My research interests are in neurotoxicology, with focus in two areas. The first is to examine the developmental toxicology of chemicals which alter synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus as a means of probing possible mechanisms of autism. This project is being performed in collaboration with Drs. Reuhl , Zhou and Wagner. Funding to support this research is through the Child Health Center. A second area under investigation seeks to determine if neurotoxic injury of specific cell types in brain regions capable of life-long plasticity is capable of initiating responses of resident stem cells in the ependyma/subependyma. If activated, such cells could be the source of cells providing for replacement of those injured by the neurotoxic exposure.

	Weig, B., McBurney, M.C., Lowndes, H.E. and Reuhl, K.R. Response of ependymal cells to neurotoxic damage. The Toxicologist 66,209,2002
	Wilson, D.T., Polunas, M.A., Zhou, R., Lowndes, H.E. and Reuhl, K.R. Effects of methylmercury on EPH and ephrin proteins in embryonal carcinoma cell derived neurons. The Toxicologist 43, 126, 2004
	Polunas, M.A., Tjalkens, R.B., Philbert, M.A., Lowndes, H.E. and Reuhl, K.R. Neuronal differentiation state influences susceptibility to methylmercury-induced oxidative stress and to mitochondrial perturbations. 21st Internat Neurotoxicol Conf., Honolulu, HI, Feb, 2004, p 69