Debra Laskin, PhD

Distinguished Professor, Roy A. Bowers Endowed Chair; Department Chair

Pharmacology and Toxicology

Lab Affiliation: Debra Laskin Lab

Education & Training

PhD - Pharmacology/Toxicology - Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
MA - Biopsychology - City University of New York, NY
BA - Psychology - New York University, NY
Post-Doctoral Fellowship - Immunology - Wistar Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Research Interests

The overall goal of my research is to elucidate inflammatory mechanisms of tissue injury induced by exposure to xenobiotics. My focus is on macrophages. Although the involvement of macrophages in protecting against invading pathogens and tumor cells and initiating and resolving inflammatory responses to injurious and infectious agents is well documented, studies from my laboratory have demonstrated that macrophages also have a “dark side”. Thus, they can be activated to release excessive quantities of proinflammatory and cytotoxic mediators that actually promote tissue injury. An analysis of this process represents the main emphasis of our research. Two rodent models are being utilized to investigate the role of macrophages and inflammatory mediators in toxicity: the lung and the liver. In each of these tissues, we found that exposure of animals to toxic doses of acetaminophen or endotoxin in liver models and ozone, nano/microparticles, mustard vesicants, and chlorine in lung models is associated with localized accumulation of macrophages. Moreover, macrophages isolated from the lung or liver of animals treated with tissue specific toxicants are “activated” to release increased quantities of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, nitric oxide and superoxide anion. To analyze the role of these cytotoxic mediators in toxicity, both pharmacologic inhibitors and transgenic mice are being utilized. Another aspect of our studies is to elucidate biochemical and molecular mechanisms mediating macrophage activation in the lung. This has involved investigations on signaling molecules, transcription factors, epigenetic regulators and microvesicles. We have also begun to assess the role of macrophages in tissue repair with a focus on impaired resolution of inflammation as a mechanism underlying tissue injury.

Publications

Awards

2022 - Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award
2021 - Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences Chancellor Distinguished Mentor Award
2021 - Society of Toxicology Immunotoxicology Specialty Section Paper of the Year Award
2021 - American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), Toxicology Division Career Investigator Award
2019 - Society of Toxicology, Immunotoxicology Specialty Section Paper of the Year Award Society of Toxicology, Inhalation and Respiratory Specialty Section Paper of the Year Award
2019 - Society of Toxicology, Immunotoxicology Specialty Section Paper of the Year Award
2018 - Society of Toxicology, Mechanisms Specialty Section Career Investigator Award
2017 - Society of Toxicology Education Award
2017 - New Jersey Health Foundation Research Award
2015 - Society of Toxicology Inhalation and Respiratory Specialty Section Career Investigator Award
2014 - Society of Toxicology Women in Toxicology Mentoring Award
2009 - Rutgers University Board of Trustees Excellence in Research Award
2007 - Named Roy A. Bowers Endowed Chair, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University
1999 - Dolph Adams Award, Society for Leukocyte Biology (for the most cited research publication in the society’s journal - Journal Leukocyte Biology)
1993–1998 - Burroughs Wellcome Toxicology Scholar Award
1991 - Society of Toxicology Achievement Award
1989 - Society for Leukocyte Biology Young Investigator Research Award
1988 - Frank R. Blood Award of the Society of Toxicology (for the best research publication in the society’s journals), renamed Board of Publications Award