Graduate Student
Education
B.A. in Biology, Carleton College, 2011
Research Interests
I am a PhD candidate in the Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Group. I grew up in both Frankfort, MI and Aspen, CO and became interested in toxicology and specifically endocrine disruption as an undergraduate at Carleton College. My dissertation research focuses on two classes of persistent organic pollutants that can interfere with thyroid hormone signaling, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). I am co-mentored by Dr. Pamela Lein and Dr. Birgit Puschner. In the Lein lab, I am using zebrafish as a model to identify neurodevelopmental endpoints that are sensitive to thyroid hormone (TH) and identify adverse outcome pathways by which TH disruptors may cause developmental neurotoxicity. In the Puschner lab, I am using GC/MS to determine whether circulating levels of PBDEs and PCBs are linked to the development of hyperthyroidism in felines, which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and may serve as an early indicator for human risk.
Honors and Recognitions:
NIEHS T32 Predoctoral Fellowship (2014 – 2016)
Richard A. Freedland Fellowship (2014-2015)
CTSC T32 Predoctoral Fellowship (2013-2014)
- Email: kwalter@ucdavis.edu
