Mixtures Biology & Modeling with Applications to PFAS

Presentation by Dr. Webster,
Professor of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health

Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Time: 11:00-Noon
Zoom Link: https://uri-edu.zoom.us/j/97145256668

This talk will examine the difficult problem of the biological effects of chemical mixtures using a pharmacodynamic approach. I will discuss the effect of mixtures on receptor activation and the implications for downstream responses. PFAS will provide one example.

Dr. Webster is Professor of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health, with degrees from MIT and BU. His expertise is in mixtures toxicology/ pharmacology, environmental epidemiology, and exposure science. Dr. Webster’s current primary research interests include:
1) exposure and health effects of PFAS,
2) biological effects of exposure to mixtures from the perspectives of both toxicology and epidemiology. He has previously served on numerous expert panels of the USEPA and the National Academies.

Related readings:
1. Howard GJ, Webster TF. Generalized concentration addition: A method for
examining mixtures containing partial agonists. Journal of Theoretical Biology
2009; 259:469–477.
2. Nielsen G, Heiger-Bernays WJ, Schlezinger JJ, Webster TF. Predicting the Effects of
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Mixtures on Peroxisome Proliferator-
Activated Receptor Alpha Activity in Vitro. Toxicology 2022; 465: 153024
3. Schlezinger JJ, Heiger-Bernays W, Webster TF. Predicting the activation of the
androgen receptor by mixtures of ligands using Generalized Concentration
Addition. Toxicol. Sci. 2020;177(2):466-475.