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research overview
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I am a globally recognized leader in the fields of Oncology, Toxicology, and Environmental Epigenetics. With a career spanning over three decades and a continuous funding record from the VA, NIH, NSF, and DoD since 1992, my work focuses on the molecular mechanisms driving treatment-resistant cancers and the lasting biological impacts of environmental exposures.
Currently, I am a professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), and a VA BLR&D Research Career Scientist (IK6) at Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. I serve as the Corresponding Principal Investigator on a DoD/CDMRP partnership grant investigating the epigenetic "memory" of burn pit exposures in Veterans, and an NIH/NIEHS funded R01 studying sperm small RNA modifications as mediators of paternal inheritance. My laboratory bridges the gap between basic molecular discovery and translational precision medicine, utilizing high-resolution multi-omics to improve health outcomes for those who have served, as well as the general public.
Major Research Themes
1. Precision Oncology & Non-Canonical Signaling -My lab is a pioneer in defining the role of estrogen signaling in prostate cancer. We identified the testosterone-to-estrogen ratio as a critical risk factor and characterized the five isoforms of $ER\beta$ ($ESR2$). Our most recent breakthrough involves GPER1 (GPR30), a membrane-bound receptor we identified as a potent inhibitor of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).
2. Environmental Epigenetics & DOHaD - As a foundational contributor to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), I provided the first evidence that early-life exposure to endocrine disruptors (like BPA) causes life-long epigenetic reprogramming. This research helped shape national and international regulatory policies and continues today through our study of transgenerational health effects and small RNA modifications in reproductive toxicology.
3. The Stem Cell Theory of Cancer - We investigate epithelial stem cells as the "seeds" of malignancy. By studying early molecular and epigenetic "switches" in stem-progenitor cells, we aim to identify the earliest markers of transformation. We utilize single-cell analysis and long-read sequencing to dissect the molecular signatures of cancer stem-like subpopulations across disease stages.
4. Occupational Health & Biomarker Discovery - My research extends to high-risk occupations, identifying molecular "fingerprints" of toxicant exposure. From firefighting to military deployment, we utilize global metabolomics and DNA methylation profiling to develop personalized risk assessments for individuals exposed to airborne hazards and environmental pollutants.
Impact & Recognition
• Global Ranking: Recognized in the PLoS Biology World-wide Top 2% Author Ranking, placing 912th out of 230,678 researchers globally.
• Publication Record: Over 260 peer-reviewed publications with >27,000 citations, an h-index of 85, and an i10-index of 232.
• National Leadership: Served on the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council (NIEHS-NIH) and participated in over 130 NIH and 30 DoD/CDMRP study sections.
• Academic Leadership: Formerly Vice-Chair for Research at UAMS, Director of Cincinnati Cancer Center, Chairperson of the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Director of Translational Research in Urology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Associate Dean for Research and Continued Education at Tufts University.
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