STUDENT: Heather Klintworth

Toxicology, PhD

Education

MS, Toxicology, University of Washington
BA, Zoology, University of Washington
BS, Cell & Molecular Biology, University of Washington
AAS Biology, Everett Community College

Advisor

Zhengui Xia

Research

Parkinson's disease is the second most common aging-related progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Despite intensive efforts, the exact etiology of Parkinson’s disease remains elusive. Currently, treatments for Parkinson’s disease only provide symptomatic relief and do not stop or slow the progression of disease. Heather’s research is aimed at determining apoptotic mechanisms that may play an important role in Parkinson’s disease. Using pesticides as Parkinson-model systems, she seeks to elucidate the role of MAPK and PI3-kinase pathways in dopaminergic cell death in vitro and in vivo. In addition, she is interested in identifying possible neuroprotective agents and the molecular mechanisms by which they offer protection. It is her hope that these types of studies may ultimately lead to the development of pharmacological interventions and clinical strategies for treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders. These studies may also provide insights concerning the relationships between environmental toxicants and the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders.