The Environmental Institute

Research Profile

Research aims at understanding the human health effects of exposure to complex mixtures of environmental pollutants with emphasis on estrogenic and antiestrogenic pollutants. Current studies focus on breast milk as a marker of exposure, effect, and breast cancer risk; signaling pathways in estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer and; and bioassays for detection of endocrine disruptors in water ways.

Keywords

Contaminants, Environmental Health, Nanomaterials, Water Resources

Edward J. Calabrese

Professor
Department: Public Health

Phone: (413) 545-3164

Email: edwardc@schoolph.umass.edu

Research Profile

Research focuses on environmental toxicology with an emphasis on biological factors including genetic and nutritional factors which enhance susceptibility to pollutant toxicity and the environmental implications of toxicological hormesis.

Keywords

Contaminants, Environmental Health

John Marshall Clark

Professor
Department: Veterinary and Animal Sciences

Phone: (413) 545-1052

Email: jclark@nt.umass.edu

Research Profile

Research includes environmental toxicology, environmental contaminants, and chemical mechanisms of action and resistance to insecticides. Studies include changing capacity of the dengue virus vector with age, minimization of recreational exposure to turf pesticides, and developmental effects of sea-water contaminants on Atlantic Salmon.

Keywords

Contaminants, Remediation, Water Resources

Geunhwa Jung

Assistant Professor
Department: Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences

Phone: (413) 545-2243

Email: jung@psis.umass.edu

Research Profile

Researches management of fungicide insensitivity of dollar spot on turfgrass, classical and molecular breeding of disease resistance, and mapping of disease resistance quantitative traits. Specialties: Population genetics of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, causal agent of dollar spot on turfgrass, as a model system of plant pathogenic sterile fungi; Management of fungicide insensitivity of dollar spot on turfgrass; Classical and molecular breeding of disease resistance in Lolium and Agrostis spp; Mapping of disease resistance quantitative traits in Lolium and Agrostis and comparative genomics analysis in Poaceae species; DNA fingerprinting of Kentucky bluegrass and bermudagrass

Keywords

Contaminants, Nanomaterials, Plant/Pest Management

Paul Kostecki

Professor
Department: Public Health

Phone: (413) 545-4610

Email: pkostecki@schoolph.umass.edu

Research Profile

Research interests include regulatory issues and technical developments in the assessment and remediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils, the evaluation of fish as toxicological models, and ecological risk assessment.

Keywords

Contaminants, International Environment, Remediation, Soils and Sediments

Guy R. Lanza

Professor and Director of Environmental Sciences Program
Department: Natural Resources Conservation

Phone: (413) 545-2051

Email: glanza@nre.umass.edu

Research Profile

Research interests include microbial ecology and physiology, bioremediation and phytoremediation.

Keywords

Bioremediation, Contaminants, Remediation, Water Resources

Robert E. Levin

Professor
Department: Food Science

Phone: (413) 545-0187

Email: relevin@foodsci.umass.edu

Research Profile

Research interests in food safety, detection of mutagens and carcinogens, and microbial food spoilage enzymes, using immuno assays, fermentation technology and PCR detection to study E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, vibrio parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in seafood.

Keywords

Contaminants, Food Systems

William J. Manning

Professor
Department: Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences

Phone: (413) 545-2289

Email: wmanning@microbio.umass.edu

Research Profile

Researches how plants respond to ozone at the whole plant level, both in the field and in exposure chambers and how ozone and other air pollutants affect plant growth in urban environments. Interests include the role of plant morphology and development rates in sensitivity and tolerance of bean cultivars to ozone, ozone tolerance in clover clones and bean cultivars, and the use of plant pathogenic fungi for management.

Keywords

Climate Change, Contaminants, Plant/Pest Management

Klaus R.L. Nüsslein

Associate Professor
Department: Microbiology

Phone: (413) 545-1356

Email: nusslein@microbio.umass.edu

Research Profile

Research focus on how microorganisms which live within complex communities withstand an environmental disturbance by either adapting to it or by actively change their environment. Interests in environmental contaminants and remediation with research projects related to acid mine drainage and perchlorate contamination. Biogeochemical aspects that drive interactions among bacterial communities in methane-producing deep subsurface environments, and their stimulation to increase this renewable energy source.

Keywords

Bioremediation, Contaminants, Microbial Ecology, Nanomaterials, Remediation, Renewable Energy

Om Parkash

Assistant Professor
Department: Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences

Phone: (413) 545-0062

Email: parkash@psis.umass.edu

Research Profile

Research focuses on the phytoremediation of toxic pollutants in contaminated soil, water and air. Research employs a multidisciplinary application of methodologies from molecular biology, genomics (cloning of genes conferring detoxification or tolerance, ion transport and sequestration), physiology and biochemistry to decipher the underlying molecular mechanism of metal tolerance including the detoxification and remediation of toxic metalloids and heavy metals using genetically engineered plants.

Keywords

Bioremediation, Contaminants, Nanomaterials, Plant/Pest Management, Water Resources