March 7, 2019 // Drugs and environmental chemical-induced developmental toxicity

Dr. Louise Winn, Dept of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University

​Drugs and environmental chemicals can harm the developing fetus by causing not only the commonly appreciated structural defects such as cleft lip, but also biochemical and functional abnormalities related to alterations in membranes as well as enzymes and other proteins. These compounds can also disrupt normal metabolic and endocrine signalling via epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and/or RNA-mediated silencing of genes through miRNA, resulting in negative health outcomes later-in-life.My research program aims to investigate mechanisms of in utero initiated developmental toxicity employing a combination of expertise in biochemical and morphological assessment of chemical toxicity, and molecular toxicological approaches. Our goal is to answer fundamental mechanistic questions about the biological effects of in utero exposures to drugs and environmental chemicals to inform exposure monitoring practices, policy and human health assessments.