Molecular Toxicology

Consumers are constantly exposed to thousands of industrial chemicals and a major exposure route is through different food items. Many of these chemicals interact with the fine tuned hormone system in the human body and are therefore referred to as endocrine disrupting chemicals. Research indicates that endocrine disrupting chemicals contribute to a wide range of human diseases such as obesity, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, breast-, prostate- and colon cancer and reproductive disturbances. These diseases are becoming increasingly common and are a considerable burden on society and the economy at a global level. My research interest is to study how environmental pollutants affect human health. We are currently running several research projects on environmental pollutants. In the first project we study how the enodcrine disrupting chemical bisphenol A in combination with phytoestrogens affect signaling of the estrogen receptors. The second project uses zebrafish as a model system to detect chemical pollutants that perturb embryonic development. For more information on this project see http//tivs-center.uh.edu/. In a third project we develop zebrafish screening methods for detection of chemicals that cause obesity and diabetes.