CLEAR Trainee Spotlight: Dr. Katherine Roth
Dr. Katherine Roth is a postdoc fellow and CLEAR trainee, who also serves as the Trainee Coordinator for the Research Experience and Training Coordination Core (RETCC). The CLEAR newsletter interviewed Katherine about her background, recent research, and future goals. Read on to learn more about her work:
Please tell us about yourself
Although I was born in Maryland, I moved to Michigan at an early age and grew up in the metro Detroit suburb of Rochester. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at Wayne State University, working in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Petriello within the Institute for Environmental Health Sciences since December of 2019. I have been working to understand the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure on lipid metabolism and its relationship with cardiometabolic diseases. Before joining the Petriello lab, I completed my PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at Michigan State University, where I worked on mechanisms of toxicant-induced liver injury. Before that, I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 2013 from Vanderbilt University. As a graduate student at MSU, I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Bryan Copple where my research focused on studying the mechanisms involved in hepatic inflammation and repair/regeneration that are activated during liver injury and failure. Although fascinating, after earning my PhD I wanted to move into a field of study that incorporated the knowledge I had already gained but that also explored the field of environmental pollutants. My work now has a focus on understanding the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure on lipid metabolism and its relationship with cardiometabolic diseases.
Please tell us a bit about your research.
My current research has focused on mechanisms linking exposure to environmental toxicants and human health and disease. More specifically, my main area of research has been exploring PFAS and how exposure to it can lead to cardiometabolic disease. PFAS are a class of ubiquitous, synthesized chemicals used in a variety of industrial and consumer products, including cookware, food storage, clothing, carpets, and aqueous fire-fighting foams. PFAS accumulate in the environment, in water sources, in food sources, and even in the air. Humans are exposed to these PFAS chemicals in the environment, and PFAS can be detected in almost every American adult. They are everywhere. In our bodies, these chemicals have been linked to a variety of different diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and highly elevated cholesterol levels. My work has been trying to understand the specific mechanisms linking PFAS with changes in cholesterol metabolism that lead to diseases like atherosclerosis. In addition, I am also working on a project exploring the link between chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular risk, focusing on the enzyme FMO3 as a mediator between the two.
You received some excellent professional news recently! We'd love to know more...
Yes, recently, I was awarded a Postdoctoral Individual NRSA Fellowship (F32) from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)! This fellowship will assist me in building on my current work relating to PFAS exposure. PFAS have been associated with increased risk factors for cardiometabolic disease, including hypercholesterolemia. My work related to this fellowship will investigate if PFAS exposure can therefore induce the development of atherosclerosis, while also seeking to understand mechanisms causing atherosclerosis that are related to bile acid metabolism and transport.
Tell us about your work so far with the CLEAR Training Core.
I am the Trainee Coordinator for the Research Experience and Training Coordination Core (RETCC) within WSU’s new Superfund Research Program, CLEAR. In this role, I work with both the leaders of the RETCC and the students themselves to implement training components, such as seminars and colloquiums, development of a certificate program, community service projects, internships, data collection, and project reports. For example, I have created a CLEAR Student Handbook, outlining details of the expectations and requirements of CLEAR trainees. In addition, I have completed a proposal for the CLEAR Graduate Certificate in Urban Environmental Health, to be offered to all CLEAR trainees. I continue to assist with the planning of professional development workshops, creation of the CLEAR Individualized Development Plan, and recruitment efforts, including recruitment at the 2023 Society of Toxicology Undergraduate Diversity Program. My work with the CLEAR program has also allowed me to keep working with students and trainee development, especially those from other labs and disciplines, which is another area I want to continue working in.
What are your long-term goals?
My long-term career goal is to transition to a position as an independent research faculty and project manager at an academic institution. I would like to continue focusing on research that investigates mechanisms linking toxicant exposure and human health and disease. During my time at WSU so far, I have come to appreciate the profound importance and detrimental impact of environmental pollutants that plague our world today. Environmental pollutants have far-reaching health, social, and economical ramifications that many people remain unaware of, which is why programs such as CLEAR are so important in today’s world.