Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program in Molecular & Translational Toxicology

James D. Yager, PhD
jyager@jhsph.edu
410-955-3348

Admissions Information:
Nina Kulacki, Academic Programs Manager
nkulacki@jhsph.edu or 410-955-2212

"The dose makes the poison."
"Toxicology is part of the solution." 

about the program

Molecular & Translational Toxicology is a scientific discipline where the basic principles of chemistry, molecular and cell biology, and physiology are utilized to investigate the adverse effects of environmental chemical, physical and biological agents on human health.

The unique aspect of our Program is that it is based in a department of environmental health sciences in the largest school of public health in the world, and has a focus on elucidating mechanisms of disease pathophysiology and prevention employing laboratory-based studies and clinical and population-based trials.

The application of knowledge gained from laboratory-based mechanistic studies on the adverse human health effects of environmental agents can be applied to approaches for prevention of disease, identification of susceptibility factors, identification and use of biomarkers, identification of the biologically effective dose of a chemical and enhanced understanding of the molecular, cellular, biochemical, pathobiological and physiological changes that represent early stages of disease processes and progression.

program research

Program faculty and their doctoral students conduct mechanistic and translational research on the causes of breast, liver, lung and prostate cancer, inflammatory processes in cardiomyopathy, signal pathway disruption in cardiac hypertrophy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), autoimmunity, neurodevelopmental disorders and identification of “pathways of toxicity.” The mechanisms being investigated include DNA damage, epigenetic changes including changes in DNA methylation and histone/chromatin modification, protein acetylation and ubiquitination, reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunction, alterations in Nrf2-regulation of gene expression, microRNA control of protein translation and polyamine metabolism.

The research laboratories and core facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation, facilitating investigation from biochemical and molecular studies to animal models and clinical sample analyses. Faculty and students take advantage of advances in the fields of genomics, epigenomics, epigenetics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics and in vivo imaging in their research.

Faculty and doctoral students are also engaged in clinical and population-based trials using mechanism-based chemopreventive interventions with effectiveness determined through biomarker analysis. These include studies on chemoprevention of aflatoxin-induced liver cancer in China, immunomodulation and prevention of COPD and chemoprevention of breast cancer.

For details on Molecular & Translational Toxicology faculty research, click here. 

ALUMNI EXPERIENCE

Graduates of this Program pursue careers in academic, government, not-for-profit, and private sector institutions. These include: research, teaching, public service, product safety evaluation, regulatory affairs and such specialty areas as; chemical carcinogenesis, reproductive and developmental immunotoxicology, inhalation toxicology, and risk management.