Geneva Centre for Autism

Isaac Pessah, Ph.D., obtained his B.S. in Biological Sciences at Cornell University and his Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Maryland in 1984. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Berkeley from 1984 to 1987 during which time he discovered a family of calcium channels termed ryanodine receptors. Since then, his research and academic interests have spanned the broad area of molecular and cellular mechanisms by which these channel regulate Ca2+ signaling in muscle, neurons, and immune cells. He studies the organization and function the macromolecular complexes regulating ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ channels and how environmental chemicals including PCBs, PBDE’s, reactive quinone metabolites, pesticides and heavy metals influence developmental toxicity through these complexes.

Members of his laboratory have been studying gene-environment interactions influencing susceptibility that are relevant to autism and related disorders using mice possessing missense mutations known to contribute susceptibility to human disease. He directs the UC Davis Center for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention. The Center is an NIEHS/US EPA funded multidisciplinary program aimed at understanding how environmental factors influence autism risk and severity. He is Professor of Toxicology and Chair of the Department of Molecular Biosciences. He is Associate Editor of NeuroToxicology, and a Board Reviewer for Environmental Health Perspectives.

 

Environmental Factors Linked to Autism
Date: Thursday November 4, 2010
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Session: Session #8