Education Background

Doctorate of Philosophy, Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
Concentration: Molecular and Mechanistic Toxicology
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, Fall 2006 - Present

Bachelor of Arts, Biology
Minor: Chemistry
Carroll College, Helena, MT, 1998

Contact Information

sailik@onid.orst.edu

Research Interest/Focus

I am broadly interested in the developmental effects of contaminants on nervous system and immune systems development. I am currently investigating the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on the developing nervous system. BPA has recently received media and government attention reflecting concern that prenatal exposure may affect brain development and contribute to childhood behavioral disorders. By using a larval zebrafish behavior assay, I measure the behavioral effects of human-relevant BPA exposure levels and investigate the underlying gene expression changes connected to the observed behaviors. As BPA is a suspected estrogen disruptor, I am particularly interested in the role of estrogen receptors underlying BPA's mode of toxicity. My work focuses on the role of the orphan nuclear receptor, estrogen related receptor gamma (ERR3).  

Peer Reviewed Publications

O'Donnell, E.F., Saili,K.S. ,Koch, D.C., Farrer,D., Mathew, L.K., Sengupta,S., Kerklievet, N.I., Tanguay,R. L., and Kolluri, S.K."Characterization of leflunomide as a ligand of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor." PloS ONE 5(10): e13128. Doi: 10.1381/journal.pone.0013128.

Other Publications

Vercruysse, K.P., Harper, S.L., Ivory, D.M., Whalen, M.M., Saili, K.S., Tanguay, R.L."Potential anti-inflammatory properties of biologically-synthesized nanoparticles of gold or silver." Nanotech 2008, 2: 501-504.

Book Chapters

Truong, L., Simonich, M.T., Saili, K.S., and Tanguay, R.L."Fishing to Design Safer Nanoparticles. Zebrafish: Methods for Assessing Drug Safety and Toxicity. In Press.

Awards

EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Graduate Fellowship. September 2010-Present

SETAC Annual Meeting Travel Award. November 2010

Poster Presentation Award (2nd place). Pacific Northwest Association of Toxicologists (PANWAT) Annual Meeting. Corvallis, OR. October 2010

Conference Award. Neurobehavioral Teraology Society Annual Meeting. Louisville, KY. June 2010.

Platform Presentation Award (2nd place). Pacific Northwest Society of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology (PNWSETAC) Annual Meeting. Port Townsend, WA. April 2010.

PNWSETAC Annual Meeting Travel Award. April 2010.

Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting Travel Award. March 2010.

Platform Presentation Award (1st place). Pacific Northwest Association of Toxicologists (PANWAT) Annual Meeting. Corvallis, OR. September 2008.

NIEHS Training Grant Predoctoral Fellowship. Oregon State University. 2006-2008.