Recent studies have demonstrated links between pyrethroid pesticide exposure during fetal development and increased incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).  However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the pyrethroids impact the nervous system to increase risk of ASDs are unknown.  

In a newly awarded pilot grant from the UI Environmental Health Sciences Research Center (EHSRC), we will test the hypothesis that pyrethroids and their metabolites alter the neuron environment yielding microglial activation and inflammatory events that increase risk for ASDs.  This is a collaborative project with Dr. Jonathan Doorn, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, in the UI College of Pharmacy) and Dr. Hans-Joachim Lehmler, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Dept. of Occupational and Environmental Health in the UI College of Public Health).  

This research is funded by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences through the University of Iowa Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, NIEHS/NIH P30 ES005605.