Our research activities center around the assessment of human exposure to chemicals and other stressors in the environment, and the risks resulting from such exposure. We approach the exposure and risk assessment in a very complex way, using integrating methods and approaches to determine external and internal exposure, in vitro/ in vivo and ex vivo toxicology and toxicokinetics, modeling, or QIVIVE towards exposure and risk assessment refinement. The main areas of our research are:
Occupational exposure of Firefighters
Key words: Cohort study, PFAS, PAH, biomarkers of effect, biomarkers of exposure; DNA damage in vivo; DNA methylation, oxidative stress, thyroid markers, epigenetic markers, supplementation, fitness, physical condition, personality traits
Exposure to pesticide mixtures
Keywords: Cohort study, CELSPAC - SPECIMEn, suspect screening analysis, biomarkers of effect, oxidative stress, DNA methylation, indoor dust
Biomarkers of effects
Key words: DNA damage, oxidative stress, SOD activity, biomarkers of inflammation, thyroid biomarkers, liver health biomarkers
Exposome
Key words: Urban populations, urbanization, exposure, pollution, noise, adverse health effects
DNA damage in vivo (micronuclei (CBMN), single and double strand breaks, FPG-sensitive sites (comet assay), oxidized bases (HPLC-MS/MS), methylated bases (HPLC-MS/MS))
in vitro genotoxicology (human stem cells, procaryotic cell line)
retrospective and prospective exposure assessment
probabilistic risk assessment (Monte Carlo simulation)
QIVIVE
PBPK modeling
dermal absorption kinetics (diffusion cells, tape stripping, heat-separated epidermis, isolated stratum corneum)
toxicological characterization of UV filters – sunscreens – (photodegradation products and optical isomers)
advanced methods for external exposure assessment (air sensors for Smart Cities)
indoor and outdoor air sampling
inhalation exposure assessment
exposome data analysis
analysis of chemical mixtures
human biomonitoring