Wahlang Lab

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Banrida Wahlang

Banrida Wahlang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Louisville, School of Medicine. Dr. Wahlang specializes in environmental health research; her current work focuses on understanding how environmental toxicants such as persistent organic pollutants, popularly known as ‘forever chemicals’, impact human metabolic health.

Dr. Wahlang is an NIH Early-Stage Investigator and was formerly a University of Kentucky and University of Louisville Superfund Research Program trainee and an NRSA postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Wahlang’s research interests and goals also include women’s environmental health, sex and gender studies in environmental toxicology, socio-cultural determinants of health and community science, and sex-specific intervention strategies for combating pollution effects on human health.

Dr. Wahlang is also a member of the Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences, University of Louisville Superfund Research Center, and Hepatobiology & Toxicology COBRE.

Key Research Areas

The Wahlang Lab studies how environmental pollution impact our overall metabolic health. Our research focuses on identifying sex-dependent mechanisms that drive metabolic disease outcomes with chemical exposures and investigating potential intervention strategies to combat the harmful effects of environmental toxicants.

The Wahlang Lab adopts a translational research approach and incorporates both human epidemiological studies and basic toxicological experiments to conduct scientific studies and achieve their research objectives and goals. Areas of research interests include:

  • Sex and Gender in Environmental Toxicology
  • Women’s Health Research
  • Volatile Organic Compounds and Liver Injury
  • Persistent Organic Pollutants as Metabolic and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
  • Multi-organ Toxicity including the Endocrine-Gut-Liver axis and Adipose-Liver Axis
  • Environmental Health Disparities
  • Military Exposures and Health Outcomes

Current Funding

Previous Funding

Our Work

  • Congratulations to Gavin Phillips for winning the Poster Presentation at the 2024 Summer Research Symposium at UofL.
  • Wahlang Lab at the 2024 OVSOT Summer Meeting - Esther Bolatimi won Best Speed Talk in the PhD category and Gavin Phillips won Best Speed Talk in the Undergraduate Category!
  • Congratulations to Esther Bolatimi for winning Best Poster - Masters Student at the 2023 CIEHS Symposium Held at UofL.
  • Bana Luulay has been accepted to the 2023 Tox MSDT Program and will be visiting UC-Davis for skills development in toxicology https://toxmsdt.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/
  • Banrida Wahlang was featured in the Journal of Endocrinology ‘Rising Stars’ Collection
  • Bana Luulay won 3rd Place for the 2022 NCI Cancer Education Program Norbert J. Burzynski Award
  • Banrida Wahlang was selected for a platform talk at the AASLD Liver Meeting 2022
  • Zayna Qaissi won the Society of Toxicology Undergraduate Research Award and presented her undergraduate research on sex differences with PCB exposures and cancer endpoints at the SOT Annual Meeting 2022 in San Diego
  • Banrida Wahlang was featured in the SRP Trainee Spotlight June 2022 Issue
  • Check out Dr. Wahlang's interview on Forever Chemicals HERE

Selected publications from the Wahlang Lab:

  1. Wahlang B. RISING STARS: Sex differences in toxicant-associated fatty liver disease. J Endocrinol. 2023 Jun 16;258(1):e220247. doi: 10.1530/JOE-22-0247. PMID: 37074385.
  2. Wahlang B, Gao H, Rai SN, Keith RJ, McClain CJ, Srivastava S, Cave MC, Bhatnagar A. Associations between residential volatile organic compound exposures and liver injury markers: The role of biological sex and race. Environ Res. 2023 Mar 15;221:115228. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115228. Epub 2023 Jan 4. PMID: 36610539; PMCID: PMC9957966.
  3. Wahlang B, Appana S, Falkner KC, McClain CJ, Brock G, Cave MC. Insecticide and metal exposures are associated with a surrogate biomarker for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020 Feb;27(6):6476-6487. doi:10.1007/s11356-019-07066-x. Epub 2019 Dec 23. PMID: 31873887; PMCID: PMC7047555.
  4. Wahlang B, Hardesty JE, Head KZ, Jin J, Falkner KC, Prough RA, Cave MC, Beier JI. Hepatic Injury Caused by the Environmental Toxicant Vinyl Chloride is Sex-Dependent in Mice. Toxicol Sci. 2020 Mar 1;174(1):79-91. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfz236. PMID: 31774537; PMCID: PMC7043220.
  5. Wahlang B, Jin J, Hardesty JE, Head KZ, Shi H, Falkner KC, Prough RA, Klinge CM, Cave MC. Identifying sex differences arising from polychlorinated biphenyl exposures in toxicant-associated liver disease. Food Chem Toxicol. 2019 Jul;129:64-76. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2019.04.007. Epub 2019 Apr 23. PMID: 31026535; PMCID: PMC6555661.
  6. Bassler J, Ducatman A, Elliott M, Wen S, Wahlang B, Barnett J, Cave MC. Environmental perfluoroalkyl acid exposures are associated with liver disease characterized by apoptosis and altered serum adipocytokines. Environ Pollut. 2019 Apr;247:1055-1063. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.01.064. Epub 2019 Jan 18.PMID: 30823334; PMCID: PMC6404528.
  7. Wahlang B. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants: impact on women's health. Rev Environ Health. 2018 Dec 19;33(4):331-348. doi:10.1515/reveh-2018-0018. PMID: 30110273.
  8. Wahlang B, Barney J, Thompson B, Wang C, Hamad OM, Hoffman JB, Petriello MC, Morris AJ, Hennig B. Editor's Highlight: PCB126 Exposure Increases Risk for Peripheral Vascular Diseases in a Liver Injury Mouse Model. Toxicol Sci. 2017 Dec 1;160(2):256-267. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfx180. PMID: 28973532; PMCID:PMC5837513.

A full list of Dr. Wahlang’s publications is available HERE

  • Banrida Wahlang, PI, banrida.wahlang@louisville.edu, Banrida Wahlang is a trained liver toxicologist and environmental scientist. She is passionate about using her research to improve quality of life, raise awareness on environmental issues and injustices, and creating a healthier world for our future generations. Banrida is also a strong advocate for women in science and in supporting gender and racial equity and diversity in STEM leadership.
  • Yuan Hua, Research Staff, yuan.hua@louisville.edu, Yuan Hua is a senior research technologist in the Wahlang Lab. She has over 12 years of experience working with animals including mice breeding, genotyping, fecal transfer; and molecular biology techniques (quantitative RT-PCRs, ELISAs, Western Blot, Histology). Yuan is also an excellent ping-pong player and loves to garden.
  • Oluwanifemi Esther Bolatimi, Graduate Student, oluwanifemiesther.bolatimi@louisville.edu, Esther Bolatimi is a rising third year graduate student in the Wahlang Lab. Her research interests include understanding how mechanistic abnormalities in biochemical processes alter health outcome, with the hope of identifying therapeutic targets and strategies for improved global health. Outside the lab, Esther enjoys trying out diverse cultural cuisines and reading light-hearted novels.
  • Zayna Qaissi, Medical Student, zayna.qaissi@louisville.edu, Zayna Qaissi is a medical student at the University of Louisville, School of Medicine. She previously completed her thesis under the mentorship of Dr. Wahlang and is currently working as a SRSP participant in the lab. She is passionate about advocacy, health equity, and clinical research. In her free time, Zayna loves to explore coffee shops, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
  • Gavin Phillips, Undergraduate Student, gavin.phillips@louisville.edu, Gavin Phillips is a senior Biology major at the University of Louisville, studying molecular biology with interest in genetics, gut microbiota, and toxicology. In spare time, Gavin likes beekeeping!

Former Students

  • Shikshita Singh, Summer/Undergraduate Student, Shikshita Singh was an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa, working as a summer student in the Wahlang Lab. She has experience in molecular biology techniques and a passion for sex-dependent studies. Shikshita is now pursuing her DO degree at Utah.
  • Marissa Johns, Summer/Undergraduate Student, Marissa is an undergraduate student at the University of Louisville. She has a passion for clinical research and advocacy (specifically in health equity). In her free time, Marissa loves to travel and go on nature walks with her puppy.
  • Bana Luulay, Undergraduate Student, Bana completed her UofL NCI R25 Cancer Education Program project at the Wahlang Lab and continues to be involved in the group's research projects. A fun fact about Bana - she is fluent in four languages.

 

Dr. Banrida Wahlang, Oluwanifemi Esther Bolatimi, and Dr. Yuan Hua collaborate in a laboratory at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. The three researchers, all dressed in white lab coats, are engaged in a discussion while reviewing data on a computer. Esther holds a microplate and wears blue lab gloves, while Dr. Hua takes notes on a notepad. Their teamwork and focus reflect a shared commitment to advancing environmental health sciences research.
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505 South Hancock Street, CTRB, 5th floor

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