Frederick vom Saal

Curators Professor of Biological Sciences

PhD, 1976 Rutgers University

vomsaalf@missouri.edu
573-882-4367
105 Lefevre Hall

http://endocrinedisruptors.missouri.edu/vomsaal/vomsaal.html

Research description

Research in my laboratory concerns the effects on fetal development of endogenous sex hormones, naturally occurring estrogenic chemicals in food, (such as phytoestrogens in soy), and estrogenic manmade chemicals in consumer products (such as bisphenol A in plastic). We collect fetal mouse reproductive tissues and use primary mouse and human cell culture to investigate cellular mechanisms that mediate responses to hormones and other chemicals. We have confirm observations from in vivo experiments using mice. An important aspect of this research is that we use a physiologically based approach to determine the doses of chemicals that we examine. This approach has led to findings that fetal tissues are extremely sensitive to much lower doses of endogenous estradiol and manmade estrogenic chemicals than had previously been appreciated.

Selected publications

Richter, C.A., Taylor, J.A., Ruhlen, R.R., Welshons, W.V. and vom Saal, F.S. 2007.Estradiol and bisphenol A stimulate androgen receptor and estrogen receptor gene expression in fetal mouse prostate cells. Environ. Health Perspect. 115: 902-908.

vom Saal, F.S. 2007. Could hormone residues be involved? Human Reprod. 22: 1503-1505.

vom Saal, F.S. and Welshons, W.V. 2006. Large effects from small exposures: II. The importance of positive controls in low-dose research on bisphenol A. Environmental Research 100: 50-76.

Welshons, W.V., Nagel, S.C. and vom Saal, F.S. 2006. Large effects from small exposures: III. Mechanisms mediating responses to the low doses of the plastic monomer bisphenol A. Endocrinol. 147: S56-S69.

vom Saal, F.S. 2006. Bisphenol A Eliminates Brain and Behavior Sex Dimorphisms in Mice. How Low Can You Go? Endocrinol. 147: 3679-3680.

Selected national/international awards and honors

Upstream Award - Jennifer Altman Foundation

Millennium Award - Indian Institute for Sustainable Future

Elected Fellow - AAAS

Elected Honorary Member - Italian Academy of Science

Modify