Michael Aschner

Gray E. B. Stahlman Professor of Neuroscience

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics

Education: Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, 1985

Specialties: Neurobiology and physiology of astrocytes and the mechanisms of central nervous system injury

Michael Aschner received a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, in 1985. He is currently the Gray E. B. Stahlman Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Pediatrics at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He also holds joint appointments at the Kennedy Center and in the Department of Pharmacology. Dr. Aschner’s research interests are in the neurobiology and physiology of astrocytes and the mechanisms of central nervous system injury. Dr. Aschner has been particularly interested in metal uptake and distribution in the brain, devoting the last 20 years of his research to the mechanisms of transport of methylmercury, manganese, and uranium across the endothelium composing the blood-brain barrier, as well as their cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurotoxicity. Current studies address gene environment interactions in mercury and manganese induced neurotoxicity, and are carried out in C. elegans, rats. The impact of manganese on neurodevelopment is assessed in human neonates by means of MRI. Dr. Aschner has served on numerous national and international toxicology panels (Institute of Medicine, EPA, CDC), served and chaired the ALTX-3 NIH study section. He has authored ∼250 peer-reviewed manuscripts and chapters in the area of neurotoxicology. He serves as an Associate Editor for a number of journals, including Neurotoxicology and Toxicological Sciences. He is the PI on DoD grants and NIH grants. He has been a member of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) since 1985 and the Academy of Toxicological Sciences since 1997. In the past he chaired the Placement Committee of the SOT, and held the presidency of the International Neurotoxicology Association (ASN). Dr. Aschner is eager to assist the ATS delegates in future endeavors and to increase the visibility of the ATS taking advantage of its most important resource—the membership.