Discovery Lecture Series: From Bench to Bedside in Aquatic Toxicology 

Pollution in our environment has been a highlighted concern since Rachel Carson’s pivotal book Silent Spring. With an increase in regulatory laws governing the use and disposal of chemicals came a reduction in the release of large amounts of pollutants. Despite improvements in water quality, so-called legacy pollutants like DDT or PCBs remain leading contaminants of concern in aquatic environments with potential impacts on wildlife and human health. Additionally, there is now a myriad of persistent and pseudo-persistent pollutants being introduced into oceans and waterways; many of which lack up-to-date toxicity testing.
In this talk, Dr. Holland will discuss the use of known biomarkers to better predict the health status of vertebrate and invertebrate species in California waterways with varying pollutant burdens. She will also discuss work in her laboratory that aims to develop new biomarkers for pollutant induced calcium signaling disruption.
Dr. Erika Holland is an Associate Professor of Aquatic Toxicology and Molecular Biology at California State University of Long Beach. She received her PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of California Davis and holds a Bachelor’s of Science from San Diego State University and a Master’s of Science from California State University of Sacramento. She is an integrative biologist joining techniques from computer modeling, biochemistry, cell biology, and ecology to address the health impacts of pollutants.