UC Davis CounterACT Center Director Pamela Lein will receive the Distinguished Neurotoxicologist Award at the March 2022 meeting of the Society of Toxicology. This is the highest award given by the Neurotoxicology specialty section (NTSS) and recognizes NTSS members who have made important high-impact scientific, regulatory or service contributions to the field.
Lein, who serves as the Chair and Professor of Molecular Biosciences in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, has over 25 years’ experience in molecular and cellular neurobiology, neuropharmacology and neurotoxicology. Her research has contributed to identifying novel therapeutic approaches for preventing brain damage following exposure to seizure-inducing chemicals; understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which environmental factors interact with genetic factors to increase risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease; and determining how pesticides alter communication between nerves and immune cells in the lung to cause airway hyperreactivity, a major symptom of asthma. This work has been achieved by leveraging diverse model systems ranging from primary neuronal cell culture to zebrafish to rodent models and lab techniques ranging from cellular and molecular assays to in vivo imaging to behavioral studies.
A dedicated mentor, Lein has trained over 50 graduate student and post-doctoral fellows combined that work all over the world in various industries, government agencies and academia. She considers “mentoring graduate students to be one of the most important things I do as a faculty member, and it gives me the most satisfaction.” Lein is a member of multiple professional societies besides SOT, an editor-in-chief for the journal NeuroToxicology, and part of the UC Davis Health MIND institute.
Congratulations, Dr. Lein!