Gary J. Myers, M.D.

Contact Information

Phone Numbers

Appointment: (585) 275-2808

Fax: (585) 275-3683

A member of the University of Rochester Medical Faculty Group

An Accountable Health Partner

Accepting New Patients

Locations

200 East River Road
3rd Floor
Rochester, NY 14623

Faculty Appointments

Professor - Department of Neurology , Child Neurology (SMD)
Professor - Department of Pediatrics , Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics (SMD) - Joint
Professor - Department of Environmental Medicine (SMD) - Joint

Patient Care Settings

Neurology, Pediatrics

Biography

Dr. Myers graduated from Medical School at the University of Kansas in1963 and subsequently trained in Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology at the Boston Children's Hospital. He is board certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Neurology and Neonatology. He is currently a professor of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York where he teaches and has an active child neurology practice.

Professional Background

Dr. Myers graduated from the U of Kansas with a BA in Biology in 1957 and from the U of Kansas School of Medicine in 1963. He completed his Pediatric residency at the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston. Following military service at Fort Bragg, NC, he returned to Children's or a residency in Child Neurology. He started his academic career at the U of R in 1971 and in 1978 moved to the U of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) where he rose to a tenured Professorship. At UAB he practiced Pediatric Neurology, attended in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and served as director of the UAB Sparks Center training professionals in the care of children with disabilities. In 1990 he returned to the U of R as a Professor in Neurology, Pediatrics, and Environmental Medicine. In addition to practicing and teaching Child Neurology throughout his career, he has been active in research on the relationship of environmental toxicants to children's development. He has worked with the Seychelles Child Development Study for over 30 years studying the relationship of fish consumption with its nutritional benefits and exposure to methylmercury to children's development.

Research

Dr. Myers primary research interest is environmental toxins, specifically mercury. He started studying methyl mercury exposure following the 1971-2 epidemic in Iraq and has worked with the Rochester mercury research group since then. In 1986 the Rochester mercury research group began a prospective longitudinal study of mercury exposure from fish consumption in the Seychelles Islands called the Seychelles Child Development Study (SCDS). Seychellois consume fish with 10-12 meals each week and the fish mercury content there is similar to that of oceanic fish sold in the US. This prospective, longitudinal, observational epidemiological study has been ongoing for over 25 years. Dr. Myers is also the follow up site PI for the Neonatal Research Network studying the outcomes of extremely premature infants.

Credentials

Education

1963
MD | University of Kansas Medical Center

Post-doctoral Training & Residency

09/01/1964 - 06/30/1971
Residency in Neurology at Boston Children's Hospital

09/01/1963 - 06/30/1964
Internship in Pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital

Publications

Journal Articles

7/19/2022
Thurston SW, Harrington D, Mruzek DW, Shamlaye C, Myers GJ, van Wijngaarden E. "Development of a long-term time-weighted exposure metric that accounts for missing data in the Seychelles Child Development Study." Neurotoxicology.. 2022 Jul 19; Epub 2022 Jul 19.

5/30/2022
Love TM, Wahlberg K, Pineda D, Watson GE, Zareba G, Thurston SW, Davidson PW, Shamlaye CF, Myers GJ, Rand M, van Wijngaarden E, Broberg K. "Contribution of child ABC-transporter genetics to prenatal MeHg exposure and neurodevelopment." Neurotoxicology.. 2022 May 30; Epub 2022 May 30.

5/11/2022
James AK, Dolgova NV, Nehzati S, Korbas M, Cotelesage JJH, Sokaras D, Kroll T, O'Donoghue JL, Watson GE, Myers GJ, Pickering IJ, George GN. "Molecular Fates of Organometallic Mercury in Human Brain." ACS chemical neuroscience.. 2022 May 11; Epub 2022 May 11.

Books & Chapters

2013
Chapter Title: The Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Methylmercury and Maternal Nutritional Status on Child Development: Findings from the Seychelles Child Development Study
Book Title: Current Topics in Neurotoxicity
Author List: Edwin van Wijngaarden Gary J Myers Conrad F Shamlaye JJ Strain Philip W Davidson
Edited By: Sandra Ceccatelli and Michael Aschner
Published By: Springer: New York 2013

2007
Chapter Title: Neurodevelopmental effects of maternal nutrients status and exposure to methyl mercury from eating fish during pregnancy: Evidence from the Seychelles Child Development Study
Book Title: Children with Disabilities, 6th edition
Author List: Davidson PW, Strain JJ, Myers GJ, Shamlaye CF, Thurston S, Bonham MP, Duffy EM, Wallace JMW, Watson G, Clarkson TW
Edited By: Chen Wang & William Slikker
Published By: Paul M Brooks Publishing Co 2007 in Baltimore, Maryland

2006
Chapter Title: Developmental Disabilities Following Prenatal Exposure to Methyl Mercury from Maternal Fish Consumption: A Review of the Evidence
Book Title: International Review of Research in Mental Retardation
Author List: Gary J Myers Philip W Davidson Conrad F Shamlaye
Edited By: Philip W Davidson, Gary J Myers, Bernard Weiss
Published By: Elsevier: Amsterdam 2006

VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS

Videos

Dr. Gary Myers: The Importance of Eating Fish