EDUCATION Ph.D. 1997 Molecular Toxicology/Oncology New York University
M.S. 1994 Molecular Toxicology New York University
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE July, 2011-present
Associate Professor
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
College of Pharmacy
University of Arizona
Research Field: The Nrf2/Keap1 Signaling pathway
September, 2005-June, 2011
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
College of Pharmacy
University of Arizona
Research Field: The Nrf2/Keap1 Signaling pathway
September, 1999-August, 2005
Research Assistant Professor
Biochemistry Department, University of Missouri-Columbia
Research Field: The Nrf2/Keap1 Signaling pathway
The NFkB/IkB Signaling pathway
January, 1999-August, 1999
Lecturer
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Rolla
Courses taught: General Biology (BioSc. 110) and Virology (BioSc 391)
May, 1997-December, 1998
Postdoctoral Fellow
DuPont-Haskell Laboratories, Inhalation Toxicology, Newark, DE
Research Field: Crystalline Silica Induced Apoptosis in the Lungs of Exposed Rats
Supervisor: Dr. David B. Warheit
September, 1994-May, 1997
Graduate Research Associate
Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University Medical Center
Dissertation: Identification and Characterization of a Novel Gene Specifically Induced by Ni2+
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Max Costa
January, 1992 – September, 1994
Graduate Research Associate
Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University Medical Center
Master’s Thesis: Atherogenicity of Environmental Tobacco Smoke:
Molecular Mechanism of Human Arteriosclerosis
Advisor: Dr. Arthur Penn
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Society of Toxicology (SOT)
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
OTHER EXPERIENCE 1996- Member, American Association for Cancer Research
1996- Member, Society of Toxicology
2007- Member, Career Resource and Development (CRAD) Committee of Society of Toxicology
2009-2011 President, Mountain West Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology
2009- Ad hoc member, NIH Review Committee: Chemo/Dietary Prevention Study Section
2009- Editorial Board, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
2010 “Nrf2-Keap1” forum editor, Antioxidants & Redox Signaling
2010 NSF Panel Review: Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Division
2010 Chair, the session “Cellular & Molecular Responses to BRIs” at the Biological Reactive Intermediates VIII, Barcelona, Spain.
2011 Chair of the symposium “New insights into the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway and its impact on human disease” at the 50th Anniversary of Society of Toxicology annual meeting, Washington, D. C., 2011.
HONORS AND AWARDS 1999: Young Investigator Award from DuPont
2006: NIH/NIEHS Outstanding New Enviromental Health Scientist Award
PATENTS
1997 Homo Sapiens NIS (Cap 43) Gene, GenBank Accession # AF004162 (also called DRg1/Ndeg1/Rit42)
TEACHING Cell communications and signal transduction* (PCOL630B)
*Course Coordinator
Case studies in Biochemical Pharmacology (PCOL820)
Pharmacy (PCOL871A)
Pharmacy (PCOL871b)
Advanced Toxicology (PCOL596C)
RESEARCH SUPPORT Grants Funded R01 ES015010-05 (PI: Donna D. Zhang) 9/1/2006 – 8/31/2012
NIH/NIEHS $1,625,000
The protective role of Nrf2 in arsenic-induced toxicity and carcinogenicity
The major goals of this project are to define the protection of the transcription factor Nrf2 against arsenic-induced toxicity and carcinogenicity
#RSG-07-154-01-CNE (PI: Donna D. Zhang) 7/1/2007-6/31/2012
American Cancer Society $600,000
Regulation of the transcription factor Nrf2 by chemopreventive compounds
The major goals of this project are to define the mechanism of Nrf2 regulation in response to the treatment of chemopreventive compounds
SWEHSC pilot research grant ES06694 (PIs: Donna D. Zhang and George Wondrak) 2006
$40,000
Topical Nrf2-activators for skin photoprotection and chemoprevention of skin cancer