Dr. Carla Ng

Dr. Carla Ng is an Associate Professor and Fulton C. Noss Faculty Fellow in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, with secondary appointments in Environmental and Occupational Health and in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. She received her PhD in Chemical & Biological Engineering from Northwestern University. Her research focuses on the development of computational and in vitro approaches to evaluate the fate and effects of legacy and emerging chemicals in organisms and ecosystems, with a particular focus on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 

Using molecular interactions to screen PFAS for bioaccumulation potential: opportunities and challenges from in vitro and in silico approaches.

Abstract:

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread in the environment as a consequence of their diverse industrial and consumer uses, high environmental persistence, and mobility. Recognition of the bioaccumulation potential and multiple adverse health impacts associated with some PFAS has led to global concern, particularly given the relative irreversibility of contamination by highly persistent substances. Yet the majority of PFAS present in commerce and in the environment have never been thoroughly evaluated for their ability to accumulate in and disrupt biological systems. In this talk, I will discuss complementary efforts in my research group to characterize how PFAS interactions with cellular and tissue components, and how these interactions can be translated into implications for bioaccumulation and, potentially, toxic effects. Challenges of scaling from isolated molecular components to complex and interacting physiological systems will be highlighted.