Christopher D. Kassotis, Ph.D.

christopher.kassotis@wayne.edu                         Current CV

Dr. Chris Kassotis is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Department of Pharmacology. Chris completed his Ph.D. in Endocrinology at the University of Missouri, where he worked to characterize the endocrine disrupting chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and potential impacts on human/animal health. After graduation, Chris completed a postdoc in Environmental Toxicology at Duke University. His overall interest is in characterizing the role of chemical mixtures (and novel endocrine disruptors) on human health outcomes through a range of research grants and projects.

In his free time, Chris enjoys running, hiking with his retriever mix Lanie, and making wine/baked goods at home.

Yu-Ting (Tiffany) Chiang

Tiffany Chiang is a Research Assistant in the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at Wayne State University. She graduated from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with a B.S. in Biology, Health, and Society in 2020. As an undergraduate researcher she conducted experiments to test the survivability of bacteria with the presence and absence of ampicillin resistant genes. Currently Tiffany is interested in how unregulated chemicals in consumer products can affect human health.

Outside of the lab, Tiffany enjoys traveling, hiking, rock climbing, playing piano, and making ceramics.

Samantha Heldman

Samantha Heldman is a second year graduate student in the Pharmacology Ph.D. program who recently joined the Kassotis Lab following her rotation. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Life Science Teacher Certification at Texas A&M University. She's currently continuing her rotation project, investigating the endocrine disrupting potential of liquid crystal monomers released by liquid crystal display (LCD) devices. While she still plans to teach, Samantha hopes a career in environmental toxicology research will seamlessly incorporate her passions for education, scientific inquiry, and environmental advocacy. 

In her free time, Samantha enjoys rock climbing, dance, volunteering at the Detroit Zoo, and getting lost in the woods taking pictures for iNaturalist.

Matthew LeFauve, Ph.D.

Dr. Matthew LeFauve is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at Wayne State University. He completed his PhD in Biological Sciences from the George Washington University, where he worked to assess social behavior and neuroanatomy in invasive fishes. Matt completed his MS in Biology at American University where he worked to characterize developmental impacts after heavy metal exposures in zebrafish. Matt’s overall interest is in determining how developmental exposure to endocrine disruptors impact health and metabolism across development and later in life. 

When he’s not in the lab, Matt enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and playing the French horn.  

Personal Website: matthewklefauve.weebly.com

Roxanne Bérubé, Ph.D.

Dr. Roxanne Bérubé is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at Wayne State University. She completed her PhD at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, in Québec city, Canada. Her work aimed to evaluate the toxicity of conventional and unconventional oils on freshwater fish. Her MSc was completed at Laval University, where she worked on the accumulation and persistence of UVB-induced DNA damage in the human skin. She is interested in assessing the effects of various contaminants (oils, pesticides, endocrines disruptors) during early development and on cellular division and differentiation.

Outside of the lab, Roxanne is practicing or teaching yoga. She also loves dancing, reading, drawing or soap making!

We're recruiting new members!

We have space available for PhD and/or MS student rotations, so shoot me a message to set one of these up! 
Right now we are not recruiting additional Research Assistants and/or postdocs, but I encourage potential postdocs to email me early and we can talk about funding and whether I will have room in the group for you!

Reach out if you're interested in joining!