Seminars & Events

Heather Patisaul, PhD - Professor, North Carolina State University

Highlighted topic: Neurotoxicology and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

 Nov 07, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Marissa Sobolewski Terry

Nathan Cherrington, PhD - Associate Dean, University of Arizona

Highlighted topic: Liver Biology and Toxicology

 Oct 10, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Marissa Sobolewski Terry

Keynote lecture:
"ToxicoEpigenetics & the Use of piRNA for Precision Environmental Health Research"
11:00am - 12:00pm

Dana Dolinoy, Ph.D.
NSF International Chair of Environmental Health Sciences
Professor in Environmental Health Sciences
Professor in Nutritional Sciences
University of Michigan School of Public Health

Keynote Flyer

Event Schedule

Zoom link available upon request.  Please contact Leah Brown

 May 30, 2024 @ 8:30 a.m.

 Helen Wood Hall | SON Aud. (1W-304)

Sarah E. Morgan - PhD Candidate, Toxicology PhD Training Program

Microplastics (MPs, 1 μm < MP < 5 mm) are an emerging contaminant of concern due to their persistence and pervasiveness. Environmental MPs are a complex mixture of various plastic polymers and sorbed chemicals that have been shown to have a wide range of toxic effects across numerous species. Since exposure to unknown quantities of MPs is unavoidable for most species, it is necessary to characterize the bioactivity of MPs present in the environment as well as supplement these results with studies using reproducible laboratory synthesized plastic particle mimetics in order to characterize the health risks associated with MP exposure. My contribution to this knowledge gap is two-fold: first we are collecting water samples from the nearshore waters of Lake Ontario near Rochester, NY and analyzing the debris using novel silicon nitride nanomembranes and various in vitro toxicity endpoints, and second, we are generating various plastic particle mimetics and monitoring both sorption and bioactivity. The initial endpoints being investigated across the two approaches are cell viability, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity, estrogen receptor (ER) activity, and IL-6 concentration. Initial mimetics were created using various combinations of polystyrene (PS), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), bisphenol A (BPA), and atrazine which were selected for their commercial availability, potent AhR activity, well-documented ER activity, and anti-androgenic activity respectively. I hypothesize that MP-contaminant mixtures produce toxicity profiles that are unique from those of both MP and contaminant single exposures. I have found that water samples from Lake Ontario contain isolatable debris including Nile Red positive plastic particles and that this debris is not cytotoxic, but some samples have AhR activity or increased IL-6 concentration. Additionally, I have found that soaking with both TCDD, BPA, and atrazine alters PS morphology, and these changes are reflected in decreasing AhR activity with increasing time for TCDD-PS co-exposures but may not be reflected in changes in ER activity for BPA-PS co-exposures. Overall, our ongoing work highlights the need for additional research into the effects of polymer and chemical identity on the risks associated with inevitable exposure to various MP mixtures.

 May 16, 2024 @ 12:00 p.m.

 Medical Center | K-207 (2-6408)

Hybrid Event

Host: Advisor: Lisa A. DeLouise, PhD, MPD

Olga Astapova, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor, Endocrinology, University of Rochester

Highlighted topic: Inhaled agents and Inflammation

 May 16, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Marissa Sobolewski Terry

Humphrey Hung-Chang Yao, PhD - Senior Principal Investigator, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Highlighted topic: Mammalian reproductive differentiation

 May 02, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Marissa Sobolewski Terry

Amanda L. Reddy, MS - Executive Director, National Center for the Healthy Housing

Housing, Health and Environmental Justice Research Workshop - Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, 8:30 AM – 5:00 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

Registration is now open!
Deadline: April 1^st
Register Here

For questions or enquiries, please contact us at ihhe@urmc.rochester.edu

Event Flyer
Event Itinerary

Keynote Speaker

Amanda L. Reddy, M.S.
Executive Director, National Center for Healthy Housing

Local Overview Presenter

Melissa Berrien
Director of Resident Services
Rochester Housing Authority

Healthy Housing Research Panelists

Michelle Del Rio, PHD
Assistant Professor
School of Public Health
Indiana University, Bloomington

Kevin Kennedy, MPH, CIEC
Environmental Health Scientist
Healthy Indoors Consulting

Robin Dodson, ScD
Associate Director of Research Operations
Chemical Exposure & Risk Assessment
Silent Spring Institute

 May 01, 2024 @ 8:30 a.m.

 Helen Wood Hall | School of Nursing Auditorium

Host: Department of Environmental Medicine Institute for Human Health and the Environment

Chris Carlsten, M.D., MPH - Professor, Medicine, Univ. of British Columbia

Highlighted topic: Inhalation toxicity

 Apr 18, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Marissa Sobolewski Terry

Regina Rowe, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Rochester

Highlighted topic: Reproductive and endocrinology

 Apr 11, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Marissa Sobolewski Terry

Jessica Stern, M.D. - Assistant Professor, Medicine and Pediatrics, Univ. Rochester

Highlighted topic: Healthy Housing

 Mar 28, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Marissa Sobolewski Terry

Matt McCall, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology

Please contact Rebecca_Ruston@urmc.rochester.edu for the zoom link.

 Mar 07, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

Justin Colacino, PhD, MA, MPH - Associate Professor, University of Michigan

Highlighted topic: Stem Cells and Toxicology

 Feb 29, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Gabriela Cuadra or Marissa Sobolewski Terry

Jason Wu, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Nephrology (SMD)

Please contact Rebecca_Ruston@urmc.rochester.edu for the zoom link.

 Feb 22, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

John Onukwufor, PhD - Research Associate Professor, University of Rochester

Highlighted Topic: Metals and Mitochondria

 Feb 08, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Gabriela Cuadra or Marissa Sobolewski Terry

Joel Meyer, PhD - Associate Professor, Duke University

Highlighted topic: Metals and Mitochondria

 Feb 01, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Gabriela Cuadra or Marissa Sobolewski Terry

Rashad Hussain, PhD - Research Assistant Professor, University of Rochester

Highlighted topic: Neurotoxicology and Air Pollution

 Jan 25, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m.

 Medical Center | 4-8820

for Zoom link contact Gabriela Cuadra or Marissa Sobolewski Terry