Our Research

We are developing novel DNA adductomics approaches to characterize critical driver DNA modifications in the lung DNA of smokers to understand the precise molecular mechanisms of tobacco-induced lung carcinogenesis.

Acetaldehyde derived from alcohol consumption plays a key role in alcohol carcinogenesis. Particularly for cancers of the head and neck.

We found that alcohol-derived acetaldehyde generates multiple DNA modifications in people who drink alcohol and we are developing methods to use these modifications as markers to identify individuals who may be at higher risk for these type of cancers.

Patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy experience dramatic differences in outcomes and side effects. 

We are using DNA modifications resulting from chemotherapy drugs to support approaches that can be used to optimize treatment selection for patients and better define the therapy outcome.

Chemotherapy is becoming more common as a treatment for dogs with cancer.

Dogs treated with these drugs may carry an unknown exposure to family members outside of the clinic. We are investigating the secondary exposure that treated dogs may represent for their households to support protocols for effective decontamination and reduction of risk of secondary exposure for pet owner. 

The gut bacteria toxin colibactin is associated with DNA damage and colorectal cancer-risk.

In collaboration with the Balskus lab at Harvard, we are developing methods to  monitor colibactin-DNA damage as a marker for early detection of colorectal cancer.

Unraveling the mechanisms by which chemical exposures affect human health is important in developing effective strategies for disease prevention.

We are developing multi- “omics” methods to characterize changes in cellular targets such as DNA, RNA, and proteins to understand the mechanisms through which chemical exposures lead to disease.

The long-term health effects of e-cigarette use in humans are unknown.

We are characterizing the toxicants and DNA damage in the oral cavity of e-cigarette users to understand the molecular mechanisms by which this lifestyle habit may increase cancer risk.

These patients have a 500-fold increase risk of developing oral cancer.

We are evaluating toxic aldehydes as risk factors for oral cancer in these patients to support the development of preventive strategies.

This project is supported by Kidz1stFund.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) are persistent, toxic pollutants linked to oil and natural gas drilling activity in the North Sea. This contamination threatens the marine ecosystem and human health with implications on food safety and quality.  In collaboration with the Pampanin Lab at the University of Stavanger, we are developing methods to identify PAH-derived DNA adducts as biomarkers for cod exposure to crude oil. Effective biomonitoring methods are crucial for the protection of any environment surrounding offshore drilling activity and operations.

Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) nanoparticles used as materials for cathodes in lithium-ion batteries are becoming ubiquitous in the environment. Understanding their molecular mechanisms of toxicity is critical for environmental and human health as well as for informing sustainable development. 

We are investigating the use of DNA adducts as biomarkers of nano-NMC induced DNA damage to be used in the risk assessment of nano-NMC exposures and to support the development of effective biomonitoring methods for these nanomaterials. 

We are developing novel software solutions for fast and reproducible automated deconvolution of complex chemical spectra resulting from the analysis of DNA modifications using high-resolution mass spectrometry methods based on multiple MSn fragmentation scans. for the fast and reproducible detection of DNA modifications.

This project is in collaboration with the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program of the UMN

Access to human biospecimens is crucial for researchers to understand how various exposures contribute to disease.

We are creating a biorepository to provide these essential samples by conducting clinical trials and studies that collect biospecimens from individuals experiencing specific exposures (i.e. - vaping, smoking, alcohol).