Lab News and Updates
March 2023
Aicha Khalaf (winner of an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program award) presented a poster at the WSU UROP Conference for Undergraduate Research.
Five members from the Kassotis Lab attended the Society of Toxicology 2023 annual meeting in Nashville, TN! We presented four poster presentations on diverse lab projects and caught up on lots of great science all around.
March 2023
Aicha Khalaf (winner of an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program award) presented a poster at the WSU UROP Conference for Undergraduate Research.
Five members from the Kassotis Lab attended the Society of Toxicology 2023 annual meeting in Nashville, TN! We presented four poster presentations on diverse lab projects and caught up on lots of great science all around.
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New lab paper published in Science of the Total Environment: Adipogenic and Endocrine Disrupting Mixture Effects of Organic and Inorganic Pollutant Mixtures.
New lab paper published in Metabolites: Cetyl Alcohol Polyethoxylates Disrupt Metabolic Health in Developmentally Exposed Zebrafish.
February 2023
Samantha Heldman received a SNAP award from the Department of Pharmacology for $10,000 to fund RNAseq experiments on LCM mixture-exposed zebrafish.
Roxanne Bérubé was awarded a competitive National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) postdoctoral fellowship to fund the next two years of her postdoctoral training.
November 2022
New co-author paper published with Leo Trasande in Pediatric Clinics of North America: The Pediatrician's Role in Protecting Children from Environmental Hazards.
Our first postdoc, Matt LeFauve, has accepted a permanent position as a Toxicologist at the US EPA office in Chicago!
October 2022
Our lab attended the 2022 Michigan Society of Toxicology meeting on October 18th and presented data from three ongoing projects in the lab!
Drs. Bérubé and LeFauve presented posters on ethoxylates and complex mixture projects.
Samantha Heldman won 1st place for her symposium presentation on liquid crystal chemicals!
Co-author paper published with the Petriello Lab in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology: Exposure to a mixture of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances modulates pulmonary expression of ACE2 and circulating hormones and cytokines.
September 2022
Kyle Siegel joined the lab as a first year Pharmacology PhD student, who will rotate in the lab this semester!
Victoria Fasakin joined the lab as an undergraduate student researcher!
Our lab presented our new cell and zebrafish data at BFR (Brominated Flame Retardants) 2022 in Athens, Greece!
July 2022
Notice of award for a three-year EPA STAR grant to evaluate toxicological mixture models through testing of a set of laboratory mixtures of increasing complexity on adipogenesis using human mesenchymal stem cells and adiposity using the zebrafish model.
June 2022
Brooklynn Murray has joined the group as our new Research Assistant!
Jake Holloway has joined the group as an undergraduate student researcher!
Our lab attended the 2022 Gordon Research Conference on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors in Sunday River, Maine, and presented data from four ongoing projects in the lab!
New lab paper published in Metabolites: Cetyl Alcohol Polyethoxylates Disrupt Metabolic Health in Developmentally Exposed Zebrafish.
February 2023
Samantha Heldman received a SNAP award from the Department of Pharmacology for $10,000 to fund RNAseq experiments on LCM mixture-exposed zebrafish.
Roxanne Bérubé was awarded a competitive National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) postdoctoral fellowship to fund the next two years of her postdoctoral training.
November 2022
New co-author paper published with Leo Trasande in Pediatric Clinics of North America: The Pediatrician's Role in Protecting Children from Environmental Hazards.
Our first postdoc, Matt LeFauve, has accepted a permanent position as a Toxicologist at the US EPA office in Chicago!
October 2022
Our lab attended the 2022 Michigan Society of Toxicology meeting on October 18th and presented data from three ongoing projects in the lab!
Drs. Bérubé and LeFauve presented posters on ethoxylates and complex mixture projects.
Samantha Heldman won 1st place for her symposium presentation on liquid crystal chemicals!
Co-author paper published with the Petriello Lab in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology: Exposure to a mixture of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances modulates pulmonary expression of ACE2 and circulating hormones and cytokines.
September 2022
Kyle Siegel joined the lab as a first year Pharmacology PhD student, who will rotate in the lab this semester!
Victoria Fasakin joined the lab as an undergraduate student researcher!
Our lab presented our new cell and zebrafish data at BFR (Brominated Flame Retardants) 2022 in Athens, Greece!
July 2022
Notice of award for a three-year EPA STAR grant to evaluate toxicological mixture models through testing of a set of laboratory mixtures of increasing complexity on adipogenesis using human mesenchymal stem cells and adiposity using the zebrafish model.
June 2022
Brooklynn Murray has joined the group as our new Research Assistant!
Jake Holloway has joined the group as an undergraduate student researcher!
Our lab attended the 2022 Gordon Research Conference on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors in Sunday River, Maine, and presented data from four ongoing projects in the lab!
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May 2022
Latest lab publication is out now in Environmental Health Perspectives!: On the Utility of ToxCast-Based Predictive Models to Evaluate Potential Metabolic Disruption by Environmental Chemicals.
Another collaborative effort published on profiling all the chemicals used in food contact packaging!: Systematic evidence on migrating and extractable food contact chemicals: Most chemicals detected in food contact materials are not listed for use.
April 2022
Latest set of publications are out now in Biochemical Pharmacology that are authored by several dozen experts in metabolic health, obesity, and chemical obesogens. Articles discuss state of the evidence for molecular mechanisms promoting obesity (I), causal evidence for obesogens (II), and assays available and emerging to measure obesogens (III).
Obesity I: Overview and molecular and biochemical mechanisms.
Obesity II: Establishing causal links between chemical exposures and obesity.
Obesity III: Obesogen assays: Limitations, strengths, and new directions.
News Coverage: Environmental Health News
Webinar on topic: Collaborative on Health & the Environment
March 2022
Kassotis lab attended Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, where we shared more on our research into ethoxylated surfactants, unconventional oil and gas chemical mixtures, contraceptives, and liquid crystal monomers!
Latest lab publication is out now in Environmental Health Perspectives!: On the Utility of ToxCast-Based Predictive Models to Evaluate Potential Metabolic Disruption by Environmental Chemicals.
Another collaborative effort published on profiling all the chemicals used in food contact packaging!: Systematic evidence on migrating and extractable food contact chemicals: Most chemicals detected in food contact materials are not listed for use.
April 2022
Latest set of publications are out now in Biochemical Pharmacology that are authored by several dozen experts in metabolic health, obesity, and chemical obesogens. Articles discuss state of the evidence for molecular mechanisms promoting obesity (I), causal evidence for obesogens (II), and assays available and emerging to measure obesogens (III).
Obesity I: Overview and molecular and biochemical mechanisms.
Obesity II: Establishing causal links between chemical exposures and obesity.
Obesity III: Obesogen assays: Limitations, strengths, and new directions.
News Coverage: Environmental Health News
Webinar on topic: Collaborative on Health & the Environment
March 2022
Kassotis lab attended Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, where we shared more on our research into ethoxylated surfactants, unconventional oil and gas chemical mixtures, contraceptives, and liquid crystal monomers!
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February 2022
Latest lab publication is out now in Toxics (first direct K99/R00 publication!): Nonylphenol polyethoxylates enhance adipose deposition in developmentally exposed zebrafish.
January 2022
Latest co-author publication out now in Environmental Science & Technology: Characterization of pre- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances present in commercial anti-fog products and their in vitro adipogenic activity.
Press Attention: Guardian | The Hill | Insider
Selected as an NIEHS Extramural Paper of the Month!
October 2021
Lots of great news from our first lab conference. We attended the Michigan Society of Toxicology meeting on Oct. 15!
Samantha Heldman won first place for graduate student poster presentations!
Tiffany Chiang won third place for undergraduate/post-bacc poster presentations!
Roxanne Bérubé, PhD, was selected for an oral platform presentation!
September 2021
Roxanne Bérubé, PhD, has joined our group as a postdoctoral research fellow member of the lab!
Destiny Johnson and Aicha Khalaf have joined the lab as undergraduate researchers!
August 2021
Samantha Heldman has decided to join our group as a full-time PhD student member and will be starting her second year in the program this Fall!
Latest lab publication just released in Toxicology: Reproducibility of adipogenic responses to metabolism disrupting chemicals in the 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte model system: An interlaboratory study.
June 2021
Matt LeFauve, PhD, joined the group as a postdoc! He'll be working on R00-funded experiments, among others!
May 2021
Samantha Heldman joined the lab group as a rotating PhD student! She'll be working on examining potential toxicity associated with liquid crystal monomers during the summer.
March 2021
Book chapter ("Endocrine Disruptor Global Policy"), co-authored with Dr. Leo Trasande, accepted for publication in Advances in Pharmacology, volume 92.
Co-editing a special issue of "Toxics" with Dr. Alli Phillips on environmental contaminant mixtures. Read more and contribute an article here!
December 2020
Yu-Ting (Tiffany) Chiang joined the lab group as a Research Assistant! She'll be helping get the lab organized, get assays prepared and ready, and help get research projects started.
November 2020
First-author publication just released in Environmental Science & Technology: Thyroid Receptor Antagonism of Chemicals Extracted from Personal Silicone Wristbands within a Papillary Thyroid Cancer Pilot Study.
First-author publication just released in Science of the Total Environment: Characterization of Adipogenic, PPARg, and TRb Activities in House Dust Extracts and Their Associations with Organic Contaminants.
October 2020
Latest first-author publication just released in Science of the Total Environment: Endocrine disrupting activities and geochemistry of water resources associated with unconventional oil and gas activity.
September 2020
We are hiring, email for more information!
Research Assistant/Lab Tech position open now. (position now closed)
Postdoc opportunity position open now.
Grad student positions open - apply for Fall 2021 admission!
July 2020
Latest first-author publication just released in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: economic, regulatory, and policy implications.
Presented some of my research on house dust-induced fat cell development, mechanisms, and potential causative contaminants for a Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) webinar on July 1!
Webinar available here.
May 2020
Accepted Assistant Professor position at Wayne State University in the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Department of Pharmacology, starting September 1!
We are recruiting grad students, technicians, and/or post-docs!
March 2020
New co-author publication: "Developmental exposure to a mixture of unconventional oil and gas extraction chemicals: A review of experimental effects on adult health, behavior, and disease" was published in Molecular & Cellular Endocrinology.
February 2020
New co-author publication: "Impacts of food contact chemicals on human health: a consensus statement" was published in Environmental Health.
January 2020
New co-author publication: "In our backyard: Perceptions about fracking, science, and health by community members" was published in New Solutions.
2019
December 2019
Awarded 2020 Best Postdoctoral Publication Award from the Society of Toxicology for recent research on adipogenic activity of house dust.
October 2019
Presented my research at the Wayne State University Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Seminar Series in Detroit, MI.
August 2019
Attended the Zebrafish Development and Genetics course at Woods Hole for several weeks on Cape Cod to learn diverse zebrafish techniques to apply to my own research program.
May 2019
New co-author publication: "Preconceptional, gestational, and lactational exposure to an unconventional oil and gas chemical mixture alters energy expenditure in adult female mice" was published in Frontiers in Endocrinology.
Awarded a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to further evaluate indoor contaminants for their ability to perturb metabolic health.
April 2019
Presented my current research: "From Fracking to Fat Cells: How Environmental Contaminants Can Impact Metabolic Health" at the UNC-Greensboro Biological Sciences Seminar Series.
My recent research on indoor house dust and adipocyte development was featured as the Endocrine News cover story for April! Endocrine News
March 2019
Presented my recent work: "Assessment of causative chemicals and molecular mechanisms of indoor house dust extract-induced adipogenesis" at the Endocrine Society Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
Press briefing: Watch it here!
Associated press coverage: Science Daily | Medical Research
February 2019
New first author publication: "Thyroid receptor antagonism as a contributory mechanism for adipogenesis induced by environmental mixtures in 3T3-L1 cells" was published in Science of the Total Environment.
January 2019
New first author/corresponding author publication: "Endocrine-mediated mechanisms of metabolic disruption and new approaches to examine the public health threat" was published in Frontiers in Endocrinology.
2018
September 2018
New co-author publication: "Chemical mixtures isolated from house dust disrupt thyroid receptor beta signaling" was published in Environmental Science & Technology.
Gave a webinar on my recent unconventional oil and gas and adipogenesis publication via TEDX.
Watch it here!
June 2018
New first author publication: "Unconventional oil and gas chemicals and wastewater-impacted water samples promote adipogenesis via PPARy-dependent and independent mechanisms in 3T3-L1 cells" was published in Science of the Total Environment.
Press Coverage: Environmental Health News | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Listed to a podcast on the topic: BTR Podcast
Watch a video interview on the topic: Duke Nicholas School
May 2018
New co-author publication: "Developmental Exposure to a Mixture of 23 Chemicals Associated with Unconventional Oil and Gas Operations Alters the Immune System of Mice" was published in Toxicological Sciences.
Associated Press Coverage: Environmental Health News
April 2018
New first-author publication: "Endocrine-disrupting activities and organic contaminants associated with oil and gas operations in Wyoming groundwater" was published in Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.
Associated Press Coverage: WyoFile | Star Tribune
March 2018
Won Top 10 Abstract (Mixtures) at the annual Society of Toxicology meeting in San Antonio, TX.
February 2018
Won Best Postdoc Poster at the Inaugural EDC-NC Meeting, held at NIEHS in Durham on February 23.
New co-author publication: "Prenatal exposure to unconventional oil and gas operation chemical mixtures altered mammary gland development in adult female mice" was published in Endocrinology.
Associated press coverage: Environmental Health News