Lab Members

Develop a research program concentrating on identifying genetic modifiers of environmental factors in disease etiology using a combination of Drosophila genetics, cell culture, and rodent models.

Understanding the effects of occupational metal exposure on astrocytic senescence and neurodegenerative disease

I investigate how exposure to environmental toxicants can increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. My thesis project is to develop an environmentally relevant mouse model of paraquat inhalation, a commonly used herbicide in the United States linked to Parkinson's disease in humans. My research suggests that paraquat inhalation in mice, simulating occupational exposure in farms, leads to a loss of dopamine-producing neurons, a hallmark of PD.