TOXICOLOGY - LISA COREY
Lisa Corey received her master’s degree in Toxicology at UW and stayed on for the PhD program. Two years into that program, she is researching the cardiovascular effects of particulate air pollution.
Epidemiologic research shows that when ambient particulate air pollution levels rise, so do instances of cardiovascular effects and death. Diesel exhaust is the largest contributor to urban ambient air pollution. "It would be nice to figure out why there are cardiovascular changes associated with increases in particulate matter, because at that point we could potentially prevent them," she says.
In the department’s controlled exposure laboratory, she works with specially bred mice that lack a gene known as Apolipoprotein E. This causes them to form advanced atherosclerotic plaques similar to those of humans. Apolipoprotein E is a carrier for cholesterol in the blood, says Professor Dan Luchtel, Corey’s adviser. "If you don’t have the ApoE molecule, cholesterol builds up in blood vessel walls, leading to atherosclerosis," he says. People carry three versions of this gene, and genotype is associated with a variety of health effects.
Like much of the department’s toxicology research, this study looks at the gene-environment interaction in disease. Corey measures several endpoints, including pathological changes in plaque formation and plaque stability, and markers of inflammation in the blood and lungs.
Animal models such as mice can help us understand human disease in several ways. Mice were one of the fi rst animals to have their genome sequenced Corey says, and many researchers use ApoE-/- mice in air pollution research, which aids in comparing study results. "It's nice to think what you’re contributing to the field could eventually lead to fewer people dying," she says.