Sensory Mechanisms of Cadmium-Induced Behavioral Disorders Across Generations

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT An area of needed exploration is environmentally-induced behavioral disorders. Studies show Cadmium (Cd) toxicity can manifest as behavioral disorders, cognitive challenges, and vision deficiencies in humans, but the pathway for these adverse effects is unknown. Its long biological half-life exacerbates the importance of understanding how early-life Cd exposure impacts later life outcomes and future generations. The parent grant has two aims focused on gaining a mechanistic understanding of cadmium-induced behavioral disorders across generations. Specific Aim 1: Identify the disrupted neural circuitry underlying cadmium-induced visuo-behavioral deficits using whole-brain activity mapping. Specific Aim 2: Inter- and transgenerational effects of cadmium-induced behavioral disorders. The parent grant for this proposal is R00ES030398 to launch Dr. Delia Shelton’s career as an independent scientific investigator as an Assistant professor in the Department of Biology at University of Miami, where she draws on her scientific background in animal behavior, toxicology, neuroscience and genomics. Dr. Shelton has extensive experience in understanding behavioral phenotyping and cadmium toxicity which is completed by professional skills in mentoring that she gained in her graduate studies and during the K99 phase of the grant, permitting her to become a successful independent researcher and leader in behavioral toxicology. In her new laboratory, Dr. Shelton proposes to test the hypothesis that chronic human dietary-relevant Cd exposure leads to visuo-behavioral disorders later in life and across generations. In the proposed supplement, Dr. Shelton will mentor the Diversity Supplement candidate, Myles Covington, in pursuing a research project that complements and extends the aims of the parent grant, thereby creating a unique opportunity. The focus of this application submitted under PA-21-071 “Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research” is to support the research training and career development of Myles Covington through studying the potential therapeutic effects of selenium supplementation for dietary cadmium-induced toxicity on visually- guided behavior. Research and career development activities are proposed to expand their technical skill set, enhance their knowledge in toxicology, molecular biology and genomics, and provide opportunities for professional development including networking disseminating science at conferences and through peer- reviewed publications, which will enhance their ability to pursue a PhD in toxico-genomics.