The Effects of Endocrine Disruption on the Sexual Differentiation of the Amphibian Brain

Proposal defense (12 March 2004)

Lisa’s broad research interests include the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on the reproductive morphology and physiology of developing vertebrates. Specifically, she will be studying the effects of the widely-used herbicide, atrazine, on the sexual differentiation of the brain and gonads of two species of toad found in South Florida: the Oak Toad, Bufo quercicus, and the Cane Toad, Bufo marinus. Previous studies have yielded controversial results regarding the feminizing capabilities of atrazine, especially at environmentally relavent concentrations, on the testes of developing frog tadpoles. Lisa’s study will test the effects of atrazine on the reproductive tissue of developing toads. She will be looking at the possible consequences of atrazine exposure on the gonads as well as the brain. Her study will especially focus on the possible effects of atrazine on the portions of the brain that govern mating and reproduction. She will employ basic histological and immunocytochemical techniques as well as light and confocal microscopy for her project.

Lisa’s committee members:
Dr. James C. O’Reilly and Dr. Zhongmin Lu, advisors
Dr. Ed Green
Dr. William Hopkins. University of Georgia
Other lab projects:
Comparative histology of the harderian gland in burrowing and terrestrial
squamates with Gabe Gartner
Skeletochronology of the phalanges of Ambystoma opacum from South Carolina
with David Scott, SREL
Visual centers of the brain of Pipa pipa with Mark Mandica

Lisa enjoys teaching, especially comparative physiology and anatomy. She also likes the great South Florida weather along with the wildlife, the beaches, the sun, and every other part of the outdoors. Most of all she enjoys hunting cane toads behind the porn shack with her beloved lab mates.