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.

Brooklynn Murray

Brooklynn Murray is a Research Assistant in the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at Wayne State University. She graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Physiology. During her undergraduate years she studied reward seeking pathways in the brain as well as pancreatic islet formation. Brooklynn is interested in understanding how consumer chemicals affect our endocrine system. 
​
Brooklynn enjoys going to the gym and spending time with her family and friends outside of the lab.

Samantha Heldman

Samantha Heldman is a third year graduate student in the Pharmacology Ph.D. program. 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!

Kyle Siegel

Kyle Siegel is working towards a PhD in Wayne State University SOM’s Department of Pharmacology. He completed a BS in Biology at The College of New Jersey, researching the physiological effects of climate change on acorn barnacles. Following ~2 years as a PhD student/frog boy in developmental biology at Northwestern University, Kyle joined a Chicago-based contract research organization specializing in cardiovascular pharmacology and toxicology. He’s mostly interested in how endocrine disrupting chemicals affect heart development and function, with some undercurrents of EDC-dysregulated metabolism and hormone receptor evolution.
 
Outside of science places, Kyle can usually be found distance running, cooking + baking, and playing an electric guitar unplugged.

Jake Holloway

Jake Holloway is currently in his senior year of Undergrad at Wayne State, majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Public Health. He has recently applied to medical school and is waiting for responses. His research interest is in environmental toxins. He is working on an honors thesis on fracking and its effects on liver and adipose tissues. 

​In his free time, Jake enjoys hiking, playing hockey, and playing tennis.

​Aicha Khalaf

Aicha Khalaf is currently an undergraduate student at Wayne State University in her final year, majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Nutrition and Food Science. She is an undergraduate researcher for the Kassotis lab, with interests in human health and neurology. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine as a psychiatrist, with a specific interest of furthering her interest in research with study of the effect’s of psilocybin on the human brain.  
​
Outside of the lab, Aicha enjoys weight training, travelling, and spending time with her fur babies.

Laboratory Alumni

Destiny Johnson - Undergraduate Researcher; graduated 12/2021

Yu-Ting (Tiffany) Chiang - Research Assistant; Master of Nursing program at Emory University, starting 8/2022

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! 
We also have room for undergraduate researchers!

​Right now we are not recruiting additional 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!