Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology
Sidebar
About
Our research studies how environmental and occupational exposures to chemicals cause cancer. Our work includes laboratory-based mechanistic investigations using fundamental and state-of-the-art cellular and molecular toxicology tools and Omics, combined with ship-and-shore-based work at field sites. We focus on metal-induced chromosome instability as a driving mechanism in cancer. Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is our primary chemical of interest because Cr(VI) causes human lung cancer, and exposure to it is widespread in both the workplace and the environment. However, we do study many different metals and metal forms including microparticles and nanoparticles. We also work with organic chemicals and microplastics and are very interested in organo-metal interactions. Our work considers mechanisms for DNA damage formation and repair inhibition, and effects on mitosis, chromosome segregation and chromosome architecture. We also consider epigenetic mechanisms. We work across levels of organization spanning from molecules to cells to animal models to tissues to populations. We contextualize our studies with a “One” environmental health philosophy. This perspective means, we consider human health, animal health, and ecosystem health to be intertwined and interdependent, such that there is only “one” health. Thus, we compare outcomes in humans, whales, alligators and sea turtles to better understand health.
Click here to view John Wise, Sr. Profile
Click here to view The Wise Laboratory webpage
Key Research Areas
- Cancer – how do chemicals cause a normal cell to become a tumor cell?
- DNA Repair – how do chemicals inhibit repair?
- Mitosis – how do chemicals disrupt mitosis?
- Chromosome Segregation – how do chemicals interfere with chromosome separation?
- Chromosome Architecture – how do chemicals disrupt chromosome structure?
- Chromosome Instability – how do chemicals destabilize the genome?
- Stem Cells – how do chemicals impact stem cells?
- Wildlife – how do chemicals impact whales, sea turtles and alligators?
- Organ Cross Talk – how do chemicals disrupt organ crosstalk?
- Cell-Cell Communication – how do chemicals alter cell-to-cell communication?
Current Projects
- Metal-Induced Chromosome Instability in Lung Cancer
- Metal-Induced Impacts on Homologous Recombination Repair
- Metal-Induced Impacts on Mismatch Repair
- Metal-Induced Genomic Instability
- Metal-Induced Stem Cell Reprogramming
- Genotoxic Effects of Microplastics in Human and Wildlife Cells
- Metal Impacts on the Lung-Liver Axis
- Metal Impacts on the Lung-Brain Axis
- Novel Adaptations in Aquatic Species to Evade Cancer
Team
- Sandra Diven, Assistant Professor, sandra.diven@louisville.edu
- Haiyan Lu, Research Associate, haiyan.lu@louisville.edu
- Idoia Meaza, Postdoctoral Fellow, idoia.isusi@louisville.edu
- Olusegun Ogunsuyi, Postdoctoral Fellow, olusegun.ogunsuyi@louisville.edu
- Jack Easley, Graduate Student, john.easley@louisville.edu
- Nicolli Butzke de Souza, Graduate Student, nicolli.butzkedesouza@louisville.edu