Major Research Domains

Research Affiliates

Core Services
  Behavioral
  Science Core

  Genetics Core

  Infant Primate
  Research
  Laboratory

  Instrument
  Development
  Laboratory

  Neuroscience Core

Research Emphasis Area on Developmental Toxicology

Coordinator: Thomas Burbacher, Ph.D.

Exposure to environmental chemicals and therapeutic drugs during pregnancy and during childhood can have serious consequences on growth and development. Infants and children are more susceptible to chemically-induced injury than adults because of the complex stages of central nervous system development that are ongoing in the developing organism but not in the adult. Chemical exposures in early life can result in a continuum of effects that range from frank birth defects to more subtle changes in learning and memory. Although there are important exceptions, most injuries from early chemical exposure target the developing brain, making it difficult to fully understand the impact of exposure over time. The issue of early chemical exposure and brain development is an emerging theme in contemporary pediatric health research, is an active research interest at the CHDD, and is the focus of this REA.

The goals of the Research Emphasis Area in Developmental Toxicology are:

To enhance our understanding of the mechanisms by which developmental toxicants impact the central nervous system during prenatal and postnatal growth.
To promote research that reveals the neurobehavioral effects associated with exposure to environmental chemicals and therapeutic drugs during pregnancy and childhood.
To develop processes for evaluating the risk of developmental toxicants and promote adequate policies to protect public health.
To educate physicians, other health care providers and the general public on the teratogenic potential of drugs and chemicals in an effort to prevent birth defects and developmental disabilities.

Investigators within the Developmental Toxicology REA are involved in research that reaches across species, including studies with human populations and a variety of animal models, to enhance a fundamental understanding of toxicants and their role in biological and behavioral development. Examples include the following: (1) On-going studies in human populations are designed to examine the environmental pathways associated with early pesticide exposure as well as the effects of early domoic acid exposure on motor and cognitive development in Native American populations; (2) Investigators from our REA are acting to direct the activities of the National Children’s Study sites in Washington and Oregon. The National Children’s Study was designed to study the effects of the environment on the health and behavioral development of 100,000 American children from birth to 21 years of age; (3) Landmark studies in developmental neurotoxicology have taken place using the nonhuman primate model at the Infant Primate Research Laboratory, a core facility of the CHDD. Compounds such as methylmercury, thimerosal, alcohol and methanol have been evaluated. Current studies are examining the effect of developmental antidepressant exposure on learning and memory in young monkeys; and (4) Experimental approaches in a rodent model include the manipulation of gene expression in transgenic mice, the use of in vitro systems and as well as genomic and proteomic methodologies. Our REA works closely with the REA on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

An important component of the Developmental Toxicology REA is the Teratogen Information System known as TERIS, based at the CHDD. TERIS is a computerized database that is designed to assist physicians or other healthcare professionals in assessing the risks of possible teratogenic exposures in pregnant women. While TERIS is a subscription-based database, Care Northwest is a phone-in teratogen service providing information on the effect of drugs, chemicals and other agents during pregnancy and lactation. This service is available in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington at no charge to clients. Care Northwest and TERIS work closely together to provide up-to-date summaries on the maternal and fetal risks associated with drug and chemical exposures to families and their healthcare providers.

Faculty Investigators

Thomas Burbacher, Ph.D., Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Lucio Costa, Ph.D., Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Michael Cunningham, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Elaine Faustman, Ph.D., Professor, Environmental Health
Clement Furlong, Ph.D., Research Professor, Medical Genetics
Ann Hing, M.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
David Jardine, M.D., Assistant Professor, Depts. of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics
Sandra Juul, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Raj Kapur, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pathology
Janine Polifka, Ph.D., Clinical lecturer, Pediatrics
Henk Roelink, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biological Structure
Joe Rutledge, M.D., Associate Professor, Laboratory Medicine
Danny Shen, Professor and Chair, Pharmaceutics
Zhengui Xia, Ph.D., Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences

University of Washington • Center on Human Development and Disability Box 357920 • Seattle WA 98195-7920 USA • 206-543-7701 •chdd@u.washington.edu