The Superfund Research Center

The goal of my research is to utilize an in vitro model that combines 3D lung epithelial cells with macrophages to incorporate an immune component into the model used by the Tilton lab. This model will be used to evaluate toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures which are commonly found in air pollution following incomplete combustion processes such as the burning of gasoline or wildfires.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are commonly found in air pollution due to incomplete combustion processes. Typically, these chemicals need to be metabolized in the body to cause adverse effects in humans, and most established cell lines lack sufficient expression of appropriate metabolizing enzymes to observe PAH toxicity in vitro. We are working to characterize the metabolic capacity of primary human bronchial epithelial cells and describe their appropriateness for observing PAH toxicity in vitro. This information will allow us to more accurately describe the toxicity of PAHs in the human lung.

My current research uses high-resolution mass spectrometry as a tool to characterize chemical contaminants in natural and human-made aqueous systems, including irrigation canals, rivers, and drinking water. Chemical information, combined with in silico and in vitro toxicological approaches is used to evaluate potential toxic effects and to prioritize chemicals for further monitoring and regulation based on their risk for ecosystems health and affected human populations.

Marginalized communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental contaminants of different types all over the world- the goal of my research is to work directly with different environmental justice communities in order to better their understanding of exposures, potential health outcomes and exposure mitigation with a focus on community-based approaches to public health toxicology. This will include report-back of results, research translation and community outreach to ensure exposure science and environmental health be accessible for all communities concerned.

My research focuses on the effects of chemical and particle components of tires and roadway runoff. Tires are a complex mixture of thousands of chemicals that can leach from the surface into the air or aquatic environment. Tire rubber can also break down into micro- and nano-sized particles that can be ingested and absorbed by organisms. Tire chemical additives like 6PPD-quinone have been implicated in salmon mortalities in the PNW, contributing to the loss of culturally and ecologically important species of fish.

My research is focused on Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs these are a common environmental pollutant resulting from the incomplete combustion of organic materials. PAHs occur in complex mixtures in the environment, making hazard assessment difficult. I am focused on finding links between structural features and the activity of these compounds to inform more precise and timely regulatory policy.

I am interested in understanding the reasons why some PAHs are very harmful and others are not so bad. Zebrafish are a great tool for this because we can use them to answer questions about the whole organism and about very specific molecular mechanisms. How much of the PAH do the fish absorb? Where does it go in the fish? What molecular process are being turned on and off in the fish because of the PAH? When we know these we will have a better shot at dividing the toxins from the mostly benign chemicals. That's what I'd like to solve.