Craig J Burd PhD

Asst. ProfessorCollege of Arts and Sciencesburd.7@osu.edu

590 BRT 460 W 12th Avenue Columbus OH 43210

Phone:614-688-7458Fax: 614-292-4466

Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention

General Research Interest

The understanding of molecular mechanisms by which environmental agents can influence hormonal signaling and tumorigenesis.

Research Description

A large number of man-made and naturally occurring environmental compounds, termed endocrine disruptors, have demonstrated the ability to bind and activate the estrogen receptor. Estrogen signaling is critical to wide variety of physiological processes, and unfortunately its activity is also associated with cancers of the breast and female reproductive tract. A particular danger is early life exposure to these endocrine disrupting compounds. Exposure in utero or neonatally is linked to an assortment of diseases including the previously mentioned cancers. I am currently looking at the molecular regulation of estrogen receptor signaling when activated by these compounds. The goal is to define which properties of these compounds are potentially harmful and identify the specific pathways which may lead oncogenesis. My lab has a particular interest in epigenetic mechanisms in which chromatin structure and function is permanently altered by these environmental exposures.