It is well understood by scientists that environmental contaminants affect normal development in humans and other vertebrates by interacting with hormone systems, but the genetic basis for this is still largely unknown
In a lunchtime lecture on Wednesday, May 4, Ann Peterson, an Oregon State University – Cascades instructor and researcher in the biology program, will share her research on how a particular pollutant found in Pacific northwest rivers affects development in fish species.
The lecture, “Genes, Gonads, and Goiters: Water Pollution Affects Health and Development in Fish and Humans” will illustrate how percholate, a component of explosives and airbags, interrupts normal development of fish bones, cartilage, organs and tissue. Peterson will also share researcher discoveries about how this single contaminant causes so many divergent effects in these species, and potentially in humans.
Petersen has a B.S. in marine science from Eckerd College and a Ph.D. in integrative physiology from Colorado University Boulder. Petersen’s research interest focuses on how animals develop and survive in environmentally challenging conditions, including those that are a result of human introduced pollution.
Prior to arriving at OSU-Cascades, Petersen was a member of a National Institute of Health funded project team at the University of Oregon that examined how perchlorate affects health and development in stickleback fish.
Her research has been published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, PLOS One, General and Comparative Endocrinology. She is the 2016 chair of the Gordon Research Seminar on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors.
Petersen’s students at OSU-Cascades examine the effects of water quality on the health and development of wild populations of stickleback fish in the Deschutes and John Day Rivers.
OSU-Cascades’ lunchtime lecture series showcases the range of research and scholarship underway by faculty at the Bend campus. The lectures are free, but attendees are asked to register in advance. Lectures take place from noon to 1 p.m. in Cascades Hall. Attendees are invited to bring a brown bag lunch and to pick-up a free parking pass from the main office before parking.
For information visit http://www.osucascades.edu/lunchtime-lectures or contact 541-322-3100 or info@osucascades.edu.
