Training Core (TC)

Environmental Science Training and Career Development Core


Summary of Core

The Environmental Science Training and Career Development Core will provide education, training, advancement, and career support to graduate and postdoctoral level trainees within the UC San Diego Superfund Center. Trainees with diverse backgrounds working within all six of the Research Projects and in the Cores will participate. The Training Core will advance the careers of trainees in the biological, chemical, and molecular sciences as they relate to environmental toxicology, with an emphasis in health, detection, and remediation. It will serve as a hub of interaction and cross-fertilization between the projects and other cores by involving trainees from each component of the Center. Opportunities will be provided for cross-disciplinary training in fields related to environmental health and environmental science/engineering. Trainees will present their research within and outside of the Center including at the Annual Superfund Meetings and in a wide variety of diverse settings. Individual Development Programs will be developed, discussed, reviewed, and updated. Trainees will participate in coursework, meetings, workshops, and conferences that promote professional development including grant writing, leadership, management, professional skills, and career planning. Training in responsible conduct of research and ethical practices in environmental sciences will be emphasized. Interactions with the Community Engagement and Research Translation Cores will broaden their experiences and include them in activities in the community and in translating their findings to practical applications. Interactions with previous trainees having success in diverse careers will expose trainees to a wide variety of career paths. Support will include funding for stipends, benefits, and tuition, travel funds for conferences, and events for advancing their careers. The impressive success of the Center over the past 15 years will be enhanced as a new a cadre of exceptional trainees is recruited, trained, and transitioned into mature environmental scientists in academia, industry and government.

 

Publications

PubMed Central ID: 
Weber, A. A., Mennillo, E., Yang, X., van der Schoor, L., Jonker, J. W., Chen, S., & Tukey, R. H. (2021). Regulation of Intestinal UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 by the Farnesoid X Receptor Agonist Obeticholic Acid Is Controlled by Constitutive Androstane Receptor through Intestinal Maturation. Drug metabolism and disposition: the biological fate of chemicals, 49(1), 12–19. https://doi.org/10.1124/dmd.120.000240
PubMedID: 33154041
PubMed Central ID: 
Todoric, J., Di Caro, G., Reibe, S., Henstridge, D. C., Green, C. R., Vrbanac, A., Ceteci, F., Conche, C., McNulty, R., Shalapour, S., Taniguchi, K., Meikle, P. J., Watrous, J. D., Moranchel, R., Najhawan, M., Jain, M., Liu, X., Kisseleva, T., Diaz-Meco, M. T., Moscat, J., … Karin, M. (2020). Fructose stimulated de novo lipogenesis is promoted by inflammation. Nature metabolism, 2(10), 1034–1045. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-020-0261-2
PubMedID: 32839596
PubMed Central ID: 
Nicholas, D. A., Knight, V. S., Tonsfeldt, K. J., Terasaka, T., Molinar-Inglis, O., Stephens, S., Trejo, J., Kauffman, A. S., Mellon, P. L., & Lawson, M. A. (2020). GLUT1-mediated glycolysis supports GnRH-induced secretion of luteinizing hormone from female gonadotropes. Scientific reports, 10(1), 13063. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69913-z
PubMedID: 32747664
PubMed Central ID: 
Mennillo, E., Yang, X., Paszek, M., Auwerx, J., Benner, C., & Chen, S. (2020). NCoR1 Protects Mice From Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis by Guarding Colonic Crypt Cells From Luminal Insult. Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology, 10(1), 133–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2020.01.014
PubMedID: 32044398
PubMed Central ID: 
Paszek, M., & Tukey, R. H. (2020). NRF2-Independent Regulation of Intestinal Constitutive Androstane Receptor by the Pro-Oxidants Cadmium and Isothiocyanate in hUGT1 Mice. Drug metabolism and disposition: the biological fate of chemicals, 48(1), 25–30. https://doi.org/10.1124/dmd.119.089508
PubMedID: 31704714
PubMed Central ID: 

Baglieri J, Brenner DA, Kisseleva T. (2019) The Role of Fibrosis and Liver-Associated Fibroblasts in the Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci. Apr 7; 20(7). pii: E1723. Review.  doi: 10.3390/ijms20071723

PubMedID: 30959975
PubMed Central ID: 

McNulty, R., Cardone, G., Gilcrease, E.B., Baker, T.S., Casjens, S.R., Johnson, J.E. (2018) Cryo-EM Elucidation of the Structure of Bacteriophage P22 Virions after Genome Release. Biophys J. 114(6):1295-1301. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.01.026.

PubMedID: 29590587
PubMed Central ID: 

Shalapour, S., Lin, X.J., Bastian, I.N., Brain, J., Burt, A.D., Aksenov, A.A., Vrbanac, A.F., Li, W., Perkins, A., Matsutani, T., Zhong, Z., Dhar, D., Navas-Molina, J.A., Xu, J., Loomba, R., Downes, M., Yu, R.T., Evans, R.M., Dorrestein, P.C., Knight, R., Benner, C., Anstee, Q.M., Karin, M. (2017). Inflammation-induced IgA+ cells dismantle anti-liver cancer immunity. Nature. 551, 340-345. doi: 10.1038/nature24302.

PubMedID: 29144460
PubMed Central ID: 

Fujiwara R., Yoda E., Tukey R.H. (2018) Species differences in drug glucuronidation: Humanized UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1 mice and their application for predicting drug glucuronidation and drug-induced toxicity in humans. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 33(1):9-16. doi: 10.1016/j.dmpk.2017.10.002. Epub 2017 Oct 7.

PubMedID: 29079228

Kauffman, A. S., Thackray, V. G., Ryan, G. E., Tolson, K. P., Glidewell-Kenney, C. A., Semaan, S. J., Poling, M. C., Iwata, N., Breen, K. M., Duleba, A. J., Stener-Victorin, E., Shimasaki, S., Webster, N. J., Mellon, P. L. (2015) A Novel Letrozole Model Recapitulates Both the Reproductive and Metabolic Phenotypes of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Female Mice. Biol Reprod. pii: biolreprod.115.131631.

PubMedID: 26203175
PubMed Central ID: 

Mendoza-Cózatl, D.G., Xie, Q., Akmakjian, G. Z., Jobe, T. O., Patel, A., Stacey, M. G., Song, L., Demoin, D. W., Jurisson, S. S., Stacey, G., Schroeder, J. I. (2014) OPT3 is a component of the iron-signaling network between leaves and roots and misregulation of OPT3 leads to an over-accumulation of cadmium in seeds. Mol Plant. 7(9), 1455-69.
doi: 10.1093/mp/ssu067

PubMedID: 24880337
PubMed Central ID: 

Witham, E. A., Meadows, J. D., Hoffmann, H. M., Shojaei, S., Coss, D., Kauffman, A. S., Mellon, P. L. (2013)  Kisspeptin regulates gonadotropin genes via immediate early gene induction in pituitary gonadotropes. Mol. Endocrinol27(8), 1283-94.

PubMedID: 23770611
PubMed Central ID: 

Witham, E. A., Meadows, J. D., Shojaei, S., Kauffman, A. S., Mellon, P. L. (2012) Prenatal exposure to low levels of androgen accelerates female puberty onset and reproductive senescence in mice. Endocrinology. 153(9), 4522-32.

PubMedID: 22778229
PubMed Central ID: 

Brayman, M. J., Pepa, P. A., Berdy, S. E., Mellon, P. L. (2012) Androgen receptor repression of GnRH gene transcription. Mol. Endocrinol. 26(1), 2-13.

PubMedID: 22074952
PubMed Central ID: 

Mendoza-Cózatl, D. G., Zhai, Z, Jobe, T. O., Akmakjian, G. Z., Song, W. Y., Limbo, O., Russell, M. R., Kozlovskyy, V. I., Martinoia, E., Vatamaniuk, O. K., Russell, P., Schroeder, J. I. (2010) Tonoplast-localized Abc2 transporter mediates phytochelatin accumulation in vacuoles and confers cadmium tolerance. J Biol Chem. 285(52), 40416-26. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.155408.

PubMedID: 20937798
PubMed Central ID: 
Comoletti, D., Miller, M. T., Jeffries, C. M., Wilson, J., Demeler, B., Taylor, P., Trewhella, J., Nakagawa, T. (2010) The macromolecular architecture of extracellular domain of alphaNRXN1: domain organization, flexibility, and insights into trans-synaptic disposition. Structure. 18(8), 1044-53. 
PubMedID: 20696403
PubMed Central ID: 

De Jaco, A., Lin, M. Z., Dubi, N., Comoletti, D., Miller, M. T., Camp, S., Ellisman, M., Butko, M. T., Tsien, R. Y., Taylor, P. (2010) Neuroligin trafficking deficiencies arising from mutations in the alpha/beta-hydrolase fold protein family. J Biol Chem. 285(37), 28674-82.

PubMedID: 20615874
PubMed Central ID: 

Park, E., Lee, J., Yu, G. Y., He, G., Ali, S., Holzer, R., Osterreicher, C., Takahashi, H., Karin, M. (2010) Dietary and genetic obesity promote liver inflammation and tumorigenesis by enhancing IL-6 and TNF expression. Cell. 140, 197-208. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2009.12.052.

PubMedID: 20141834

Nguyen, N., Bonzo, J.A., Chen, S., Chouinard, S., Kelner, M., Hardiman, G., Belanger, A., and Tukey, R.H. (2008) Disruption of the Ugt1 locus in mice resembles human Crigler-Najjar type I disease. J. Biol. Chem. 283. 7901-7911

PubMedID: 18180294
PubMed Central ID: 
 Fabrichny, I. P., Leone, P., Sulzenbacher, G., Comoletti, D., Miller, M. T., Taylor, P., Bourne, Y., Marchot, P. (2007) Structural analysis of the synaptic protein neuroligin and its beta-neurexin complex: determinants for folding and cell adhesion.
Neuron. 56(6), 979-91.
PubMedID: 18093521

Bonzo, J. A., Belanger, A., and Tukey, R. H. (2007) The role of chrysin and the Ah receptor in induction of the human UGT1A1 gene in vitro and in transgenic UGT1 mice. Hepatology. 45, 349-360.

PubMedID: 17256720

Senekeo-Effenberger, K., Chen, S., Yueh, M-F., Erace-Sinnokrak, E., Bonzo, J.A., Argikar, U., Kaeding, J., Trottier, T., Remmel, R.P., Ritter, J.K., Barbier, O., and Tukey, R.H. (2007) Expression of the human UGT1 locus in transgenic mice by 4-chloro-6-(2,3-xylidino)-2-pyrimidinylthioacetic acid (WY-14643) and implications on drug metabolism through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha activation. Drug Met. Disp. 35, 419-427.

PubMedID: 17151188
Gallagher, E., Enzler, T., Matsuzawa, A., Anzelon-Mills, A., Otero, D., Holzer, R., Janssen, E., Gao, M., Karin, M. (2007) Kinase MEKK1 is required for CD40-dependent activation of the kinases Jnk and p38, germinal center formation, B cell proliferation and antibody production. Nat. Immunol. 8(1), 57-63.

PubMedID: 17143273

Operaña, T. N., Nguyen, N., Chen, S., Beaton, D. and Tukey, R. H. (2007) Human CYP1A1GFP expression in transgenic mice serves as a biomarker for environmental toxicant exposure. Toxicol Sci. 95(1):98-107. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfl144.

PubMedID: 17065433
PubMed Central ID: 

Chen, A., Komives, E. A., Schroeder, J. I. (2006) An improved grafting technique for mature Arabidopsis plants demonstrates long-distance shoot-to-root transport of phytochelatins in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology. 141, 108-120. doi: 10.1104/pp.105.072637.

PubMedID: 16531489

Chen, S., Beaton, D., Nguyen, N., Senekeo-Effenberger, K., Brace-Sinnokrak, E., Argikar, U., Remmel, R. P., Trottier, J., Barbier, O., Ritter, J., Tukey, R. H. (2005) Tissue-specific, inducible, and hormonal control of the human UDP-glucuronosyltranserase-1 (UGT1) locus. J. Biol. Chem. 280, 37547-37557.

PubMedID: 16155002

Machemer, D. E. W., and Tukey, R. H. (2005) The role of protein kinase C in regulation of TCDD-mediated CYP1A1 gene expression. Toxicological Sciences. 87, 27-37.

PubMedID: 15947024

Li, Y., Dhankher, O. P., Carreira, L., Lee, D., Chen, A., Schroeder, J. I., Balish, R. S., Meagher, R. B. (2004) Overexpression of phytochelatin synthase in Arabidopsis leads to enhanced arsenic tolerance and cadmium hypersensitivity. Plant Cell Physiol. 45, 1787-1797. doi: 10.1093/pcp/pch202.

PubMedID: 15653797

Bonzo, J.A., Chen, S., Galijatovic, A., Tukey, R.H. (2005) Arsenite inhibition of CYP1A1 induction by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin is independent of cell cycle arrest. Mol Pharmacol. 67(4):1247-56. doi: 10.1124/mol.104.006130. Epub 2005 Jan 3.

PubMedID: 15630080

Chen, S., Operana, T., Bonzo, J., Nguyen, N., Tukey R. H. (2005) Erk kinase inhibition stabilizes the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. J Biol Chem. 280(6):4350-9. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M411554200.

PubMedID: 15572374

Dooley, C. T., Dore, T. M., Hanson, G. T., Jackson, W. C., Remington, S. J., Tsien, R. Y., (2004) Imaging dynamic redox changes in mammalian cells with green fluorescent protein indicators. J. Biol. Chem. 279(21), 22284-93.

PubMedID: 14985369

Lee, D. A., Chen, A., Schroeder, J. I. (2003) ars1, an Arabidopsis mutant exhibiting increased tolerance to arsenate and increased phosphate uptake. Plant J. 35(5), 637-46.

PubMedID: 12940956

Main Contact Information

Training Core Leader
  • Dr. Pamela Mellon
    Professor, Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, UCSD School of Medicine
Our Currrent Trainees:

  • Jacopo Baglieri, Post-Doctoral Scholar, Mentor: Brenner
  • Elvira Mennillo, Post-Doctoral Scholar, Mentor: Tukey


Our Former Trainees ( - and Mentor):

  • Akmakjian, Garo - Schroeder
  • Aleman Guillen, Fernando - Schroeder
  • Anderson, Craig - Tebo
  • Bencheikh-Latmani, Rizlan - Tebo
  • Berdy, Sara - Mellon
  • Boisson, Aurelien - Schroeder
  • Bonzo, Jessica - Tukey
  • Brace-Sinnokrak, Erin - Tukey
  • Butko, Emerald - Schroeder
  • Butterfield, Cristina - Tebo
  • Caputo, Nick - Tebo
  • Cavero-Martinez, Santiago - Russell
  • Chen, Alice - Schroeder
  • Chen, Shu-Juan - Tukey
  • Cooper, Andrew - Schroeder
  • Dai, Yang - Evans
  • Dick, Gregory - Tebo
  • Ding, Ning - Evans
  • Dooley, Colette – Tsien/Training
  • Drew, Devin Lee – Karin/Ghosh
  • Ganguly, Abantika - Russell
  • Gong, Jiming - Schroeder
  • Hibbs, Ryan – Taylor
  • Holzer, Ryan - Karin
  • Jobe, Timothy - Schroeder
  • Johnson, Hope - Tebo
  • Jonker, Hans - Evans
  • Kau, Andrew - Schroeder
  • Kim, Ju Youn - Karin
  • Konopnicki-Vincent, Camille - Tukey
  • Lee, David - Schroeder
  • Li, Tao - Evans
  • Li, Zixing - Schroeder
  • Lin, Yi-Chen – Schroeder
  • Liu, Yuanli - Trogler
  • Lu, Benson - Evans
  • Machemer, Daniel - Tukey
  • Martin, Victoria - Russell
  • McCarthy, James - Tebo
  • McNulty, Reginald - Karin
  • Mendoza-Cozatl, David - Schroeder
  • Miller, Meghan - Taylor
  • Newton, Shanna - Mellon
  • Noh, Yoon Seok - Seki
  • Operaña, Theresa - Tukey
  • Passino, Melissa - Taylor
  • Paszek, Miles - Tukey
  • Rodriguez-Gabriel, Miguel - Russell
  • Ryan, Genevieve Ryan - Mellon
  • Sanchez, Arancha - Russell
  • Schoeller, Erica - Mellon
  • Scott, Michael - Trogler
  • Seneko-Effenberger, Kathy - Tukey
  • Shemer, Tamar - Schroeder
  • Sonoda, Jun - Evans
  • Stephan, Aaron Benjamin - Schroeder
  • Sung, Dong Yul - Schroeder
  • Taiming Yong - Schroeder
  • Umemura, Atsushi - Karin
  • Vashisht, Ajay - Russell
  • Waadt, Rainer - Schroeder
  • Waner, David - Schroeder
  • Weems, Jessica - Tukey
  • Whyte, Jamie - Evans
  • Witham, Emily - Mellon
  • Xie, Qingqing - Schroeder
  • Xu, Jun – Brenner
  • Zhao, Xuan - Evans

Contact

UCSD Superfund Research Center
University of California, San Diego
Pharmacology Department
9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0722
La Jolla, CA 92093-0722