The candidate is a Behavioral Epidemiologist with 8 years of experience in conducting population based descriptive and experimental studies. The application describes a 5-year career development plan that will provide the candidate with the formal training and laboratory research experience necessary for her development as an independent investigator in molecular epidemiology of chemically related reproductive diseases. The candidate's long-term career objective is to develop an academic program of research that combines epidemiologic, molecular and genetic principles to study the complex associations of genes and environments factors in the etiology of reproductive diseases. The training component includes mentorship by an occupational molecular epidemiologist, a molecular biologist, and an environmental biostatistician; completion of advanced courses in molecular biology and genetic epidemiology; and six-month rotations annually in an occupational molecular epidemiology laboratory and a NIEHS Center Molecular Imaging and Analysis Facility. The research component describes a prospective investigation of exposure to the s-triazine herbicide, atrazine and effects on reproductive hormone production among male pesticide applicators. Atrazine is the most commonly used pesticide in agriculture (68 -73 million lbs. used in 1995). It is hypothesized that atrazine acts through a hormonal pathway to effect reproductive hormone production. It is further hypothesized that allelic variants in the cytochrome P450, subfamily 1, polypeptide 2 (CYPlA2) gene effects atrazine metabolization and ultimately toxicity. Baseline serum samples will be collected from applicators and non-applicators prior to the pesticide application season and evaluated for male reproductive hormone levels including follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone. Baseline serum samples will genotyped for allelic variants in the CYPlA2 gene. Urine samples and self-reported application information will be collected from atrazine applicators after first atrazine application and evaluated for atrazine metabolites to establish exposure. Features of this design include efficient control for confounding exposures, determination of within subject hormone level variability pre-exposure, accurate exposure ascertainment, sufficient power to detect exposure related changes in reproductive indicators; and design efficiency to evaluate polymorphic influence on atrazine metabolization.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
5K01ES010959-02
Application #
6518213
Study Section
Environmental Health Sciences Review Committee (EHS)
Program Officer
Shreffler, Carol K
Project Start
2001-04-05
Project End
2006-03-31
Budget Start
2002-04-01
Budget End
2003-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$115,536
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard University
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02115
Perry, Melissa J; Venners, Scott A; Chen, Xing et al. (2011) Organophosphorous pesticide exposures and sperm quality. Reprod Toxicol 31:75-9
Perry, Melissa J; Chen, Xing; McAuliffe, Megan E et al. (2011) Semi-automated scoring of triple-probe FISH in human sperm: methods and further validation. Cytometry A 79:661-6
Perry, Melissa J; Venners, Scott A; Barr, Dana B et al. (2007) Environmental pyrethroid and organophosphorus insecticide exposures and sperm concentration. Reprod Toxicol 23:113-8
Perry, Melissa J; Ouyang, Fengxiu; Korrick, Susan A et al. (2006) A prospective study of serum DDT and progesterone and estrogen levels across the menstrual cycle in nulliparous women of reproductive age. Am J Epidemiol 164:1056-64
Perry, Melissa J; Marbella, Anne; Layde, Peter M (2006) Nonpersistent pesticide exposure self-report versus biomonitoring in farm pesticide applicators. Ann Epidemiol 16:701-7
Perry, Melissa J; Ouyang, Fengxiu; Korrick, Susan et al. (2005) Body mass index and serum 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane in nulliparous Chinese women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 14:2433-8
Perry, Melissa J; Layde, Peter M (2003) Farm pesticides: outcomes of a randomized controlled intervention to reduce risks. Am J Prev Med 24:310-5
Perry, Melissa J (2003) Children's agricultural health: traumatic injuries and hazardous inorganic exposures. J Rural Health 19:269-78