Jodi Flaws
Dr. Flaws’ overall research program is focused on the effects of environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on the ovary and female reproductive system. Currently, her work is focused on EDCs known as phthalates, neonicotinoid pesticides, and water disinfection by-products (DBPs). Phthalates are found in many consumer products including building materials, personal care products, children’s toys, and food storage containers. Dr. Flaws’ laboratory focuses on phthalates due to several human health critical reasons: 1) phthalates are ubiquitous in the environment, 2) humans are exposed to phthalates continuously via inhalation, dermal contact, and oral ingestion, 3) phthalate exposures are higher in women than men, in people with low compared to high socioeconomic status, and in African American compared to white women, 4) phthalates are known EDCs, with documented negative effects on both male and female reproduction, 5) phthalate exposure is associated with early reproductive aging, and 6) phthalate exposure has a huge economic impact, estimated at $8.8 billion per year, with the highest costs in African American women and children.
Dr. Flaws’ laboratory also focuses on neonicotinoid pesticides. Neonicotinoids are synthetic nicotine derivatives that act as neurotoxicants by binding nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the nervous system. They have a broad target base, which includes both sucking and chewing insects, making them useful in many industries. Dr. Flaws’ research focuses on neonicotinoids for several reasons: 1) humans are exposed to neonicotinoids through ingestion of contaminated food and water, 2) the ovary is a target for neonicotinoids because it has the metabolic capacity to convert parent neonicotinoids to active metabolites with high affinity for nAChRs, 3) the ovary contains nAChRs in all cell types, and 4) her laboratory has shown that neonicotinoid metabolites are toxic to mouse ovarian antral follicles in vitro.
In addition to conducting research on phthalates and neonicotinoid pesticides, Dr. Flaws’ laboratory conducts research on DBPs. The disinfection of drinking water is a monumental public health achievement of the 20th century, significantly reducing the incidence of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. However, a consequence of water disinfection is the formation of DBPs resulting from the reaction of disinfectants with organic and inorganic matter, along with anthropogenic contaminants, during the production of drinking water. More than 700 DBPs have been identified in drinking water, and many of them cause toxicity across numerous systems. In the U.S., over 247 million people, including women of reproductive age, are chronically exposed to DBPs. DBP exposure raises significant public health concerns because many of them pose risks to reproductive health and are recognized EDCs. However, many DBPs are unstudied.
EDC-induced ovarian damage and female reproductive dysfunction cannot be prevented or treated by eliminating EDC exposures because we cannot completely eliminate EDCs from the environment at this time. Thus, in addition to minimizing exposure, it is critical to understand the mechanisms by which EDCs cause female reproductive dysfunction so that we can develop strategies to prevent or treat EDC-induced toxicity. To that end, Dr. Flaws’ research program is designed to identify how EDCs cause ovarian damage, leading to female reproductive dysfunction. Specifically, the overall goals of Dr. Flaws’s research program are to revolutionize our understanding of EDCs and their impact on female reproductive health by: 1) unraveling the intricate mechanisms underlying EDC-induced ovarian damage and female reproductive dysfunction, 2) decoding the multigenerational effects of EDCs on ovarian function and female reproductive capacity, and 3) bridging the gap to human health by elucidating how EDC exposure is associated with ovarian function and reproductive aging in a prospective cohort of midlife women called the Midlife Women’s Health Study.
In addition to conducting research, Dr. Flaws leads two major training programs on campus. She serves as the Director for the NIEHS-supported T32 Training Program in Environmental Health and Toxicology. This training program supports 4 predoctoral and 3 postdoctoral trainees per year. Dr. Flaws is also the Co-Director of the NIEHS-supported R25 Program called Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Toxicology (SURETox). This training program is designed to support 8 underrepresented undergraduate students who spend 8-10 weeks in the summer conducting research in the field of toxicology and environmental health.
Dr. Flaws’ research is funded by grants from the NIEHS. She has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers that have involved extensive participation and authorship by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, veterinary medical students, and undergraduate students. Dr. Flaws has also served as an Associate Editor for Biology of Reproduction, Reproductive Toxicology, the Journal of Ovarian Research, and the Journal of the Endocrine Society. Dr. Flaws also served as the Chair of the Cellular, Molecular, Integrative Reproduction Review Panel for the National Institutes of Health. She currently serves as the Secretary for the Society for the Study of Reproduction and as an Associate Editor for Toxicological Sciences. Dr. Flaws is the recipient of the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland Student Mentoring Award, the Patricia Sokolove Outstanding Mentor Award, the Dr. Gordon and Mrs. Helen Kruger Research Excellence Award, the Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence, the University Scholar Award, the Women in Toxicology Mentoring Award from the Society of Toxicology, the Society for the Study of Reproduction Trainee Mentor Award, the Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award from the Reproductive and Developmental Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology, the Kenneth P. DuBois Award from the Midwest Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology, the Dr. Erwin Small Teaching Excellence Award, and the Society for the Study of Reproduction Research Award.