Dr. Richfield's primary research interest is the pathophysiology of Parkinson's Disease. This disease is considered a complex trait and the result of genetic background, life-long exposures, diet and lifestyle. Animal models are used to understand the many risk factors that have been implicated in the human condition. Current interests include exploring the role of the gene a-synuclein in mouse models. This gene is implicated in the human disease based on a variety of lines of information. However, the mechanism for contributing to disease is not yet known. Transgenic mice are used in combination with other risk factors including age, gender, and exposures to understand how these various factors interact to result in neuron death. Dr. Richfield is also interested in studying the mechanism of other neurotoxicants including pesticides and other natural products.

Dr. Richfield also studies the role of genetic background and risk modifying genes in relationship to the nigrostriatal system which is involved in Parkinson's Disease and in their contribution to vulnerability to neurotoxicants. This work involves using different strains of mice including inbred, hybrid, and congenic mice to identify biological and genetic contributions to risk.

Dr. Richfield also directs the Molecular Histology Center based at EOHSI which serves as a resource for performing a variety of tissue-section based assays. Most of these assays are used both in his research and as a service for investigators at both UMDNJ, Rutgers, and other academic and industrial institutions.

	Risk factors for dopaminergic neuron loss in human alpha-synuclein transgenic mice. Thiruchelvam MJ, Powers JM, Cory-Slechta DA, Richfield EK. Eur J Neurosci. 2004 Feb;19(4):845-54.
	Behavioral sensitization and long-term neurochemical alterations associated with the fungicide triadimefon. Reeves R, Thiruchelvam M, Richfield EK, Cory-Slechta DA. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003 Sep;76(2):315-26.
	Age-related irreversible progressive nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity in the paraquat and maneb model of the Parkinson's disease phenotype. Thiruchelvam M, McCormack A, Richfield EK, Baggs RB, Tank AW, Di Monte DA, Cory-Slechta DA. Eur J Neurosci. 2003 Aug;18(3):589-600.
	Increased synaptosomal dopamine content and brain concentration of paraquat produced by selective dithiocarbamates. Barlow BK, Thiruchelvam MJ, Bennice L, Cory-Slechta DA, Ballatori N, Richfield EK. J Neurochem. 2003 May;85(4):1075-86.