The Curriculum in Toxicology at UNC

Environmental Toxicology

Understanding of the cellular, molecular and biochemical underpinnings of environmentally-related human disease is a fundamental goal of toxicologists. The emphasis on these fundamental mechanisms is reflected in the research interests of the Curriculum faculty, the training projects under development by pre- and post-doctoral trainees, and by the core coursework required of Ph.D. students. Coursework provides a broad background in molecular biology, cell biology, pharmacology and biochemistry in preparation for formal studies in biochemical toxicology and xenobiotic metabolism. Research activities in the cross-cutting training area of Environmental Toxicology reflect the diverse interests of the faculty, span all the traditional research areas represented in the Curriculum, and integrate research of on- and off-campus faculty.

The training in this area concentrates on the effects of environmental chemicals on intermediary metabolism, activation and detoxication mechanisms, ion homeostasis during toxic stress, pharmacokinetics of toxic chemicals, free radical metabolism in toxic injury, toxicant-induced injury of the plasma membrane, and other key actions of environmental agents, such as induction of DNA damage, and effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis. In addition, faculty in this area are exploring quantitative modeling approaches to improve extrapolations between animals and humans, in vitro and in vivo, and the critical emerging issue of long-term effects of early life exposures. The human health effects of air and water pollution, arsenic, pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, and endocrine disruptors are being investigated. Risk assessment also features prominently among research questions addressed by our faculty. Trainees have access to a variety of unique and state-of-the-art technologies, including digitized video microscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy, organ perfusion, miniaturized physiologic probes for monitoring metabolism within intact organs, state-of-the-art LC- and GC-MS/MS, NMR and other analytical molecular and biochemical methods. Students are applying molecular biology techniques to toxicological questions, and hands-on training in these techniques is available through the Carolina Workshops offered three times a year by the Program in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Assembled in this training program is a core of faculty researchers with international reputations in environmental toxicology.

Faculty