF) of CF as compared to non-CF epithelia. To address these questions, he uses primary cultures of normal and CF airway epithelia to measure ion concentrations of ASF. Three different methods including ion-selective electrodes, measurement of ASF in which the capillary pressure of the cilia is replaced by osmotic pressure from a non-absorbed osmolyte, and radioactive tracers studied at equilibrium, are used to address these issues. The results of these studied are central to understanding how the lack of CFTR Cl- channels causes CF lung disease.

http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/labs/zabner/

Complete List of Published Work