Research summary
Toxic substances can disrupt gene processes within cells and impair their healthy functioning, so assessing how environmental chemicals affect human health is necessary. But we urgently need to modernize our approach to this research to increase efficiency, reduce costs and use fewer animals in toxicological testing.
Dr. Carole Yauk, Canada Research Chair in Genomics and the Environment, is quantifying how toxic chemicals can modulate gene function or damage genetic material. She is also using this information to predict toxicological effects in humans. She and her research team are bridging basic and applied sciences and bringing together the research and regulatory communities in academia and government to advance regulatory processes and decision-making.