- Goals: to advance mechanistic research on Adaptive Responses to Environmental Stress related to exposures and populations in the US Southwest and to initiate multi-investigator research projects that focus on chronic human diseases stemming from toxicant exposure.
- Focus: using the unique research capabilities provided by the Facility core and the Pilot Project program generating preliminary data to support competitive grant applications, RFG3 activities aim to increase the portfolio of interconnected translational investigator-initiated research grants funded by NIEHS, both at the single and multiple PI levels. The SWEHSC will support efforts that establish administrative and sponsored project pipelines to facilitate large scale research initiatives of RFG3-associated investigators who follow this lead.
Environmental Impact on Reproductive and developmental Health
The effects of environmental exposures on the reproductive system and the developing embryo have been recognized as a significant threat to human health.
Environmental Oxidative Stress Causing redox Dysregulation and epithelial Tissue Damage
Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation and chlorination stress originating from freshwater disinfection can impact structure and function of skin and other epithelial tissues posing a major public health concern. Small molecule interventions that block solar UV-induced oxidative stress and skin cancer have been identified.
Environmental Exposure and Metabolic and Gastrointestinal Disease
Cumulative evidence suggests the impact of environmental exposures on metabolic homeostasis and development of disease (including diabetes and obesity).
Altered ADME Processes in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease And Precision Environmental health
Changes to transport and metabolism enzymes in patients with liver disease can place certain individuals at greater risk of toxicity to environmental exposures.
Mechanisms of Environmental Arsenicals
Exposure of human cells to environmentally relevant levels of arsenic produce new pathologic epigenetic landscapes that participate in malignant transformation and carcinongenesis.
miRNA REGULATION AND EPIGENOMIC TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH
Development of a novel miRNA promoter microarray platform, which was subsequently used in an epigenomic analysis of human cancers and provided the foundation for a Cancer Disparities U01 grant.
arsenic exposure and gene mechanism
Identified a mechanism by which arsenic exposure induces unique changes in gene expression using bioinformatics resources in the IHSFC and Genomics FC that is being developed into a biomarker for arsenic-mediated cancers.