FACULTY

Lucio G. Costa, PharmD

Professor, Env. and Occ. Health Sciences

The general area of research in Dr. Costa's laboratory is neurotoxicology. Neurotoxic substances may play a role in a number of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders and exposure to neurotoxicants may cause long-term changes in the nervous system. Dr. Costa's laboratory is interested in the study of the cellular, biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in neurotoxicity, utilizing in vivo, in vitro and cell culture systems, as well as biochemical, molecular and imaging techniques.

Contact Information

Box 354695
Suite 100
4225 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98195
Tel: 206-543-2831
lgcosta@u.washington.edu

Research Interests

Neurotoxicology, signal-transduction systems in developmental neurotoxicity, molecular mechanisms of neurotoxicity, biochemical markers of neurotoxicity, childrens health, food additives and contaminants, genetic susceptibility, in vitro toxicology, pesticides and children, alcohol, developmental neurotoxicity, toxicology of polybrominated flame retardants

Education

PharmD, Pharmacology, University of Milan (Italy) 1977

Projects

Study of the molecular mechanisms of the interaction of neurotoxicants with signal transduction systems in the developing brain. This project currently explores the developmental neurotoxicity of alcohol and is focusing on the study of mechanisms involved in ethanol's effects in astrocytes.

Study of genetic biomarkers of neurotoxicity. Two projects investigate the polymorphism of monoamine oxidase B in Parkinson's disease (in collaboration with H. Checkoway) and that of paraoxonase as a risk factor for increased sensitivity to organophosphate toxicity (in collaboration with C. Furlong).

Study of the mechanisms of developmental neurotoxicity of organophosphorus insecticides in cultured neuronal and glial cells.

Study of the role of oxidative stress in the developmental neurotoxicity of domoic acid.

Selected Publications

Bibliography

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