10 small things neurologists wish you’d do for your brain
Thursday, April 3, 2025
There’s growing research linking air pollution exposure to cognitive decline; scientists think very fine, inhalable particles in the air could trigger chemical changes once they reach the brain, says Deborah Cory-Slechta, a professor of environmental medicine and of neuroscience. She adds that wearing an N95 or surgical mask and using indoor air filters on days when air quality is worse (including because of wildfire smoke) can minimize your exposure.
Read More: 10 small things neurologists wish you’d do for your brainDoes E-Cigarette Use Increase the Risk of Cancer?
Monday, March 3, 2025
New research explores effects of e-cigarette use on RNA expression
E-cigarette use, including vaping, is often seen as a safer and trendier alternative to traditional tobacco products. However, a new study from researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center published in Scientific Reports suggests an elevation of carcinogenic cellular signaling pathways in exclusive e-cigarette users when compared to non-users.
“Exosomal microRNAs play a crucial role in inflammation and disease processes like cancer,” said Dongmei Li, PhD, first author, professor of Clinical and Translational Research, and the director of Translational Science Statistical Support Services for the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. “However, little is known about how exclusive e-cigarette use affects exosomal microRNAs, which regulate genes that influence cancer-causing pathways.”
By comparing exosomal microRNA profiles between exclusive e-cigarette users and non-users, the researchers identified several exosomal microRNAs that are upregulated—more active than normal—in exclusive e-cigarette users. These overactive microRNAs are involved in cancer pathways, suggesting an elevation of carcinogenic cellular signaling pathways in exclusive e-cigarette users.
E-cigarettes are electronic smoking devices that vaporize liquid for inhalation by the user. These liquids and aerosols typically contain various combinations of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine, flavoring agents, and other chemicals.
With the National Youth Tobacco Survey of 2024 reporting that 7.8% of high school students and 3.5% of middle school students self-reported current e-cigarette use, and with e-cigarettes the most prevalent tobacco product used by those groups, exploring the potential link the behavior has with cancer is increasingly important to inform the public and future regulatory policies.
This study was funded by an R21 grant from the National Institutes of Health. Li and Zidian Xie, PhD, utilized blood plasma specimens from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study biorepositories to analyze exosomal epigenetic biomarkers—microRNAs—associated with flavored e-cigarette usage. They recorded changes in the epigenetic biomarkers and related biological pathways in the group of users, using non-users as a reference.
Li and Xie then collaborated with Irfan Rahman, PhD, professor of Environmental Medicine, and Sadiya Bi Shaikh, PhD, to conduct innovative experiments on primary airway epithelial cells, including wound-healing and DNA damage assays from non-users, to determine the toxicity and inflammatory response. Shaikh, a postdoctoral researcher in Rahman’s lab, conducted the wound-healing and DNA damage assays.
Read More: Does E-Cigarette Use Increase the Risk of Cancer?Dr. Elder featured in Nature: "Your brain is full of microplastics: are they harming you?"
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Plastics might affect each organ or cell type differently. The dose matters, too, as well as the route of ingestion, says Alison Elder, an associate professor of environmental medicine. “The inhalation route is a major concern because if inhaled plastics can get into the deep lung and cause an inflammatory reaction, they don’t need to go anywhere to cause health outcomes.”
Read More: Dr. Elder featured in Nature: "Your brain is full of microplastics: are they harming you?"Fish, Mercury, and the Developing Brain
Monday, February 3, 2025
Decades of insights from the Seychelles Child Development study
There is a growing understanding of the role of chronic low-level exposure to environmental toxicants in human diseases. Mercury, a known neurotoxicant at a high level of exposure, is among the top chemicals identified by the World Health Organization as a “major public health concern.” The presence of mercury in fish has led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recommend that mothers limit fish consumption during pregnancy.
However, more than three decades of research in Seychelles, whose residents eat ten times more fish than in the U.S., has found no evidence of neurodevelopmental harm linked to mercury exposure via fish. In fact, the study suggests that the omega-3 fatty acids and other micro-nutrients found in fish, which are critical for brain development, may counteract any potential adverse effects of mercury.
“The associations between low-level mercury exposure, nutrients, fish consumption, and child neurodevelopmental outcomes are complex. Tackling these questions, which have global health and economic implications, has required an international team,” said University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) epidemiologist Edwin van Wijngaarden, PhD, the principal investigator of the Seychelles Child Development Study.
Read More: Fish, Mercury, and the Developing Brain70 countries have banned this pesticide. It’s still for sale in the US
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
The Washington Post, January 22
“The data is the data,” says Deborah Cory-Slechta, a professor of environmental medicine and of neuroscience. She says paraquat exposure is associated with the loss of dopamine neurons, which can cause slow and uncoordinated movements, tremors, and difficulty communicating, all of which are consistent with Parkinson’s disease.
“The evidence is very strong, both based on animal studies and on epidemiological evidence the fact that it kills dopamine neurons,” she said.
Biotin May Shield Brain from Manganese Damage, Study Finds
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
While manganese is essential in many bodily functions, both deficiency and excessive exposure can cause health issues. Maintaining a balanced diet typically provides sufficient manganese for most individuals; however, high levels of exposure can be toxic, particularly to the central nervous system. Chronic manganese exposure may result in a condition known as manganism, characterized by symptoms resembling Parkinson's disease, including tremors, muscle stiffness, and cognitive disturbances.
New research published in Science Signaling employs model systems and human nerve cells to show the mechanisms by which manganese inflicts damage to the central nervous system. The study also suggests that the vitamin biotin may be protective, potentially mitigating manganese-induced damage.
“Exposure to neurotoxic metals like manganese has been linked to the development of Parkinsonism,” said Sarkar Souvarish, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) Departments of Environmental Medicine and Neuroscience and lead author of the study. “In this study, we applied untargeted metabolomics using high-resolution mass spectrometry and advanced cheminformatics computing in a newly developed model of parkinsonism, leading us to the discovery of biotin metabolism as a modifier in manganese-induced neurodegeneration.”
Read More: Biotin May Shield Brain from Manganese Damage, Study FindsAir pollution and brain damage: what the science says
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Post-mortem studies of human brains provide direct evidence that numerous pollutants—including nanoparticles and toxic metals—accumulate in brain tissue. Deborah Cory-Slechta, a professor of environmental medicine and of neuroscience, says she suspects that the brain can’t cope with the resulting metal concentrations, noting that, for decades, pathologists have seen elevated levels of various metals in the brains of people with neurodegenerative diseases. She is now studying how the metals disrupt brain chemistry.
Read More: Air pollution and brain damage: what the science saysMarissa Sobolewski: Nature, nurture, and neuroscience
Monday, August 12, 2024
How Uganda’s chimpanzees have shaped the assistant professor’s research journey
Marissa Sobolewski’s road to a scientific career began in Uganda’s Kibale National Park, home to one of the planet’s most diverse populations of primates and the filming location for the 2012 Disney nature documentary Chimpanzee and the 2023 Netflix series Chimp Empire. Learning to embrace scientific complexity while finding a community that values collaborative research has fueled Sobolewski’s drive to discover how the world around us impacts body and mind.
Starting her lab at the University of Rochester Medical Center in 2018, she is now an assistant professor of environmental medicine and of neuroscience as well as a member of the University’s Institute for Human Health and the Environment and the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center. The Sobolewski Lab explores how the environment, including exposure to chemicals and other variables like stress, influences brain development and behavior. Studying how the environment influences molecular targets like hormones, epigenetic profiles, and neurotransmitter balance helps us better understand the environment’s role in conditions like ADHD and autism, ultimately improving risk assessment and protecting public health.
Read More: Marissa Sobolewski: Nature, nurture, and neuroscienceNew Model Could Help Provide Expectant Mothers a Clearer Path to Safe Fish Consumption
Friday, June 28, 2024
Fish consumption during pregnancy is a complex scientific topic. On one hand, fish are rich in nutrients essential to brain development, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, selenium, iodine, and vitamin D. On the other, fish contain methyl mercury, a known neurotoxicant. This has led the US Food and Drug Administration to recommend that expectant mothers limit consumption, which inadvertently causes many women to forgo fish consumption during pregnancy altogether.
Fish consumption is an important route of methyl mercury exposure, however, efforts to understand the health risk posed by mercury are further complicated by the fact that the nutritional benefits from fish may modify or reduce the toxicity posed by mercury. A new study appearing in the American Journal of Epidemiology based on data from a cohort of residents of a coastal community in Massachusetts creates a new framework that could untangle these questions, reduce confusion, and produce clearer guidance on fish consumption for pregnant mothers.
“We propose an alternative modelling approach to address limitations of previous models and to contribute thereby to improved evidence-based advice on the risks and benefits of fish consumption,” said the authors, who include Sally Thurston, PhD, with the University of Rochester Medical Center, Susan Korrick, MD, MPH, with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and David Ruppert, PhD, with Cornell University. “In fish-eating populations, this can be addressed by separating mercury exposure into fish intake and average mercury content of the consumed fish.”
Read More: New Model Could Help Provide Expectant Mothers a Clearer Path to Safe Fish ConsumptionIrfan Rahman, PhD Professor of Environmental Medicine, Public Health, and Medicine is being named an inaugural Highly Ranked Scholar by Scholar GPS
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
ScholarGPS celebrates Highly Ranked Scholars™ for their exceptional performance in various Fields, Disciplines, and Specialties. Dr. Rahman’s prolific publication record, the high impact of your work, and the outstanding quality of his scholarly contributions have placed him in the top 0.05% of all scholars worldwide.
Please see below the links for rankings and scholar profile
View your scholar profile and rankings
Listed below is a summary of the areas (and your ranking in those areas) in which Dr. Rahman has been awarded Highly Ranked Scholar status based on his accomplishments over the totality of your career (lifetime) and over the prior five years:
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#7,492 |
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#293 |
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#20 |
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New Microplastics Center Awarded $7.3M
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
A new Rochester-based research center will study the lifecycle of microplastics, including its origin as plastic waste, distribution and movement in the Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem, and human exposure and health impact. The research will also focus on how climate change could intensify the environmental and health threats posed by microplastics.
The Lake Ontario Center for Microplastics and Human Health in a Changing Environment is a collaboration between the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and supported by $7.3 million in funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Science Foundation under the federal Oceans and Human Health program.
“The center will seek to develop a better understanding of the interactions between plastic pollution, the Great Lakes environment, and human health in both current and projected real-world conditions,” said Katrina Korfmacher, PhD, a professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and co-director of the new center. “This research will catalyze a new understanding of both environmental and human health aspects of microplastics, engage new groups in strategies to reduce the source of waste and mitigate exposure, and provide a model for similar approaches in other communities.”
Read More: New Microplastics Center Awarded $7.3MHousing, Health and Environmental Justice Research Workshop
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Housing, Health and Environmental Justice Research Workshop - Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, 9 AM – 5 PM - Helen Wood Hall, School of Nursing Auditorium
The University of Rochester Institute for Human Health and the Environment invites you to join a Research Workshop on Housing, Health and Environmental Justice in the Rochester Region to learn how home-based environmental exposures affect health equity. This workshop will:
- Build researchers’ and community partners’ understanding of the connections between housing environments and health
- Identify unique opportunities for healthy homes research in the Rochester region
- Foster new projects to inform solutions
Keynote Speaker
Amanda L. Reddy, M.S.
Executive Director, National Center for Healthy Housing
Irfan Rahman, PhD interviewed by Scientific American on Smoking compromises immune health even in former smokers
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
A new study found persistent effects of smoking on the adaptive immune system, but how this translates to health risks remains unclear
Read More: Irfan Rahman, PhD interviewed by Scientific American on Smoking compromises immune health even in former smokersIrfan Rahman, PhD interviewed by NY Times on oral effects of Nicotine Pouches
Thursday, January 25, 2024
A New Wave of Nicotine Products Comes Under Scrutiny
Senator Chuck Schumer has called for a crackdown on ZYN, a trendy brand of nicotine pouches.
Flavored Oral Nicotine Pouches as Chewing Gums – Interview by Irfan Rahman, PhD
Monday, November 27, 2023
ZYN Pouches Are Gaining Popularity—How Do They Compare to Smoking and Vaping?
ZYN pouches are growing in popularity, and it could be a problem.
There are multiple brands of nicotine pouches, but ZYN has recently exploded on platforms like TikTok, with videos on the topic garnering 292.6 million views.
Nicotine pouches are purportedly intended to help people stop smoking cigarettes, Irfan Rahman, PhD, who runs a lab that conducts research on toxicants at the University of Rochester Medicine, told Health.
But the products have not been sufficiently studied, and it’s impossible to say whether or not they actually help with smoking cessation.
“There’s no data available,” Rahman said. “If somebody’s saying that, they’re making up data.”
Read More: Flavored Oral Nicotine Pouches as Chewing Gums – Interview by Irfan Rahman, PhDDeborah Cory-Slechta: Research Pointing to Herbicide and Parkinson’s Association is 'Overwhelming'
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
The professor of Environmental Health Sciences appeared on ABC News’ Nightline to discuss the growing scientific evidence linking the widely used herbicide paraquat to Parkinson’s disease and efforts to undermine concerns about the chemical’s health risks (Part 1, Part 2). Read about how URMC researchers are leading efforts to understand how environmental exposure to chemicals is driving a rise in rates of Parkinson’s, making it the world’s fastest growing neurological disease.
Study: Marijuana Users Found to Have Higher Levels of Toxic Metals In Blood and Urine
Friday, September 15, 2023
Marijuana smokers may unknowingly be consuming heavy metals, a new study shows.
Heavy metals accumulate in the body and have been linked to a host of health issues including cancer, cognitive impairment, and heart disease.
And, people consuming marijuana may be more at risk of these toxins entering their bloodstream.
Irfan Rahman, PhD, director of Flavor Inhalation Toxicology Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center told Health that while the gut contains enzymes that can help the body get rid of heavy metals (particularly lead), the lungs don’t have the same system in place.
This means inhaling marijuana, by smoking or vaping, may be more damaging than taking an edible.
On top of this, the logistics of vaping could add another aspect of heavy metal exposure for marijuana users.
The reduction process that extracts cannabidiol from the cannabis plant can introduce heavy metals and other contaminants, including solvents used to extract essential oils from the flower, Rahman explained.
If done incorrectly, these lab-made marijuana extracts have a higher chance of releasing metals when they hit the hot coils of a vape pen, he said.
Read More: Study: Marijuana Users Found to Have Higher Levels of Toxic Metals In Blood and UrineWhat Makes Us Tick: Smoking’s Effect on Our Biological Clock
Thursday, August 10, 2023
Cells in nearly every human tissue and organ contain proteins that govern circadian rhythms. In essence, these molecules together act as a microscopic clock timed to waxing and waning sunlight.
“When sunlight enters your eyes in the morning, it sends a signal to the pineal gland in your brain that sets off a chain reaction of hormone production, waking your body up and affecting your appetite, body temperature, blood pressure, and more,” Rahman explained. “As darkness sets in, your body winds down, preparing for sleep.”
Rahman studies how environmental exposures affect molecular clock proteins in the lungs.
“The molecular clock’s purpose is to prepare your body for expected changes in the environment, like the times for activity, times for sleep, and times to eat,” Rahman said. “However, environmental exposures, including tobacco smoke and vaping, can disrupt the production of clock molecules, leading not only to changes in sleep cycles but also to lung injury or respiratory disease.”
For example, in a study on the effects of trendy e-cigarette and tobacco products on lung health, Rahman and team found that exposure to either waterpipe smoke or e-cigarette vapor altered expression of molecular clock proteins in mouse lungs. Those changes could in turn affect lung function, the authors suggested.
Jet lag, night-shift work, and blue light from electronic devices can also affect the molecular clock. Smoking or vaping can potentially exacerbate the impacts of those factors.
Read More: What Makes Us Tick: Smoking’s Effect on Our Biological ClockDebra Cory-Slechta Explains How Wildfire Smoke and Air Pollution can Harm the Brain
Thursday, August 3, 2023
In an interview with Rick Woychik, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the professor of Environmental Medicine shares how research into how fine air particles impact the brain is transforming our understanding of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. Woychik interviewed Cory-Slechta after seeing her presentation at the first Human Health and the Environment Research Symposium at the Medical Center in June, where he was a guest speaker.
Read More: Debra Cory-Slechta Explains How Wildfire Smoke and Air Pollution can Harm the BrainDr. Rahman appears in Men's Health Magazine GQ
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Why Are Zyn Nicotine Pouches Suddenly Everywhere?
Zyn nicotine pouches have recently been spotted with Major League baseball players skirting tobacco bans, on the Joe Rogan Experience, and behind the lip of Tucker Carlson, who recently gave what sounded like an infomercial on the Full Send podcast, calling the pouches a “massive life-enhancer” that he uses around the clock. In New York City, it’s now possible to walk into a bodega, buy a can of Zyn, step outside, and throw it and hit another store that sells the brand.
Unlike cigarettes or vapes, these pouches are discreet, typically tucked in the upper lip. Unlike chewing tobacco and traditional pouches, they don’t require spitting any brown goo—they’re made with a white synthetic nicotine powder instead of ground tobacco leaves. And it turns out that pouches filled with a highly addictive drug—nicotine—sell really well. Usage has doubled annually since 2019, and overall sales exceeded 800 million units in the first three months of 2022, according to research published by the American Cancer Society.
There are lots of brands of pouches on the market, including Rogue, On!, and Velo. If you find the fratty aura of the stuff off-putting, you might prefer the colorfully packaged Lucy pouches, billed as “nicotine for normal people,” and sold by a company co-founded by Soylent co-founder David Renteln. But it’s Zyn that has emerged as the “Kleenex” of pouches—it has by far the largest share of overall sales of the product. Last year, tobacco giant Phillip Morris International acquired Zyn's parent company, Swedish Match, in a $16 billion transaction.
Irfan Rahman, a professor and researcher at the University of Rochester Medical Center, pointed out that oral tobacco in several forms has been popular in India far before Zyn was conceived. Rahman runs a lab focused on environmental toxicants like cigarettes, and has co-authored multiple papers on nicotine pouches.
Rahman’s interest in oral nicotine products is personal. He recalls catching stray tobacco spit on his shirt in a movie theater as a kid in India. He also remembers taking long-distance flights to the US and UK while passengers freely lit up in the cabin.
Read More: Dr. Rahman appears in Men's Health Magazine GQTobacco and Menthol Flavored E-Cigarettes Cause Lung Damage, Inflammation, and Dampened Immunity
Monday, May 1, 2023
Tobacco and menthol flavors are available for almost all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes (e-cigs). A study by the University of Rochester (published in Toxicological Sciences on Apr 13, 2023; https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfad033) found that tobacco and menthol flavors used in e-cigarettes cause lung damage and immune suppression. The study found flavored e-cigs contain unique composition flavoring chemicals (e.g., ethyl maltol and vanillin in tobacco flavored e-cigs) and (e.g., terpenes and levomenthol) in menthol flavored e-cigs to impart a unique, enticing aroma. However, there are numerous overlapping chemicals in various amounts in both flavors at various concentrations across brands, despite the FDA regulatory ban on flavored tobacco products. The study emphasized the need for hazard characterization of flavoring chemicals and additives in e-cigs instead of generalizing a specific flavor or flavors as toxic.
The study tested two popular brands of e-cigs of tobacco and menthol flavors by exposing naïve mice for just three days, simulating an exposure of never smokers to a short e-cig use. The study demonstrated genotoxicity and immunomodulatory effects driven by metabolic dysregulation in lung cells. Menthol-flavored e-cigs caused immunosuppression, while tobacco-flavored e-cigs were associated with immunosuppressive and allergic responses, suggesting weakened immunity and host defense. Apart from flavoring chemicals, secondary products, such as ethanol and acrolein present in these may be associated with genotoxicity and lung injury. The study also found the toxicological effects of the same flavor by various brands and the need to establish standardized toxicological parameters and indices for appropriate premarket authorization for e-cigarette products. Dr. Thivanka Muthumalage, a Postdoctoral Fellow, and Dr. Irfan Rahman, a Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester, stated that nicotine interaction with flavoring chemicals causes unique toxicological changes in the lung, the need to characterize e-cig aerosol “mixture” toxicity. The authors further stated that chemicals with antitussive properties and cooling effects are added to reduce the harshness of these products. Hence. the current market products include flavoring additives and enhancers (e.g., linalool, cinnamyl acetate, furanone, and other flora, fruity, and sweet chemicals) for smoother vaping and attracting new /young users to a gateway of vaping other products.
This research is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Halting the Rise of Parkinson’s
Monday, April 24, 2023
Quality of life, health, and longevity are being increasingly tied to someone’s zip code rather than their genetic code. Cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and even our ability to fight infection are linked to the myriad of chemicals we are exposed to, often unwittingly, over the course of our lives. The University of Rochester’s leadership in the field of environmental medicine stretches back to toxicology research programs developed at the University under the Manhattan Project. These programs also served as the basis for the formation of a NIEHS Center of Excellence in environmental toxicology and health that is one of the oldest in the country celebrating 50 years of sustained funding. This foundation and the decades of work that followed—coupled with the recognition that the public health threat requires a collaborative commitment to research, education, and community engagement—led to the creation of the new Institute for Human Health and the Environment.
Paige Lawrence, PhD, the Wright Family Research Professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Medicine, is the founding director of the new Institute. “Genetics only explaining 10 to 15 percent of human health, which leaves the rest to the environment,” said Lawrence. “If we really want to have an impact on health, environmental influences need to be front and center.”
The new Institute will help power a team of neurologists, neuroscientists, toxicologists, epidemiologists, and researchers at the University of Rochester who are examining the impact of environmental chemical exposure on the brain. One disease in particular stands out. Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease in the world, outpacing even Alzheimer’s, and a growing number of scientists are linking the disease’s rise to air pollution, pesticides, and a ubiquitous chemical pollutant.
Up the nose it goes
Air pollution is associated with many health problems, including asthma, heart disease, stroke, low birth weight, and inflammation. While epidemiological studies have hinted at the link between air pollution and neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, the route these chemicals use to make their way into the brain, and the damage caused once there, was until recently poorly understood.
“We’ve known that air pollution has effects on the heart and the lung for a very long time, but it's really only been in about the past ten years that attention has been directed to its effects on the brain,” said Debbie Cory-Slechta, PhD, a professor of Environmental Medicine, Neuroscience, and Public Health Sciences. Cory-Slechta’s colleagues at the University of Rochester, Guenter Oberdoerster, PhD, and Alison Elder, PhD, were among the first to show that ultra-fine air pollution particles, called PM0.1, are able to hitch a ride directly into the brain via the nasal passage and olfactory nerves, bypassing the brain’s normal defenses.
Read More: Halting the Rise of Parkinson’sScientific Breakthrough in Reversing Lung Aging and COPD: Removal of older cells reverts tobacco smoke-induced lung damage
Monday, April 24, 2023
A recent study by the University of Rochester published in Aging Cell (http://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13850) found that clearing of aged/senesced lung cells reversed lung damage and pathologies caused due to exposure to cigarette smoke and environmental pollutants. Environmental stressors cause lung damage and inflammation which are involved in the pathogenesis of lung diseases, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). In this respect, premature aging or enhanced cellular senescence in the lung is 
associated with disease development and progression in various lung pathologies. This raised an intriguing question to understand the role of lung cellular senescence in lung inflammation and tissue injury on exposure to active or passive cigarette smoke. To do this, researchers at the University of Rochester used a specialized rodent model system p16-3MR that allows the identification of ‘senesced’ (aging) cells through luminescence and/or fluorescence detection and allowed the selective elimination of ‘senesced’ cells using anti-viral drug ganciclovir. They found an overall increase in the lung cellular senescence in the animals exposed to cigarette smoke. These animals showed increased inflammation, immune cell infiltration and tissue injury that led to deterioration in the lung function parameters (signs of developing COPD/emphysema). Importantly, the researchers showed in this study that clearance of the tobacco smoke induced ‘senesced’ cells reversed the lung tissue damage. Lead investigator, Dr. Irfan Rahman, Professor and Dr. Gagandeep Kaur, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Environmental Medicine state that, “This study has important implications in identifying pharmacological ways of removing older/senesced cells via newly developed senolytics to treat lung pathologies like COPD/emphysema, where the current therapies are mainly symptomatic.”
This research is funded by the NIH, an other author of the study includes Dr. Thivanka Muthumalage.
Uncovering How the Biological Clock Impacts Lung Health
Monday, April 17, 2023
Study reveals mechanism by which a circadian clock molecule leads to lung fibrosis
Abnormal sleep patterns, like those of night-shift workers, disrupt the body’s natural biological clock and have been linked to lung health issues. A new study by University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) researchers shows how a biological clock molecule, called REV-ERBα, contributes to lung scarring, uncovering new potential drugs and drug targets along the way.
Pulmonary fibrosis, or lung scarring, is a serious condition in which connective tissue builds up in the lungs, making them thick and rigid, and causing difficulty breathing. While medications can ease the symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis, none can repair the lung damage caused by this sometimes-fatal disease.
The URMC study, published in Nature Communications, confirms a previously-discovered link between the body’s biological clock (or circadian rhythm) and lung diseases and uncovers a new mechanism underlying this link. Study authors show that a lack of the circadian rhythm protein, REV-ERBα, contributes to lung scarring in mice by increasing production of collagen, a major component of connective tissue, and lysyl oxidase, which stabilizes connective tissue and makes it more rigid.
The team, which was led by Irfan Rahman, PhD, Dean’s Professor of Environmental Medicine at URMC, found low levels of REV-ERBα and large amounts of collagen and lysyl oxidase in lung samples from patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Inducing lung injury in mice had a similar outcome: reduced REV-ERBα levels and increased levels of collagen, lysyl oxidase, and other markers of fibrosis.
Read More: Uncovering How the Biological Clock Impacts Lung HealthHealth, justice, and an abandoned aqueduct
Thursday, April 13, 2023
The University of Rochester students in Katrina Smith Korfmacher’s Environmental Health and Justice in the Rochester Community class recently explored something hidden from most people in Rochester—the abandoned aqueduct and subway tunnel located under the Broad Street Bridge in the heart of downtown.
Since the site closed in 1956, the question of what to do with it has persisted, even as over the years it has become an underground location for concerts, art shows, murals, and graffiti art. Now, the City of Rochester’s “Aqueduct Reimagined” project is the centerpiece of ROC the Riverway, a plan to revitalize the Genesee River waterfront and transform downtown into a place for public gatherings and community events.
As Korfmacher explains, the tour, led by ROC the Riverway Program Manager Kamal Crues (pictured, pointing), gave the 11 undergraduates in PHLT 238 a chance to consider multiple—and occasionally conflicting—interests and values central to the project. “That includes balancing some people’s appreciation for graffiti art with other people’s interest in historic preservation,” says Korfmacher, who is a professor of environmental medicine and of public health sciences.
As part of their coursework, the students will write a policy memo on how the “Aqueduct Reimagined” project can best promote health equity in the City of Rochester. They will then take part in the city’s public engagement session on April 27.
The community visits give students the opportunity to interact with local stakeholders involved in issues like local fish consumption, urban forestry, and community gardens. Korfmacher says those interactions inform their final projects on what it would take for Rochester to become an equitable climate haven.
Learn more about Rochester’s Undergraduate Program in Public Health.
The 2023 SOT Leading Edge in Basic Science Award Recognizes Irfan Rahman for His Contributions to Pulmonary Toxicology and Specifically How E-Cig and Cigarette Smoke Causes Lung Injury and Disease
Thursday, April 6, 2023
This award recognizes a scientist who, based on research, has made a recent (within the last five years), seminal scientific contribution/advance to understanding fundamental mechanisms of toxicity. The recipient should be a respected basic scientist whose research findings are likely to have a pervasive impact on the field of toxicology.
Irfan Rahman, PhD, has received the 2023 Society of Toxicology (SOT) Leading Edge in Basic Science Award for his contributions and advances in pulmonary toxicological sciences, specifically for his unwavering commitment to investigating how electronic cigarettes and cigarette smoke cause lung injuries and disease in humans, focusing on the fundamental alterations of DNA damage and cellular senescence. As part of this award, Dr. Rahman will deliver the Leading Edge in Basic Science Award Lecture on Tuesday, March 21, 12:30 pm–1:30 pm during the 2023 SOT Annual Meeting and Tox Expo.
Dr. Rahman holds a PhD in biochemistry on neutrophil functions in hypertension. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship on lung toxicology at the University of Miami and Georgetown University before relocating to the University of Edinburgh, where he focused on environmental agents and lung inflammation and received an appointment as a Senior Research Scientist/Lecturer. In 2003, Dr. Rahman joined the faculty of the University of Rochester Medical Center Department of Environmental Medicine where he has risen through the faculty ranks with appointments with the Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Eastman Institute for Oral Health. Since 2018, he has been the Director of the Center for Inhalation and Flavoring Toxicological Research.
The research program that Dr. Rahman has developed unites the fields of circadian biology, chromatin remodeling, inflammation, sirtuin1 deacetylase (SIRT1) dynamics, and oxidants related to the impact of tobacco products on lung toxicology. He has been a longstanding pioneer with seminal contributions and cutting-edge research on mitophagy, steroid resistance, and lung cellular senescence and is a leader in the role of oxidative stress and redox signaling in gene transcription in tobacco-related pulmonary diseases. In addition, he also has been a leader in the molecular biology of chromatin remodeling and cellular senescence in the lung in response to oxidative stress and cigarette smoke and was the first to show chromatin remodeling and cellular senescence in the lung in response to cigarette smoke. He has identified several exciting potential therapies that could prevent tobacco-related lung complications from progressing.
Dr. Rahman’s mechanistic discoveries and experience translated rapidly to address major issues for human health in the past five years, namely COVID-19 and e-cigarette toxicity. Of critical importance, he is constantly evolving his research to meet the challenging landscape of tobacco/e-cigarette products for lung health. For example, with regard to the rapid emergence of e-cigarettes in the high school population and the hookah waterpipe tobacco bars in college communities, Dr. Rahman already has published several papers on these products. During the pandemic, Dr. Rahman worked on COVID-19 biospecimens and showed that smokers/vapers are more susceptible to infection and are more likely to develop strong lung inflammatory response via upregulation of ACE2 via nicotine receptor alpha 7, particularly in older individuals.
Dr. Rahman’s publications list consists of 225 original papers, 90 reviews, and 25 book chapters with an h-index of 110 with more than 50,000 citations; he also was selected for a list of Highly Cited Researchers by Thomson Reuters in 2014, 2015, and 2016. He has been recognized internationally and is ranked 16 of 52,718 active respiratory and allergy researchers by Ioannidis et al. (2020) He is the editor and author of Inflammation, Aging, Diet, and Nutrition, a book published by Elsevier in 2013. During his career, he has held 21 Associate Editor and Editorial Board memberships and has reviewed articles for more than 50 journals. In addition, he is the Principal Investigator on four National Institutes of Health grants.
Dr. Rahman has devoted his career to teaching, understanding, and the prevention/treatment of smoking-related lung diseases. Over the years Dr. Rahman has mentored eight full-time graduate students, 30 postdoctoral scholars, and four undergraduate students, several of whom are now prominent faculty members at various institutions.
Dr. Rahman has attended the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo regularly since 2003 and has been an SOT member since 2005. He has continuously provided leadership in SOT, serving as a Councilor and President of the SOT Inhalation and Respiratory Specialty Section. He also has been involved in the American Thoracic Society as a Program Committee member for the Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology (RCMB) Assembly and created the Lung Aging Research Interest Group in the RCMB Assembly. In 2022, he received an American Thoracic Society Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishments.
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PFAS: What You Need to Know
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
PFAS are potentially harmful chemicals that can be found in common, everyday products and most drinking water. They are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down over time, and health leaders across the country are concerned about the negative effects of long-term exposure.
Researchers at URMC study the impacts PFAS have on our health. Scientists Martha Susiarjo, PhD, associate professor of Environmental Medicine, and Jing (Jason) Wu, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine and Pharmacology/Physiology share what they know about the chemicals and how they impact our lives.
Read More: PFAS: What You Need to KnowNight-shift workers are more vulnerable to permanent lung damage
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
A recent study by Dr. Irfan Rahman’s lab at the Department of Environmental Medicine, URMC, first authored by Qixin Wang, PhD published on March 2023 on https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36896-0 or https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-36896-0.pdf, entitled Circadian clock molecule Rev-erbα regulates lung fibrotic progression through collagen stabilization by Qixin Wang, Isaac Kirubakaran Sundar, Joseph H. Lucas, Jun-Gyu Park, Aitor Nogales, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Irfan Rahman. This study highlighted that circadian exposures to virus and chemicals cause profound lung fibrosis.
Lung fibrosis/cancer is a devastating disease that affects millions of people worldwide, yet we still lack effective treatments. A new study by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center has identified a potential therapeutic target for lung fibrosis by looking at how your circadian rhythm affects the severity and progression of this deadly disease. The study, published recently in Nature Communications, shows that a circadian clock molecule called REV-ERBα regulates the progression of lung fibrosis by stabilizing collagen, a major component during tissue scarring. The authors also show that the abundance of REV-ERBα varies over the day and may indicate that people may be more susceptible to pulmonary fibrosis during the night time. The findings have potential implications for the development of treatments for lung fibrosis, a chronic and often fatal disease that affects millions of people worldwide. This may also have implications in lung fibrosis which occurs in lung cancer patients.
This study showed that REV-ERBα was decreased during fibrotic progression, and interacts with lysyl oxidase, an enzyme responsible for regulating collagen stabilization and degradation. Mice lacking REV-ERBα showed more vulnerability and more fibrogenesis tendency when infected with influenza A virus or bleomycin (a chemotherapeutic drug). More profoundly, the lung injury that occurred during the night presented with worse fibrosis. Activating REV-ERBα with pharmaceutical drugs (SR9009 and GSK4112) could effectively reduce the abundance of collagens and lysyl oxidases, as well as fibrogenesis and myofibroblast differentiation, critical cellular mechanisms involved in pulmonary fibrosis.
“These findings highlight the importance of understanding the complex interactions between circadian rhythms and fibrotic disease. We hope that this research will lead to new treatments that can improve the lives of those suffering from lung fibrosis." Lead author Irfan Rahman, Ph.D., noted the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying lung fibrosis and environmental hazards associated with fibrotic lung disease “ Night-shift workers on construction utilizing asbestos or other carcinogenesis materials should pay extra attention to protect themselves from inhaling hazardous materials, which could cause greater injury the lungs.” Lung cancer patients have fibrosis due to accumulation of collagen and/or chemotherapy and radiation. Treatment of these patients will also be beneficial given by this circadian clock molecule agonist.
Overall, this study highlights the potential for targeting circadian clock molecules like REV-ERBα to improve outcomes for patients with lung fibrosis. Further research is needed to determine the therapeutic potential of other REV-ERBα agonists and other circadian clock molecules in the treatment of this often fatal disease including lung cancer.
EHSC Pilot Funds Available
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
The Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC) has funds to support meritorious Pilot Projects for research that seek to understand how environmental factors influence health and disease. Proposals that include basic science, translational, computational, and clinical research on the modulation of human health by environmental exposures or agents, including climate change, are welcome. Research projects using model organisms, human subjects approaches and data, exposure data or other types of data are welcome. We are especially interested in receiving proposals that investigate developmental origins of disease at any subsequent stage of the life cycle, genetic and environmental factors and/or their interactions that modulate susceptibilities, as well as interventions for mitigating the deleterious effects of environmental factors on human health. Utilization of the unique EHSC Facility Cores and/or interaction with our Community Engagement Core are encouraged. Applicants may request a maximum of $30,000 for the duration of one year and must hold a tenure-track faculty position. New investigators collaborating with existing EHSC members are encouraged to apply. Funds are restricted to research expenses and staff salaries. Salary of biostatisticians or research faculty will be considered with appropriate justification.
This is a two-stage process. Initial applications should include a one-page abstract describing the goals and objectives of the proposed project, the investigators involved, and the relevance of the proposal to the mission of the EHSC (https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/environmental-health-sciences.aspx). There is no form template for this one-page abstract. All abstracts will be reviewed by the EHSC Pilot Project Steering Committee. Applicants will be notified as promptly as possible if their abstract has been selected for a full submission.
The deadline for submitting initial applications is April 7, 2023
Interested applicants are encouraged to contact us for more information or relevance of their proposal. Contact Martha Susiarjo or Pat Noonan-Sullivan. Visit the EHSC website for full details.
Please submit your abstracts to Pat Noonan-Sullivan via email.
Dr. Irfan Rahman interview with Forbes Magazine
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Your Guide To CBD Vaping: Safety, Side Effects And More
While the prevalence of cigarette smoking declined significantly in the past two decades, vaping is on the rise. An estimated 5.66 million adults in the U.S. vape, according to a 2020 JAMA Network scientific paper[1]. Perhaps most alarming, over 2.5 million high school and middle school students vape, reports the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)[2].
The dangers of e-cigarettes are well documented, but the effects of vaping cannabidiol (CBD) aren’t common knowledge. CBD is often heralded in the wellness space as a natural way to help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, relieve pain and improve sleep. However, these potential benefits can lead to confusion surrounding the health and safety of vaping the cannabinoid. Below, experts explain the science behind how vaping CBD affects the body and whether it’s a habit to engage in or avoid.
Read More: Dr. Irfan Rahman interview with Forbes MagazineCenter Director Paige Lawrence weighs in on heavy metals in dark chocolate
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Dr. B. Paige Lawrence was featured in a WXXI story addressing recent concerns about cadmium and lead in dark chocolate.
https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2023-02-12/cadmium-and-lead-found-in-dark-chocolate
Researchers look for link between air pollution and brain disease
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Deborah Cory-Slechta, a professor of environmental medicine, of public health sciences, and of neuroscience, discusses findings from researchers trying to figure out how much, and to what extent, airborne contaminants are linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
University Launches Institute for Human Health and the Environment to Find Solutions to the 21st Century’s Most Pressing Health Issues
Friday, January 13, 2023
The foods we consume. The air we breathe. The stress we experience. The chemicals we are exposed to (willingly and unwillingly). The changing climate. Everything in and around us influences our health. Amazingly, quality of life and longevity are more closely tied to where someone lives than their genetic code.
The University of Rochester believes that finding solutions to the 21st Century’s most pressing health issues – including cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and our ability to fight infection – requires a collaborative commitment to research, education, and community engagement related to how the environment influences health across the lifespan. The new UR Institute for Human Health and the Environment (IHHE) will bring this vision to life.
Led by B. Paige Lawrence, Ph.D., the Institute will serve as a local and national hub to catalyze new scientific discoveries related to environmental impacts on health and transform this information into actions that will promote healthier lives for all.
“The University has been a leader in research and education in environmental health and toxicology since the 1940s, so we’re building off an extremely strong foundation,” said Lawrence, the Wright Family Research Professor and chair of the department of Environmental Medicine. “Many teams are already conducting research, teaching, and working with community members on issues related to the environment and health, but we know we can do more. It is exciting to launch this new institute, and I encourage folks to get involved. We want to hear what people across the University are passionate about and help to make their work more impactful. I encourage anyone who is interested to check out our web site and reach out to us – we want to hear from you!”
“Environmental factors such as geographic location and exposure to toxins have a profound impact on susceptibility to disease,” said Mark B. Taubman, M.D., URMC CEO and dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry. “Some populations are disproportionately affected by these environmental risks, particularly communities of color. Collectively, we have the experience needed to partner with these communities and to use our knowledge to modify or prevent risk factors and make a difference in their lives.”
The IHHE will integrate programs and expertise from across all UR schools and will be anchored by three interactive pillars: Research; Career Development and Education; and Engagement. Initially, the Institute’s key areas of focus will include climate change and health; environmental justice; how water and air pollution impact health; and how environmental factors shape health across our whole lifetime.
Research
The IHHE will serve as a major hub for innovative and inclusive research that melds academic and scholarly disciplines. By creating new opportunities to gather knowledge and bring together different points of view, and through the sharing of expertise, the IHHE will propel research on many facets of environmental health. Gaining a better understanding of the intrinsic molecular, cellular, and socioeconomic mechanisms that underpin associations between health and the environment will transform care and lead to new ways to improve public health.
Career Development and Education
The Institute will support education and career development across all career stages. It will enhance existing programs, including an undergraduate major in Environmental Health, and multiple graduate programs, including Toxicology, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics & Computational Biology. Understanding how environmental factors influence health is already part of several other programs anchored in Public Health Sciences, Neuroscience, Engineering, and Data Science. The Institute will strengthen and extend connections between these programs and support a more diverse and inclusive environment to recruit and retain highly talented individuals. The Institute will also support programs for K-12 students in the Rochester area.
Engagement
The IHHE builds on a long history of environmental justice and community engagement related to how the lived environment influences the health of individuals and communities. This includes working with local community members to develop, evaluate, and disseminate community-based approaches to solve problems. For example, teams at UR contributed to Rochester’s local lead poisoning prevention system, which has resulted in lead poisoning rates declining 2.4 times faster than elsewhere in NY State, and has served as a national model for community-based action. Activities will be anchored in multidirectional engagement between the University and local and global partners to shape research and to evaluate and inform changes in policies, systems, and communities.
Anyone who is interested in learning more about the Institute and how they can get involved can visit the IHHE web site or reach out to the leadership team:
- Director: B. Paige Lawrence, paige_lawrence@urmc.rochester.edu
- Deputy directors of research: Deborah Cory-Slechta, Deborah_cory-slechta@urmc.rochester.edu; Martha Susiarjo, Martha_susiarjo@urmc.rochester.edu
- Deputy director of education and career development: Edwin van Wijngaarden, Edwin_van_wijngaarden@urmc.rochester.edu
- Deputy director of engagement: Katrina Korfmacher, Katrina_korfmacher@urmc.rochester.edu
Environmental exposures and Parkinson’s disease: connecting the dots: Interview with Dr. Ray Dorsey and Dr. Rick Woychik (Director of NIEHS)
Monday, December 5, 2022
Dr. Rick Woychik, the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and Dr. Ray Dorsey spoke about how air pollution, certain pesticides, and other agents may be contributing to rising rates of the disorder.
At this year’s meeting of the American Neurological Association, held in late October, Dr. Woychik helped to moderate a plenary session titled “Neurologic Dark Matter: Exploring the Exposome that Drives Neurological Disorders.” The exposome refers to all of the exposures experienced by an individual throughout life and their corresponding biological effects. Ray Dorsey, M.D., argued that when it comes to causes of Parkinson’s disease, scientists should focus on the role of multiple environmental toxicants, such as air pollution and pesticides, rather than genetics alone.
Read More: Environmental exposures and Parkinson’s disease: connecting the dots: Interview with Dr. Ray Dorsey and Dr. Rick Woychik (Director of NIEHS)New Capacity Building Project RFA
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
We’re happy to announce this years Capacity Building Project RFA which is due January 20th, 2023. Please share with colleagues and local community groups.
The University of Rochester Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC) Community Engagement Core (CEC) works with community partners to develop science-based solutions to environmental problems. Strong community partnerships are essential to generate, transmit, and use science to help solve environmental health problems. The Capacity Building Project (CBP) program provides funding for local organizations to grow their engagement in environmental health. The EHSC will provide up to $10,000 for one CBP in 2023. Nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. Projects should address issues of environmental health disparities in the greater Rochester region. Our overall goals are to build community capacity to address local environmental health problems and identify opportunities for future partnerships with the EHSC.
If you have any questions, please contact Cait (Fallone) Sharma.
A One-Two Punch: Low Levels of Coffee Roasting Chemical and Mild Flu May Damage Lungs
Monday, October 10, 2022
We’ve known for two decades that chronic exposure to high levels of a flavoring chemical called diacetyl, which is found in many foods and beverages, can cause lung damage. Now, a University of Rochester Medical Center study suggests that even short-term exposures to this flavoring chemical can damage the lungs of mice when paired with a second insult, like the flu.
Diacetyl, which gives microwave popcorn its buttery flavor, was first linked to flavorings-related lung disease in the early 2000’s when a group of former microwave-popcorn factory workers came down with the illness. More recently, a similar lung disease has been seen among coffee roasters who inhale large concentrations of diacetyl, which is a natural byproduct of the coffee roasting process.
While those workers inhaled high levels of diacetyl over long periods of time, the URMC study published in the American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology set out to test whether low-level, short-term exposures to the same chemical could produce a similar effect.
“We found that a single exposure to diacetyl for short periods of time did not result in much lung damage,” said lead study author Matthew D. McGraw, M.D., assistant professor of Pediatric Pulmonology at URMC. “But when mice are exposed to another common environmental exposure, like flu, the double hit can cause airway disease similar to what we see with high-dose, long-term exposures to diacetyl.”
In the study, which was supported by a pilot grant from the URMC Environmental Health Science Center and a Career Development Award from the UR Clinical and Translational Science Institute, mice were exposed to diacetyl for one hour a day over five consecutive days at levels similar to what coffee roasters encounter at work. Mice were then exposed to influenza A, which typically causes seasonal flu in humans.
Within two weeks of exposure, more than half of the mice that received this one-two hit died, while all of the mice in the control groups (exposed to diacetyl alone, flu alone, or neither) survived. Lungs from mice exposed to the ‘two-hits’ showed significant impairment of lung function and airway repair compared to controls.
Researchers then switched the order of exposure, infecting another group of mice with flu first, allowing them to recover for nine days, then exposing them to diacetyl for five days. Whether the mice were exposed to diacetyl before or after flu, their lungs were unable to fully heal, again suggesting that exposure to both chemical and virus leads to abnormal airway repair.
"Our study shows that common environmental exposures that seem harmless on their own can have very serious impacts on lung function and long-term respiratory health when combined," McGraw said.
While further research is needed to understand the impacts of low levels of diacetyl on humans, this study could have implications for people who are exposed to diacetyl at work, like coffee roasters. Currently, McGraw’s team is conducting a study in mice to see how long after a flu infection it is safe to be exposed to diacetyl, which could help inform when coffee roasters can safely return to work after having the flu.
In the near future, the team also plans to collaborate with coffee roasters in our region to spread awareness of the risks of diacetyl exposure, assess existing exposure mitigation procedures, and survey workers for lung disease symptoms.
Other authors of the American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology study include Michael A. O’Reilly, Ph.D., professor of Pediatrics; B. Paige Lawrence, Ph.D., chair and professor of Environmental Medicine; Andrew M. Dylag, M.D., associate professor of Pediatrics; Min Yee, a technical associate in the O’Reilly lab; and So-Young Kim, M.S., a technician in the McGraw lab.
This project was supported by a pilot grant from the URMC Environmental Health Science Center under grant number P30 ES001247 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and by the University of Rochester CTSA award number KL2 TR001999 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
Read More: A One-Two Punch: Low Levels of Coffee Roasting Chemical and Mild Flu May Damage LungsUniversity Awards Recipient
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Congratulations to Dr. Martha Susiarjo, who received the School of Medicine and Dentistry’s Academic Mentoring Award in Basic Sciences
The Leadership Award for Excellence in Equity and Inclusion
Jakob Gunderson (Toxicology)
Dr. Jakob Gunderson studied the mediators and moderators of methylmercury toxicity in the laboratory of Dr. Matthew Rand. During his time at URMC Jakobs worked helped to extend our knowledge on the classically categorized neurotoxicant methylmercury, by uncovering novel targets for the toxicity of MeHg related to the neuromuscular system. Through these efforts Jakob was the recipient of the prestigious Bernard Weiss Toxicology Award for excellence and innovative research in the field of neurotoxicology and published seven manuscripts.
Jakob was also a leader and mentor both in the lab as well as away from the bench, with clear passions for diversity, inclusion, and equity in STEM. Over the course of his graduate career Jakob was instrumental in the creation and initial set of leadership for the Toxicology programs Diversity and Inclusion Group (DIG) where he played a large role in crafting the mission and vision statements that guide the work of the group. Jakob was also involved with the formation of outGRADS where he served as the first secretary, taking on the role of determining the organization and structure of the group.
Irfan Rahman, PhD., Receives American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2022 Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishment
Monday, April 18, 2022
Dr. Irfan Rahman has been awarded the 2022 American Thoracic Society’s (ATS) Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishment in honor of his “outstanding scientific contributions in basic or clinical research to enhance the understanding, prevention and treatment of respiratory disease or critical illness”. Awardees are selected based on outstanding contributions made throughout their careers or for major contributions made at a particular point in their careers, and worthy of the highest recognition the Society can bestow via rigorous selection criteria. In particular, the award is given in recognition and appreciation of Dr. Rahman’s career dedicated to outstanding research and teaching of respiratory diseases, and service to the society and community. Honorees receive a medallion/plaque for Scientific Achievement from the Society presented by the President at the Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA from May 13-18, 2022.
Dr. Rahman stated ‘I am honored for this award. I have been involved in the ATS and its various assemblies including Respiratory Cell Molecular Biology since 1990s since I was a postdoctoral researcher”. I am always interested studying the inhalation toxicity on human lung affecting millions of people worldwide.
Dr. Rahman is a Dean’s Professor of Environmental Medicine, Medicine (Pulmonary), Public Health Sciences and General Dentistry at the University of Rochester Medical Center (School of Medicine and Dentistry), NY., and Director of Flavoring Inhalation Toxicology Center.
Dr. Rahman’s research interests include oxidative stress, inflammation, molecular clock, mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetics, and cellular senescence by environmental tobacco smoke/tobacco products (cigarette smoke, e-cigarettes, waterpipe/hookah, and cigars) and air pollutants and other toxicants in lung (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis), as well as oral/periodontal diseases.
His research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and he is the PD/site PI for the FDA/NCI TCORS U54 and TriState SenNet U54 consortium. He has published over three hundred (300) publications in peer-reviewed journals, and invited to write chapters in medical textbooks and editorials in journals (h-index = 107, i-index 258), total citations 46,558, selected as Highly Cited Researchers, 2014, 2015, and 2016 by Thomson Reuters).
Dr. Rahman has been serving as a member of several panels of National Institutes of Health (NIH) study sections (SIEE, chartered member), served as a chartered member of USA Veterans Administration panel on Pulmonary study section, and chair of California Cardiopulmonary tobacco research program.
He is also recognized internationally and ranked #16 (out of 52,718 active Respiratory & Allergy Researchers) by Ioannidis et al 2020. He is the editor/author of Inflammation, Aging, Diet and Nutrition - a book published by Elsevier in 2013.
Dr. Rahman is an Associate Editor of Nature Scientific Reports, Frontiers in Respiratory Pharmacology, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Journal of Inflammation, and Experimental Lung Research, and past Associate Editor of European Respiratory Journal, International J of COPD. He is a current member of the editorial boards of several international journals, such as Am. J. of Respiratory Cell & Molecular Biology, Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease, Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews, Respiratory Research, and Antioxidants Redox Signaling.
Dr. Rahman is a member of American Thoracic Society (ATS), American Physiological Society, and Society of Toxicology (SOT), and President for Inhalation Respiratory Specialty Section of the SOT 2020-2021, and Chair of Lung Aging Interest Group of the ATS. Dr. Rahman won numerous awards, such as an outstanding Senior Investigator Award by the Oxygen Society of California, USA in 2006, ASIO Senior Toxicologist Award by the SOT in 2017, and International Chemical Society in 2019.
More information of the ATS awards may be found here: https://conference.thoracic.org/program/respiratory-health-awards/
Dr. Deborah Cory-Slechta receives the 2022 Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Congratulations to Dr. Deborah Cory-Slechta, Professor of Environmental Medicine, who is the recipient of the 2022 Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award!
The Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 1997 by the Susan B. Anthony Center, honors and celebrates women whose lives have been enriched by their years at the University of Rochester and who have, in turn, inspired other women to advance and lead. Nominees are faculty, staff, trustees and/or alumnae who have achieved significant professional stature and influence, who have a commendable, trailblazing body of work, and who have used their experience and skills to help other women advance as leaders.
Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing never can bring about reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world’s estimation.– Susan B. Anthony
Dr. Deborah Cory-Slechta and colleagues selected for editor's collection
Friday, March 4, 2022
A publication by Dr. Deborah Cory-Slechta and colleagues was selected for the Environmental Health Perspectives Editors’ Collection, which spotlights 15 particularly high impact papers from 2021.
Confronting Racism in Environmental Health Sciences: Moving the Science Forward for Eliminating Racial Inequities Environ Health Perspect, 2021 May;129(5):55002.
doi: 10.1289/EHP8186. Devon C Payne-Sturges 1 , Gilbert C Gee 2 , Deborah A Cory-Slechta 3 PMCID: PMC8096378 DOI: 10.1289/EHP8186
Meet Five Inspiring Women in Science
Friday, February 11, 2022
URMC Researchers Reflect on International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Be curious and inquisitive. Cultivate relationships with mentors. Never limit yourself. Follow your heart.
These are just a few pieces of advice that women researchers from across the University of Rochester Medical Center have for young women and girls interested in science.
Despite progress in recent years, women and girls from around the world are still less likely to enter and advance in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. According to the United Nations, female researchers are typically awarded smaller research grants, are less likely to have their work published by high-profile journals, and have shorter careers than their male colleagues.
And the COVID pandemic has only exacerbated these disparities as the burden of care in the home fell disproportionately to women.
To combat these disparities, the United Nations General Assembly declared February 11 the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2015. Today, we celebrate the work and achievements of women in STEM and promote full and equal access to STEM for women and girls the world over.
Read More: Meet Five Inspiring Women in ScienceDr. Lawrence Spotlighted as URMC Researchers Reflect on International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Friday, February 11, 2022
Be curious and inquisitive. Cultivate relationships with mentors. Never limit yourself. Follow your heart.
These are just a few pieces of advice that women researchers from across the University of Rochester Medical Center have for young women and girls interested in science.
Despite progress in recent years, women and girls from around the world are still less likely to enter and advance in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. According to the United Nations, female researchers are typically awarded smaller research grants, are less likely to have their work published by high-profile journals, and have shorter careers than their male colleagues.
And the COVID pandemic has only exacerbated these disparities as the burden of care in the home fell disproportionately to women.
To combat these disparities, the United Nations General Assembly declared February 11 the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2015. Today, we celebrate the work and achievements of women in STEM and promote full and equal access to STEM for women and girls the world over.
Read More: Dr. Lawrence Spotlighted as URMC Researchers Reflect on International Day of Women and Girls in ScienceNew Research Points to Mercury’s Long-term Effects
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a well-known neurotoxin that can impact brain development, particularly in utero. A series of new studies from researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) indicate that exposure may disrupt the early development of the connections between muscles and the brain, which could lead to motor control problems later in life.
MeHg enters in the environment in the form of industrial pollution and natural sources, settles in the oceans and is eventually absorbed in plants and other small organisms like plankton. Mercury bio-accumulates as it moves up the food chain and eventually reaches humans in the form of fish consumption, which is a major food source in many parts of the world.
Much of our understanding of the impact of mercury exposure comes from major 20th century industrial accidents in Japan and Iran, which poisoned thousands of people with high levels of mercury exposure. Many victims of these accidents exhibited a range of neurological symptoms similar to cerebral palsy, including muscle weakness and impaired motor control. While these accidents document the dangers of high levels of mercury, the long-term cumulative effects of exposure to smaller amounts are not well understood, especially during the important and vulnerable period of early development of the central nervous system.
The new studies – which come from the lab of Matthew Rand, Ph.D., with the URMC Department of Environmental Medicine and appear in the journals Neurotoxicology and Teratology and Toxicological Sciences – begin to shed light on the mechanism by which mercury may damage developing muscles and motor control.
Read More: New Research Points to Mercury’s Long-term EffectsGrant to Combat Vaccine Hesitancy in Adolescents
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Researchers in Environmental Medicine have received an award from NIH to address vaccine hesitancy and improve health literacy among middle and high school students. The team will work with Rochester-area teachers and health professionals to teach students about how COVID-19 spreads, how COVID testing works, what RNA is, and how the vaccine works.
Read More: Grant to Combat Vaccine Hesitancy in AdolescentsUR Researchers Part of Effort to Create Atlas of Cells to Study Age-Related Diseases
Monday, November 8, 2021
University of Rochester scientists are part of a consortium of institutions recently awarded $31 million to build a molecular atlas of human senescent cells. These cells, which are not very well understood, are believed to contribute to a number of age-related diseases, including chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer.
Read More: UR Researchers Part of Effort to Create Atlas of Cells to Study Age-Related DiseasesNIH launches program to map a rare type of non-dividing cells implicated in human health and disease
Friday, October 29, 2021
Dr. Irfan Rahman is the program Director/PI of this NIH funded consortium.
NIH launches program to map a rare type of non-dividing cells implicated in human health and disease
Molecular Atlas of Senescent Cells Could Chart Way to Therapies for Age-Related Diseases and Cancer
Pitt teams tapped to develop ‘Google Maps’ of cells important in aging
Read More: NIH launches program to map a rare type of non-dividing cells implicated in human health and disease2021 Tox Student Awards Announced
Monday, June 7, 2021
The Toxicology Training Program celebrated its annual Retreat and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 27, albeit in a virtual format. Some Program participants were not able to participate in the virtual event, so we have listed this year's awardees below so that you can congratulate the recipients the next time you see them:
Weiss Toxicology Scholar awards: Janine Cubello and Jakob Gunderson
Janine's project focuses on the impact of iron deficiency on lead accumulation in specific regions of the brain and the role that astrocytes play in this process. She is also generous with her time in the lab, specifically in mentoring new students. Janine is mentored by Dr. Margot Mayer-Pröschel. Jakob's project focuses on the role of the Drosophila Nrf2 homologue in modulating the toxicity of methyl mercury during neuronal and muscle development. Jakob also dedicates his time to volunteer and advocacy activities.
Robert N. Infurna award for best scientific publication: Ashley Fields and Tim Anderson
Fields AM, Welle K, Ho ES, Mesaros C, Susiarjo M. Vitamin B6 deficiency disrupts serotonin signaling in pancreatic islets and induces gestational diabetes in mice. Commun Biol. 4(1):421, 2021.
This paper describes the application of a novel mouse model of mild, human health-relevant Vitamin B6 deficiency -- which Ashley developed -- to examine how the consequent reduction in serotonin and serotonin signaling impact maternal glucose status. It was discovered that B6 deficiency reduced pancreatic beta cell proliferation and insulin resistance.
Anderson T, Merrill AK, Eckard ML, Marvin E, Conrad K, Welle K, Oberdörster G, Sobolewski M, Cory-Slechta DA. Paraquat Inhalation, a Translationally Relevant Route of Exposure: Disposition to the Brain and Male-Specific Olfactory Impairment in Mice. Toxicol Sci. 80(1):175-185, 2021.
In this paper, a novel inhalation exposure method was employed to deliver paraquat to mice, mimicking one important route by which this widely-used and lung- and neurotoxic pesticide can enter the bodies of agricultural workers. Paraquat was found to distribute to various brain regions -- with high tissue concentrations in the olfactory bulb -- and to be retained there for at least one month following exposure. Male-dominant deficiencies in olfactory discrimination were also found with paraquat exposure.
Neuman award for exemplary scholarship and citizenship: Ian Krout
Ian is mentored by Dr. Matthew Rand on a project that focuses on the role of the gut microbiome in modulating methyl mercury toxicokinetics and toxicity via demethylation. Ian exemplifies the spirit of the Drs. Neuman in terms of scholarship and engagement as a graduate student citizen of the University of Rochester. He is an excellent ambassador of our program and is making great strides with his science. Some highlights of Ian's activities outside of the lab include his efforts in planning this Retreat, his service as the Program Student Representative, service as TA, and service during the pandemic as a contact tracer and Help Line volunteer for LifeSpan.
Best Question award: Alyssa Merrill
Alyssa's mentor is Dr. Marissa Sobolewski and her project is focused on the effects of endocrine disrupting compounds on both fetal and maternal health following gestational exposure.
Congratulations to all of the awardees!!
Wastewater Surveillance Effective in Efforts to Detect COVID on College Campuses
Monday, May 17, 2021
Wastewater monitoring is a promising tool for COVID-19 surveillance, according to a new paper published in the International Journal of Environmental Public Health. Researchers from the University of Rochester co-led this study, which synthesizes initial wastewater surveillance efforts at 25 colleges and universities from across the country, including St. John Fisher College. Wastewater monitoring helped these colleges detect, contain and prevent wider spread of COVID infection and the findings could provide a blueprint for other institutions -- like nursing homes, workplaces, and jails -- and inform community efforts to monitor for COVID and other infectious diseases.
People infected with COVID may shed the virus in their feces even if they have no symptoms. Although the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not known to survive long in wastewater, genetic material from the virus can be detected in sewage for many days. Therefore, measuring the amount of this material in sewage can provide an early indicator of infection trends in the population.
State- and national-level systems for wastewater surveillance at municipal wastewater treatment plants are rapidly developing. Many municipalities in New York have monitored their wastewater. Monroe County conducted sampling between July and December 2020 at Frank E. Van Lare Wastewater Treatment Plant. Meanwhile, colleges and universities across the country have been integrating wastewater surveillance into their ongoing efforts to manage COVID on their campuses, including St. John Fisher College and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
The study of colleges' experiences with wastewater monitoring was co-led by Katrina Smith Korfmacher, Ph.D., professor and director of the Community Engagement Core of the Department of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and Sasha Harris-Lovett, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow and external relations specialist for the Berkeley Water Center, at the University of California Berkeley. Todd Camenisch, Ph.D., professor and chair at Wegmans School of Pharmacy at St. John Fisher College, was a co-author.
The paper draws on the efforts of more than two dozen colleges in states across the country to characterize, compare and identify lessons learned during the fall 2020 academic period. The study found a wide variety of approaches have been developed, ranging from sampling once a week to daily, and from one to over 50 sites on campus. These differences were shaped by institutions' financial and technical resources, physical characteristics of their campus infrastructure and decision support needs.
Grant Recognizes National Leadership in Environmental Health Disparities Research
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
The University of Rochester Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC) has received a $7.7 million, five-year renewal grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS). The grant marks five decades of federal support for research that has helped expand our understanding of how exposure to environmental agents, such as heavy metals, air and water pollution, and pesticides, impact human health.
The EHSC -- which is led by B. Paige Lawrence, Ph.D., the Wright Family Research professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Medicine -- has been continuously funded by the NIEHS since 1975. This Center has attracted more than $100 million in extramural funding since its inception. Rochester is one of only 26 NIEHS-designated core Centers-of-Excellence in environmental health research in the U.S.
The Center supports broad portfolio of research programs that range from lab-based science that investigates the biological mechanisms by which environmental chemicals contribute to disease, to population-based studies that inform and improve public health. The EHSC provides researchers with integrated access to specialized resources and facilities, and supports programs that promote career development and leadership for the next generation of environmental health investigators. The EHSC is also home to a Community Engagement Core, which works closely with community organizations, government, educators, and health professionals to address environmental health issues through outreach, advocacy and allyship.
Dr. Irfan Rahman is Our Pandemic Hero!
Friday, April 23, 2021
Gagandeep Kaur
The year 2020 has been extremely challenging for the world at large. Like lot of other job areas, it had special implications for students and trainees in science. In addition to the obvious fear about the unknown virus, the inability to perform regular lab experiments due to the lockdown and uncertainty about future funding or job security left everyone in a state of dilemma about their futures.
These uncertain times called for 'Unusual Heroes' to step-up and provide help, assurance and guidance to their teams. One such 'Hero' has been Dr. Irfan Rahman, a professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care at URMC.
Dr. Rahman recruited human volunteers (smokers and vapers) constantly during the pandemic period after the pause to continue the ongoing studies funded by the NIH. This allowed our lab members to continue the studies on Covid19 susceptibility, which led to generating data for publications and NIH grant submissions.
It was the brave and unrelenting efforts by Dr. Rahman to constantly provide us biospecimens during the pandemic time to study the susceptibility factors for better understanding of Covid-19 infection.
Dr. Rahman has held several honors and accolades to attest his merit even prior to this pandemic. He is ranked as the 16th Respiratory Medicine Researcher in the world (Plos Biology). His expertise in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Fibrosis, Asthma, and Acute Lung Injury due to environmental toxicants is highly acclaimed locally and internationally. His lab has been well-funded by the National Institutes of Health (NHLBI, NIEHS, NCI, NIDA) with over 16 grants to his credit to date. Dr. Rahman has been recognized as the pioneer of oxidative stress-mediated lung injury due to tobacco smoke exposure. He is the Director of the Center for Inhalation and Flavoring Toxicological Research at URMC, a specialized facility with state-of-the-art technology and instruments dedicated to research related to e-cigarette-use and vaping associated lung injury. Dr. Rahman has a prolific career with over 400 publications (h-index 102; Google Scholar) and his trainees and students publish over 10 publications each year in highly recognized scientific journals such as JCI, JEV, PNAS, Nature, AJRCCM, Journal of immunology under his mentorship.
However, what was impressive was he kept pushing the envelope during the pandemic as well, reassuring his entire team and making them feel productive. Consequently, despite many setbacks, last year had many moments for the Rahman lab to cherish and celebrate professionally. Considering his expertise in pulmonary research, he stepped up to the need-of-the-hour and put his team to work on COVID-19 and its health implications on smokers and e-cigarette users. In fact, his efforts and research findings were lauded by the University of Rochester and he was featured in the University news several times last year (https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/labs/rahman/news.aspx). One of his postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Gagandeep Kaur showcased her work on susceptibility to COVID-19 in tobacco smokers as a Guest Speaker for a webinar organized by IRSS at Society of Toxicology, gaining national and international recognition. This shows that Dr. Rahman prefers to showcase his team's abilities more than his own to help them shine and excel in their careers. He has provided his postdoctoral trainees with opportunities to be guest speakers for national webinars, teach courses and be a guest lecturer at other universities as a part of their overall training.
As the mentor of five postdoctoral fellows currently and various others in the past, he has shown immense enthusiasm for sharing his expertise in pulmonary toxicology to help his team succeed to be better prepared for the next stage in their careers. Many of his former trainees, Drs. Yao and Sundar, are now well-established faculty members in reputed Universities such as Brown University and the University of Kansas with their own R01 grants. Others have gained successful employment in industry and regulatory agencies.
Adding to the list of accomplishments last year, a current postdoctoral fellow at Dr. Rahman's lab, Dr. Qixin Wang, has been highlighted in AJRCMB in December 2020 for his research on transgenerational prenatal e-cig exposure. Dr. Rahman has mentored his postdoctoral fellows, such as Drs. Thivanka Muthumalage and Qixin Wang to prepare for their careers as young scientists by guiding them with unwavering support for their recently awarded pilot projects (2019-2021) as well as K99/R00 (NIH pathway to independence Award) which they submitted earlier this year. As a graduate student mentor in the Department of Environmental Medicine, he has shared the responsibilities of guiding graduate students and helping them to be successful in their research interests and projects. Thomas Lamb, one of his mentored grad-students, has won the best poster award at the CROFT annual meeting in 2020. Further, Dr. Rahman is also helping at the local societal level to recognize the risk of e-cig vaping by providing lectures at high schools by participating in outreach programs.
All the post-docs are involved in collaborative projects, which assists in their team building and networking skills Our post-doctoral fellows, Drs. Muthumalage, Wang, and Kaur have worked on collaborative projects with other institutes such as the NY Department of Health, NYU, SUNY, and UCLA. The postdocs and graduate students in Rahman's lab are encouraged to participate in national and international conferences, including the Society of Toxicology (SOT), the American Thoracic Society (ATS), Experimental Biology, the Society of Research in Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) annual meetings. Considering the betterment of his students, all the members in the lab were encouraged to participate in most of the virtual meetings last year which added a bit of normalcy to an otherwise tumultuous year. It was also uplifting as many of us got recognized (win awards) for our presentations and were able to interact with our peers all across the country to get feedback on our work. Current postdocs mentored by Dr. Rahman have achieved a new height in their career. Gagandeep Kaur. Ph.D., current postdoc supervised by Dr. Rahman, has won the Inhalation and Respiratory Specialty Section (IRSS) best postdoc award (2021) as well as the poster award at Center for Research on Flavored Tobacco (CROFT) annual meeting (2020), within a year of gaining his mentorship.
Dr. Rahman encourages the post-docs to review scientific papers and has one-on-one discussions with them to help them build their scientific acumen and providing them with insights that only years of experience could guarantee. However, during the pandemic he upped his effort by holding regular lab meetings discussing recent literature, previous results and future strategies with the team. Many of the students and post-docs were encouraged to review literature and complete the still pending manuscripts during this time. Owing to his constant encouragement, we published 20 articles in reputed journals last year. His mentored undergraduate students have excelled and have secured their medical school admissions at prestigious institutes such as Harvard and Duke. Our lab has always welcomed students and trainees of color and minorities with the highest respect, collegiality, and professionalism. Dr. Rahman is empathetic and helpful for the needs of his team and accommodates their concerns to maintain an environment of respect and discipline in the lab while ensuring success for all. He is always available to help juniors and learners and provides honest feedback to help them excel.
Ioannidis JPA, Boyack KW, Baas J (2020) Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators. PLoS Biol 18(10): e3000918. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000918
Ian Krout wins the People’s Choice award for SOT’s 3 Minute Thesis, 2nd place in the University of Rochester's 3 Minute Thesis Competitions
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Ian Krout
Congratulations to Ian Krout for winning the People's Choice award for SOT's 3 Minute Thesis and 2nd place in the University of Rochester's 3 Minute Thesis Competitions! Krout is a 3rd year Toxicology student, in Matt Rand's Lab, whose interests lie in both methylmercury toxicity as well as the gut microbiomes role in the field of toxicology. His research is focused on elucidating the microbial mechanisms of the gut that give rise to inter-individual differences in methylmercury elimination from person to person. It is focused on investigating the bacterial species at play in the microbiome, the mechanisms used for biotransformation, and what this means for the overall elimination rate and subsequent toxicity of differing mercury compounds.
Congrats Ian!
Paige Lawrence Awarded the Outstanding Senior Immunotoxicologist Award at SOT
Monday, April 5, 2021
Dr. B. Paige Lawrence
At this year's Society of Toxicology meeting, Dr. B. Paige Lawrence was awarded the Outstanding Senior Immunotoxicologist Award presented by the Immunotoxicology Specialty Section (ISS). The award is given to a Senior Investigator whose work has made significant contributions to the field of Immunotoxicology. Dr. Lawrence is Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Medicine and Director of the Environmental Health Sciences Center. Her research addresses problems of human health and how our environment influences our health. Much of her work focuses on the impact of pollutants on our ability to fight infections, such as influenza viruses. Other work centers on understanding how signals from the environment affect proper development in early life, and how these developmental changes adversely impact health later in life.
She is a member of the Society of Toxicology, American Association of Immunologists, and American Association for the Advancement of Scientists, and currently serves on the Editorial Boards for Toxicological Sciences, Toxicology, The American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, and The American Journal of Reproductive Immunology and in 2020 was named one of three deputy editors of Environmental Health Perspectives. She provides peer review service to the National Institutes of Health and to other research organizations and agencies.
Congratulations, Paige!
Deborah Cory-Slechta Receives the 2021 SOT Distinguished Toxicology Scholar Award
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Deborah Cory-Slechta, PhD, has been awarded the 2021 SOT Distinguished Toxicology Scholar Award in honor of her scientific achievements and contributions to public health in the fields of environmental health sciences and toxicology.
Dr. Cory-Slechta is currently a Professor of environmental medicine, pediatrics, and public health sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center, where she trains and mentors a number of scholastically recognized students via hands-on, project-oriented teaching, as well as offering support and mentorship to junior faculty members. She also is the Deputy Director of the Environmental Health Sciences Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Dr. Cory-Slechta is a world-renowned behavioral psychologist and neurotoxicologist, and her work has provided mechanistic support for understanding the consequences of lead exposure in developing animals and humans. Her studies combine powerful hypothesis-generating screening tools with rigorous hypothesis-driven research questions to systematically test xenobiotic-induced neurotoxicity. Dr. Cory-Slechta has championed behavioral batteries for the assessment of neurotoxicity, developing new methodologies and asserting the importance of early changes in behavior as markers of aberrant neurodevelopment and neurotoxicity. She developed sensitive behavioral tasks to enable translation and validation of her animal work to human populations, which has significantly contributed to the recognition that levels of lead exposure previously thought of as safe are likely causing damage to children, particularly those that have additional risk factors. Dr. Cory-Slechta's studies have led to a paradigm shift and recognition by federal agencies of the necessity to include developmental neurotoxicity studies in the assessment of ill effects of xenobiotics, particularly as they pertain to the nervous system.
Dr. Cory-Slechta's scientific influence is demonstrated by an enormous number of invited research presentations worldwide as well as her sustained publication repertoire, which includes over 190 published manuscripts in high-impact journals. In addition, her laboratory since its establishment has received continual funding by the National Institutes of Health, a testament to her outstanding leadership and research.
Since joining SOT in 1983, Dr. Cory-Slechta has served as Chair of the SOT Awards Committee; as a member of the Education and Nominating Committees; as Councilor of the Metals Specialty Section; and as Councilor and President of the Neurotoxicology Specialty Section. Her efforts were recognized through her receipt of the 2017 Neurotoxicology Specialty Section Distinguished Neurotoxicologist Award. In addition to service to SOT, Dr. Cory-Slechta is on the Editorial Boards of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Toxicology, and NeuroToxicology and is a reviewer for a multitude of study sections for the National Institutes of Health, US Environmental Protection Agency, and other granting bodies, among numerous other institutional commitments.
Congratulations, Debbie!
Inhaled paraquat enters brain, impairs sense of smell in male mice
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Researchers funded by NIEHS reported that inhalation of the widely used pesticide paraquat reduced the sense of smell in male mice for several months after exposure. Moreover, the chemical entered the brain and other tissues. These results underscore the importance of studying the effects of inhalation of neurotoxicants, to protect public health.
Loss of sense of smell, or olfactory impairment, is an early sign of Parkinson's disease. The findings, published Dec. 29, 2020, in the journal Toxicological Sciences, suggest paraquat may contribute to such neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers at the University of Rochester modeled an inhalation of low concentrations of paraquat. Using the university's Inhalation Core facility, they exposed mice to aerosolized paraquat. The team then measured levels of the pesticide in lung, kidney, and four regions of the brain — olfactory bulb, striatum, midbrain, and cerebellum.
"Inhalation can provide a direct route of entry to the brain," explained first author Timothy Anderson. "If you inhale something and it goes into your nose, it can actually enter the neurons responsible for sense of smell, and travel into the brain." Anderson is a graduate student at the University of Rochester lab of Deborah Cory-Slechta, Ph.D.,where the study was conducted. Cory-Slechta is deputy director of the university's NIEHS-funded Environmental Health Sciences Center.
Co-author Kevin Welle measured the highest brain levels in the olfactory bulb, suggesting paraquat entered the brain through nasal-olfactory neurons.
"The sex-dependent olfactory impairment observed after paraquat [PQ] inhalation exposure is intriguing and parallels important features of Parkinson's disease [PD], including early loss of sense of smell and greater prevalence in males," said Jonathan Hollander, Ph.D.,health scientist administrator in the NIEHS Genes, Environment, and Health Branch. Hollander oversees research grants for neurodegenerative diseases and other areas.
"Given that paraquat is a known risk factor for PD, and inhalation is a prevalent source of exposure, this study may lead to a more useful animal model of PQ-induced neurodegeneration," he added.
Ashley Rackow Publishes her first paper “The self-fulfilling prophecy of pulmonary fibrosis: a selective inspection of pathological signalling loops” in ERJ
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Congratulations to Ashley Rackow for her first authored publication "The self-fulfilling prophecy of pulmonary fibrosis: a selective inspection of pathological signalling loops", published in the European Respiratory Journal in November 2020. This review article summarizes how normal wound healing pathways become corrupted in lung fibrosis, and outlines new ways to think about therapeutic interventions.
New Studies Suggest Vaping Could Cloud Your Thoughts
Monday, December 28, 2020
Two new studies from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) have uncovered an association between vaping and mental fog. Both adults and kids who vape were more likely to report difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions than their non-vaping, non-smoking peers. It also appeared that kids were more likely to experience mental fog if they started vaping before the age of 14.
While other studies have found an association between vaping and mental impairment in animals, the URMC team is the first to draw this connection in people. Led by Dongmei Li, Ph.D., associate professor in the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at URMC, the team mined data from two major national surveys.
"Our studies add to growing evidence that vaping should not be considered a safe alternative to tobacco smoking," said study author Li.
The studies, published in the journals Tobacco Induced Diseases and Plos One, analyzed over 18,000 middle and high school student responses to the National Youth Tobacco Survey and more than 886,000 responses to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System phone survey from U.S. adults. Both surveys ask similar questions about smoking and vaping habits as well as issues with mental function.
Both studies show that people who smoke and vape -- regardless of age -- were most likely to report struggling with mental function. Behind that group, people who only vape or only smoke reported mental fog at similar rates, which were significantly higher than those reported by people who don't smoke or vape.
The youth study also found that students who reported starting to vape early -- between eight and 13 years of age -- were more likely to report difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions than those who started vaping at 14 or older.
"With the recent rise in teen vaping, this is very concerning and suggests that we need to intervene even earlier," said Li. "Prevention programs that start in middle or high school might actually be too late."
Adolescence is a critical period for brain development, especially for higher-order mental function, which means tweens and teens may be more susceptible to nicotine-induced brain changes. While e-cigarettes lack many of the dangerous compounds found in tobacco cigarettes, they deliver the same amount - or possibly more - nicotine.
While the URMC studies clearly show an association between vaping and mental function, it's not clear which causes which. It is possible that nicotine exposure through vaping causes difficulty with mental function. But it is equally possible that people who report mental fog are simply more likely to smoke or vape -- possibly to self-medicate.
Li and her team say that further studies that follow kids and adults over time are needed to parse the cause and effect of vaping and mental fog.
In addition to Li, authors of the youth study include Catherine Xie, and Zidian Xie, Ph.D. For the adult study, Li was joined by co-authors Zidian Xie, Ph.D., Deborah J. Ossip, Ph.D. Irfan Rahman, Ph.D., and Richard J. O'Connor, Ph.D. Both studies were funded by the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products.
Tim Smyth Publishes his first paper “Diesel exhaust particle exposure reduces expression of the epithelial tight junction protein Tricellulin” in Particle Fibre Toxicology
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Congratulations to Tim Smyth for his first authored publication "Diesel exhaust particle exposure reduces expression of the epithelial tight junction protein Tricellulin", published in Particle Fibre Toxicology in October 2020. This research article reports the new finding that diesel exhaust particles lead to epithelial barrier dysfunction, and inhibit expression of the tight junction protein Tricellulin both in vitro and in vivo.
Ashley Rackow review article published in ERJ
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Ashley Rackow, current TOX PhD and Pulmonary T32 graduate student, has had a review article, "The self-fulfilling prophecy of pulmonary fibrosis: a selective inspection of pathological signalling loops," published in the European Respiratory Journal. Ashley currently works in Dr. Kottmann's Lab focusing on the endogenous function and manipulation of pH-sensing G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the context of pulmonary fibrosis. Congrats Ashley!
Rackow AR, Nagel DJ, McCarthy C, Judge J, Lacy S, Freeberg MAT, Thatcher TH, Kottmann RM, Sime PJ. The self-fulfilling prophecy of pulmonary fibrosis: a selective inspection of pathological signalling loops. Eur Respir J. 2020 Nov 26;56(5):2000075. doi: 10.1183/13993003.00075-2020. PMID: 32943406.
Abstract: Pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating, progressive disease and carries a prognosis worse than most cancers. Despite ongoing research, the mechanisms that underlie disease pathogenesis remain only partially understood. However, the self-perpetuating nature of pulmonary fibrosis has led several researchers to propose the existence of pathological signalling loops. According to this hypothesis, the normal wound-healing process becomes corrupted and results in the progressive accumulation of scar tissue in the lung. In addition, several negative regulators of pulmonary fibrosis are downregulated and, therefore, are no longer capable of inhibiting these feed-forward loops. The combination of pathological signalling loops and loss of a checks and balances system ultimately culminates in a process of unregulated scar formation. This review details specific signalling pathways demonstrated to play a role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. The evidence of detrimental signalling loops is elucidated with regard to epithelial cell injury, cellular senescence and the activation of developmental and ageing pathways. We demonstrate where these loops intersect each other, as well as common mediators that may drive these responses and how the loss of pro-resolving mediators may contribute to the propagation of disease. By focusing on the overlapping signalling mediators among the many pro-fibrotic pathways, it is our hope that the pulmonary fibrosis community will be better equipped to design future trials that incorporate the redundant nature of these pathways as we move towards finding a cure for this unrelenting disease.
New HUD grant to study environmental hazards in Rochester children’s homes
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a $927,069 grant to a partnership between the University of Rochester, Silent Spring Institute, the National Center for Healthy Housing, and the City of Rochester to study the impacts of home rehabilitation and resident engagement on exposures to harmful environmental chemicals within the home. This project will build on Rochester's nationally recognized lead poisoning prevention work to inform efforts to protect children and families from a wide range of home hazards.
The partners will work with the City of Rochester's highly successful Lead Hazard Control plus Healthy Homes program, which provides grants to low-income owner-occupants and landlords to address lead hazards in pre-1978 housing. The City of Rochester has received over $35 million in grant funding from HUD over the past 15 years to support lead hazard remediation in thousands of city homes.
This study will for the first time explore the potential of HUD-funded Lead Hazard Control grants to affect a wide range of other home-based exposures including pesticides, allergens, and endocrine disrupting chemicals such as flame retardants and phthalates. These chemical exposures contribute to a wide range of health concerns including asthma, learning disabilities, reproductive system problems, and cancer. The Lead Hazard Control grant program serves low-income families with young children, who are at particular risk from these environmental hazards.
Working with 100 owner-occupants over the next three years, the research team will study a wide range of chemicals in household dust before and after lead hazard control interventions. The project will engage with residents to educate them about how to maintain a healthy home, use safer consumer products (cleaners, air fresheners, pest control), and access additional community resources for support.
The University of Rochester has partnered with community stakeholders and the City of Rochester for several decades to develop childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts that are widely recognized as a national model. The new project builds on this collaboration and extends it to broader environmental health concerns by working with Silent Spring Institute, a non-profit research organization that studies environmental chemical exposures that harm human health and educates communities on how to reduce their exposures. Robin Dodson, Sc.D., the lead investigator from Silent Spring Institute, is an environmental exposure scientist with expertise in analyzing multiple chemical exposures in household dust. "With this grant, we will deepen our understanding of how to effectively create healthier homes, especially among the most vulnerable, by lowering indoor exposures to harmful endocrine disrupting chemicals, ," said Dobson.
"This grant will let us build on our longstanding partnership with the City of Rochester to learn how we can leverage childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts to maximize a wide range of lifelong health benefits for children and their families," said Katrina Smith Korfmacher, Ph.D., associate professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Korfmacher has worked extensively with Rochester's community-based lead poisoning prevention efforts and is a co-principal investigator on the new HUD grant.
"I want to congratulate the University of Rochester Medical Center's Environmental Health Sciences Center on this award of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant to study methods to improve environmental conditions in the home," said Rochester Mayor Lovely A. Warren. "Thanks in large part to our partnership with the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning and our adoption of the Lead Ordinance, the City of Rochester has been cited as the national 'gold standard' for healthy housing policies. We are excited to partner with the University of Rochester and Silent Spring Institute to build on the success of these initiatives to find even more opportunities to provide all children and their families with access to homes that are healthy and safe."
The National Center for Healthy Housing is a national non-profit group that conducts research and promotes policies to promote health equity through improved housing quality. NCHH will inform the resident engagement component of the study, based on the New York State Healthy Neighborhoods Program and will disseminate results through its national networks of community groups, policymakers, and healthy homes professionals.
The research team expects that the findings will inform future HUD grant programs, policies, and practices to better protect children's environmental health. Efforts to cost-effectively address home environmental health hazards are particularly important now, as children and families spend more time at home due to the pandemic and associated stay-at-home orders, as well as the economic challenges facing many families. "This project builds on years of work on lead poisoning prevention in Rochester that has shown demonstrated success protecting children's health, has provided a model for other communities, and has informed federal programs and policies," said Korfmacher. "We hope that our findings will support efforts to protect children from other important hazards in their homes."
Special Department of Microbiology and Immunology Seminar – Dr. Malika Grayson – November 9th at NOON
Friday, October 23, 2020
How do you make an impact when you are the only person in the room that looks like you? We hear the terms diversity and inclusion but forget that the term representation should be a reflection of diversity and inclusion combined. This isn't always the case. Dr. Grayson discusses her views on what it means to increase diversity and representation as an Individual Contributor. Learn more about her journey as the 2nd Black Woman to graduate with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from her graduate institution. Hear about her current work as both an engineer, a STEM Advocate, and her most recent success as author of 'HOODED: A Black Girl's Guide to the PhD' where she highlights her time and lessons learned during her PhD Program.
Researchers Draw More Links between Vaping, Smoking, Young People, and Coronavirus
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
What do vapers, smokers, and non-smokers with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes have in common? They all are at higher risk for COVID-19.
The scientific explanation behind this is complex and not yet certain — but it may boil down to an enzyme known as ACE2, that lives on the surface of many cells in the lungs and serves as the entry point for the coronavirus.
Evidence shows that people with chronic inflammatory illnesses, vulnerable older adults, and those who smoke or vape, all have an abundance of ACE2 receptor proteins to serve as a gateway to the deadly virus.
A research team at the University of Rochester Medical Center, led by Irfan Rahman, Ph.D., published a series of studies during the pandemic that focus on the vital role of ACE2 — which is already at the center of many other scientific investigations — to shape a clearer picture of the critical cellular mechanisms that regulate the deadly virus and its link to vaping.
While Rochester investigators are working in lockstep with scientists around the world, Rahman's special interest is on the growing problem of young people who test positive and may be spreading coronavirus at alarming rates. Even some older children and teens who have higher levels of the ACE2 receptor seem to be more vulnerable to the virus.
"Our next step is to investigate whether ACE2 is normally low in young people, hence their relatively low infection and mortality rates from COVID-19, but to find out if ACE2 is increased by smoking or vaping rendering them more susceptible to the virus," said Rahman, Dean's Professor of Environmental Medicine, Medicine (Pulmonary), and Public Health Sciences. "This would be in contrast to older people with lung diseases such as COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, who we already know are at higher risk for severe viral illnesses and death."
Still wiping down your grocery store purchases? Coronavirus risk is 'exceedingly small,' experts say
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, many people cleaned grocery-store purchases with disinfecting wipes before putting them away at home.
At that point, it was recommended as a best practice to avoid contagion. The thinking was that because the virus can survive on surfaces for short periods of time, someone could touch a contaminated item and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth and possibly infect themselves.
Now, however, a lot more is known about how COVID-19 spreads -- primarily from person to person through droplets in the air. The risk of getting it from surfaces, including grocery packaging, is "exceedingly small," said Melissa Bronstein, senior director of infection prevention for Rochester Regional Health and a registered nurse.
The most up-to-date information on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that "because of the poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely a very low risk of spread from food products or packaging." In fact, it goes on to say that no cases of COVID-19 have been linked to people touching food or food packaging and then touching their faces.
"Some people are really scared, so if it makes them feel safer to wipe things down, then it's important for them to do that," said Katrina Korfmacher, a director at the University of Rochester Medical Center's Environmental Health Sciences Center. (She noted that it should be done safely, so that people don't end up ingesting disinfectants.)
The Link Between Parkinson’s Disease and Toxic Chemicals
Monday, July 20, 2020
Ending Parkinson's Disease: A Prescription for Action," co-authored by University of Rochester Professor of Neurology Dr. Ray Dorsey, was featured in the New York Times. The book highlights the importance of reducing environmental exposures as part of efforts to address the disease.
Coordinating Coronavirus Research: Creating Options for Our Sickest COVID-19 Patients
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
When the first COVID-19 cases hit the University of Rochester Medical Center's ICU back in March of 2020, there were no proven treatments available, but experimental therapies were cropping up around the world. Quickly, a team of URMC clinicians and researchers mobilized to bring the most promising clinical trials - that address the broadest swath of patients' needs - to URMC. Since then, URMC has joined three clinical trials that provide extra treatment options for some of the sickest COVID-19 patients.
COVID-19 causes a wide range of outcomes: some infected people never show a single symptom, while many battle the disease for weeks in the ICU. The difference between those outcomes seems to lie in a careful balance of the immune response. In the beginning of the disease, the immune system helps fight off the virus. But for those who land in the hospital, this early, helpful immune response gives way to uncontrolled over-activation of the immune system, causing system-wide inflammation and severe complications.
The three COVID-19 inpatient clinical trials currently running at URMC attack the disease at both ends of this balance.
"Our goal has always been to promote effective therapies through clinical trials," said Martin Zand, M.D., Ph.D., senior associate dean for Clinical Research and co-director of the Clinical & Translational Science Institute. "Our team is working hard to make sure that the trials we bring to URMC have the greatest chance of benefiting our own patients, and significantly advancing the science of COVID-19 to benefit patients around the world."
Quieting Inflammation at All Ages
While researchers have high hopes that baricitinib can quell the over-exuberant immune activity of COVID-19, that trial is only open to patients who are 18 years old and up. Another trial, sponsored by Incyte Corp, is testing a very similar drug, called ruxolitinib, in patients as young as 12 who have very severe COVID-19 disease and need to be on a ventilator.
When the immune system runs amok in the late stages of COVID-19, the lining of the lungs can become leaky, allowing fluid to build up in the lungs' air sacs. This phenomenon, called acute respiratory distress syndrome, starves the body of oxygen and mechanical ventilation can even fail to rescue these patients.
The URMC team, led by Christopher Palma, M.D. and Steve Georas, M.D., expects to enroll up to 20 severely ill COVID-19 patients in the trial to see if ruxolitinib can keep them alive and get them off ventilators and out of the ICU sooner.
Paige Lawrence Named Deputy Editor at Environmental Health Perspectives
Thursday, July 2, 2020
On 16 June 2020, EHP welcomed three Deputy Editors, Dana Boyd Barr, Manolis Kogevinas, and Paige Lawrence, on their first official day of service in their new positions. Editor-in-Chief (EIC) Joel Kaufman, MD, MPH, introduced the new Deputy Editor role and named the appointees in a recent webinar with the Board of Associate Editors.
As recognized leaders in their respective disciplines of exposure science, environmental epidemiology, and experimental toxicology, the Deputy Editors will act as ambassadors to colleagues in their scientific communities to ensure that EHP continues to publish the most influential environmental health research. With a wealth of leadership, editorial, and peer review experience at EHP and other journals, the new Deputy Editors are expected to complement existing editorial workflows.
Working closely with the EIC and EHP Science Editors, they will evaluate new and revised manuscripts, participate in triage and interim editorial decisions, and collaborate with Associate Editors to oversee peer review. The Deputy Editors will also provide leadership for the consideration of submissions in their areas of expertise.
The new Deputy Editor role represents the next step in changes to the journal's operating structure that began when Joel assumed the EIC role in February 2020. As the first offsite EIC, Joel maintains his faculty position at the University of Washington while serving the journal.
2020 Tox Student Awards Announced
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Although our annual Retreat and Awards Banquet were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we would still like to acknowledge the excellent work of our trainees. Please congratulate this year's recipients of the Toxicology Training Program awards:
Weiss Toxicology Scholar awards: Timothy Anderson (pre-doctoral); Thivanka Muthumalage, PhD (post-doctoral)
Tim is a student in Dr. Deborah Cory-Slechta's laboratory. He is studying the toxicokinetics of paraquat that is delivered via inhalation exposure and its associated neurobehavioral effects. This work has important implications for commonly-used agricultural pesticides. Thivanka is mentored by Dr. Irfan Rahman and studies cellular stress responses and lung injury following exposures to e-cigarette aerosols or specific components that are used in vaping. Both of these individuals are engaged, highly productive young scientists and exhibit strong leadership inside and outside of their respective laboratories.
Robert N. Infurna award for best scientific publication: Christina Post (pre-doctoral); Qixin Wang, PhD (post-doctoral)
Post CM, Boule LA, Burke CG, O'Dell CT, Winans B, Lawrence BP. The ancestral environment shapes antiviral CD8+ T cell responses across generations. iScience. 20:168-183, 2019.
This paper describes transgenerational impacts of an environmental toxicant, TCDD, on innate and adaptive immunity. This work was a complex, large undertaking and has significant implications for the way that we think about who is impacted by environmental exposures.
Wang Q, Khan NA, Muthumalage T, Lawyer GR, McDonough SR, Chuang TD, Gong M, Sundar IK, Rehan VK, Rahman I. Dysregulated repair and inflammatory responses by E-cigarette-derived inhaled nicotine and humectant propylene glycol in a sex-dependent manner in mouse lung. FASEB Bioadv 1(10): 609-623, 2019.
This paper combines in vivo and in vitro approaches to characterize the impact of e-cigarette vapors in the lungs upon acute inhalation exposure. In addition to demonstrating the pro-inflammatory effects of nicotine in lung, which is not new, it also demonstrates that the commonly-used solvent (humectant) has its own effects. It is comprehensive and timely.
Neuman award for exemplary scholarship and citizenship: Ashley Peppriell
Ashley is a mentored by Dr. Matt Rand and is studying the impacts on muscle development of methyl mercury exposure in a Drosophila model. In addition to working hard and making great strides in the laboratory, Ashley is a volunteer extraordinaire! She co-led the annual retreat planning team for two years, has served as a teaching assistant, is a peer mentor, and is a great ambassador for the Program. She certainly exhibits the high level of scholarship and citizenship that defined the lives and careers of Drs. Margaret and William Neuman.
Best Question awards: Janine Cubello and Ashley Fields
It was a tough call, so we decided to give out two awards this year! Janine is mentored by Dr. Margot Mayer-Pröschel and studies the effects of combined lead exposure and iron deficiency on the developing brain. Ashley's mentor is Dr. Martha Susiarjo and her project is focused on the impact of vitamin B6 deficiency on pregnancy outcomes in the context of diabetes mellitus.
Ian Krout wins second place in the 2020 CPD/UR BEST poster competition!
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Ian's virtual poster was presented last month as part of the competition, which was judged by a broad faculty pool. The title of the poster is "Establishing Tools to Investigate the Role of Microbes in Modulating Methylmercury Toxicokinetics". Please offer congratulations to Ian and his co-authors, Daria Vorojeikina, Tom Scrimale, and Matt Rand.
URMC research uncovers links between COVID-19 and vaping, smoking
Monday, June 29, 2020
Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center has found evidence of why COVID-19 is worse for people who smoke and vape than for the rest of the population.
Irfan Rahman, who runs a lab at URMC that studies the effects of tobacco products on the lungs, said people who smoke and vape often have elevated levels of receptors for an enzyme called ACE2.
Those receptors also allow the novel coronavirus to enter lung cells. More receptors means more viral load, which means more severe infections, Rahman said.
"It's pretty bad, actually," he said.
Rahman said early evidence from novel coronavirus infections showed that smokers were particularly at risk from COVID-19, but the mechanism behind the vulnerability was unclear.
Now, Rahman and other researchers said, a growing body of evidence shows inhaling nicotine increases the lungs' receptiveness to the virus and the lethality of the disease.
Other articles on this topic:
Kadijah Abston receives this year’s Elon Huntington Hooker dissertation fellowship
Thursday, June 25, 2020
The department is excited to share the news that Kadijah Abston, MS -- a fourth-year student working in Dr. Xin Li's laboratory -- has been selected to receive this year's University of Rochester Elon Huntington Hooker dissertation fellowship. Mr. Hooker was a graduate of the University and served as one of its trustees after founding the Hooker Chemical Company. The award is given to support student researchers who are primarily focused on chemistry or biochemistry. In her graduate work, Kadijah is exploring the novel hypothesis that lead can impact brain development across multiple generations via epigenetic modulations that are manifest at the level of DNA methylation changes and/or changes in small non-coding RNAs that get transmitted via the male line. This work will provide foundational knowledge about paternal information that gets transmitted across the generations and has implications regarding the broad human health impact of a wide-spread environmental toxicant.
Please congratulate Kadijah and Xin when you see them!
Rahman Lab Highlighted in Nature
Thursday, June 11, 2020
The Rahman lab has been highlighted in Nature journal for their work on discovery of exosomes in COPD. Read the article.