Erin will receive $2500 for travel and lodging to work with Ulrike Luderer MD, PhD, a Reproductive Toxicologist and expert in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) induced female infertility at UC Irvine.
Dr. Luderer will train Erin on methods to histologically analyze ovaries and testes from mice treated prenatally with the PAH, dibenzo[def,p]chrysene (DBC), in a Project 1 study. This unique training opportunity will help further research exploring how exposure of pregnant mothers to PAHs induces reproductive effects in their offspring.
This area of research is valuable as several individual PAHs are well documented to cause reproductive effects that include abnormal morphology, reduced fertility, infertility, and cancers. DBC has not previously been studied as a reproductive toxicant.
A comparison of BaP and DBC reproductive effects could be useful for risk assessors and modelers as PAHs occur in dynamic mixtures.
This is an exciting new collaboration with the Luderer Lab.
Dr. David Williams was recently awarded the PANWAT Achievement Award at the 2014 Pacific Northwest Association of Toxicologist Meeting in Bothell, Washington on September 19.
Dr. Williams joined the faculty of the College of Agricultural Sciences in 1987 as an Assistant Professor, originally in Food Science and Technology, then transferring to the Department of environmental and Molecular Toxicology.
Over his 27 years on the faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences, Dave emerged as an outstanding scholar, instructor and leader. He has been instrumental in developing new research programs or initiatives, most recently by leading the development of the OSU Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center application. Dave has also played a major role in identifying new faculty candidates, directing recruitment and especially mentoring new faculty who have joined EMT.
David is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in the fields of toxicology and carcinogenesis as evidenced by his role as peer reviewer for scientific manuscripts for many journals, especially through his leadership role as an Associate Editor of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology for 10 years (arguably the top ranked toxicology journal in the world), and for which he has managed over 220 manuscripts to date.
He has also served as an interim Department Head of EMT, Center Director of two NIEHS-funded centers (Director of both the Superfund Research Program and Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center at OSU). In addition, Dr. Williams has an outstanding record of leadership in the national scientific community, through his continuous participation as an invited reviewer by NIH in the peer review of research grant applications.
Two other faculty members of OSU Environmental and Molecular Toxicology have recently received this award ‐ Dr. Robert Tanguay in 2012 and Dr. Nancy Kerkvliet in 2011.
The Savery award is presented each year to a faculty member of the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences to recognize outstanding contributions through teaching, research, international, and/or extended education activities. Harper will receive the award, which includes a $1,000 cash prize and a plaque, at a faculty and staff luncheon Oct. 8.
Harper has been an outstanding role model for graduate students. She was brought into the SRP Center as a leader when the Training Core was established in 2013. She has been an assistant professor of nanotoxicology in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology (EMT) and the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering since 2009. Prior to joining the faculty at OSU, she was a postdoctoral fellow in the Environmental Health Sciences Center, where she was mentored by Robert Tanguay, Ph.D (SRP Project 3 Leader and Center Research Coordinator).
Harper takes an integrative approach to studying the environmental, health, and safety impacts of nanotechnology. Her lab uses rapid assays to determine the toxic potential of nanomaterials, investigative tools to evaluate nanomaterial physiochemical properties, and informatics to identify the specific features of a nanomaterial that govern its environmental behavior and biological interactions.
In addition to her most recent honor, Harper was the 2012 recipient of the L.L. Stewart Faculty Scholars Award, which recognizes an outstanding faculty member at OSU with $30,000 in additional research support. Harper also received an Outstanding New Environmental Scientist (ONES) award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in 2011.
By Erin Madeen, Ph.D. candidate and Project 1 Trainee
Using new technology at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Oregon State University researchers are able to perform a controlled study of the human metabolism of environmental contaminate PAHs for the first time.
The Williams Laboratory has studied PAHs(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) for over a decade, traditionally relying on animal and in vitro models of metabolism and toxicity. PAHs are produced by the burning of carbon-containing materials, for example forest fires, charcoal grilling, and engine combustion. After production, PAHs cling to foods such as vegetables, cereal grains, or smoked meats. Some of these compounds cause cancer at high doses in animal models.
As a graduate student in the Williams Lab, one of my projects is to relate PAH data to human health. With our partners at LLNL, a sensitive tool known as an AMS (accelerator mass spectrometer) is used to detect very small doses of PAHs in urine or blood plasma. We gave a model PAH called DBC [Dibenzo (def,p) chrysene] to human volunteers in doses less than what can be found in a charbroiled burger. This research has not been possible until now because of potential toxicity risks. Traditional non-AMS methods need a larger dose of DBC which could pose too high of a risk to study participants.
With the support of LLNL staff and the OSU Superfund Research Program, I received a K.C. Donnelly Externship Supplement through the NIEHS Superfund Research Program. This award supported my travel to LLNL for this project. My experience at LLNL greatly solidified my understanding of and appreciation for AMS. Maintaining and continuously developing unique instrumentation, such as AMS, requires a highly specialized, dedicated, and flexible team. The environment of a national laboratory is different from that of university research. Most notably this difference is in the concentration of specialists in a particular field and the team approach to problem solving. It was humbling to observe the amount of time, resources, and effort that the LLNL AMS staff dedicated to training and to progress on our DBC project. This externship allowed me to experience being part of the AMS team and to process my own samples, providing valuable insight that will help guide further work on our projects.
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is an instrument traditionally used for carbon dating. It has been modified to detect stable isotopes in biological samples. The AMS at LLNL is unique because it is able to use liquid samples. The liquid biological samples are separated according to the changes the body makes to DBC, known as DBC metabolites. The carbon isotope added to the DBC chemical structure was used to identify several different metabolites in human urine and plasma. This project is ongoing as we continue to develop a profile of the human metabolism of DBC over time.
The objective of my time at UNC was to learn the DT40 bioassay based on chicken cell lines and use it asses the toxicity of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil after bioremediation. Though I was quite excited about the opportunity, I was initially intimidated about leaving the familiarity of the chemistry lab at Oregon State University (OSU) and flying cross country to immerse myself in the unfamiliar (and very sterile!) world of cells and assays. It was a definite humbling learning experience; working with living cells taught me just how much of a virtue patience is –something that has helped me develop personally and as a researcher.
The KC Donnelly Externship created a platform on which we were able to combine analytical chemistry, biological and environmental engineering, and toxicology to address a shared concern. I was really inspired by the integration of the different ideas and mindsets from the various fields as we developed this project.
Before the externship, I was analyzing PAHs in remediated soil samples. At UNC, I learned about the DT40 assay and actually got to see how a lab-scale bioreactor (meant to simulate ex situ bioremediation) operated. I feel I now have a better understanding of how bioremediation works and the toxicity concerns often associated with PAHs. The experience has really added more depth to my research at OSU.
The externship was a very intense three months, but I really believe it was a pivotal moment in my development as an environmental health scientist; and has made me more appreciative of my research project. I also just had a great time interacting with everyone at the UNC Superfund Research Program (SRP).