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Tara Sabo-Attwood, a molecular toxicologist in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, has received a TIP (Transition to Independent Position) Award from the National Institutes of Health.
The $320,000, three-year award will fund her research on lung fibrosis related to asbestos exposure. Sabo-Attwood is examining changes in genes of lung epithelial cells, which usually are the first to be affected by contaminants such as asbestos.
"I've been looking at how nanoparticles exacerbate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma and cause lung cancer and other respiratory diseases," Sabo-Attwood said. "If we can figure out how the genes are being affected by these small particles of contaminants, we could possibly halt the disease through gene therapy."
Sabo-Attwood also is studying the effects of endocrine-disrupting compounds in aquatic environments. Components of plastics, industrial surfactants, and pharmaceutical compounds that flush through sewer systems can adversely affect fish and other aquatic organisms. Sabo-Attwood's research is aimed at understanding what is happening in certain cells of largemouth bass and zebrafish when they are exposed to these compounds.
Sabo-Attwood earned her Ph.D. at the University of Florida and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Vermont.
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Tara Sabo-Attwood, environmental health sciences
