Morgan Jacobellis will graduate this week with her M.S. in environmental toxicology. We asked her to reflect on her time here at Clemson in the Baldwin lab through a short Q & A.
Research?
This work leveraged biomonitoring data (ECHO-FGS) that associated a specific set of chemical mixtures in maternal serum with adverse birthweight in the children of those mothers. The mixtures consisted of different concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs): DDE, PCB153, BDE47, and PFOS.
We found that environmentally relevant concentrations of mixtures induce mitochondrial and catabolic pathway perturbations in a muscle cell model. Results suggest that mitochondrial perturbation and disruption to the AMPK pathway may be a mechanistic link between real-world exposure to POP mixtures leading to metabolic dysregulation relevant to adverse child health outcomes.
What’s next?
Consulting at ToxStrategies! I will be moving to Asheville, North Carolina!
What will you miss the most?
The Clemson Family. From day one, I was treated like I belonged, and that meant more than I can put into words. There really is something special in these hills. The people I’ve been lucky enough to meet along the way are what made this experience so meaningful. That’s something I’ll carry with me and be grateful for the rest of my life.
Advice for students?
Your peers are some of your best resources, and if you’re lucky, they will become your best friends. The moments you share over meals and laughter matter more than you think.
Memorable people
I really appreciate my committee, Dr. Bill Baldwin, Dr. Lisa Bain and Dr. Subham Dasgupta, and their impact on this experience. Having the privilege to talk through science and life with them added a lot of value to my growth as a scientist and as a person. I’m looking forward to keeping in touch with them.
