2008 Sitlington Lecture in Toxicology

Michael Aschner, Ph.D., presented “Manganese Neurotoxicity: From Worms to Neonates,” at the 2008 Sitlington Lecture in Toxicology.

Aschner is the Gray E.B. Stahlman Chair in Neuroscience and Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

“Aschner is a widely recognized expert in neurobiology with a wide range of research interests,” says Dr. Carey Pope, Regents Professor, head of the physiological sciences department and Sitlington Chair in Toxicology. “He incorporates in vitro, rodent, primate and worm (C. elegans) models in his work to understand mechanisms of environmental toxicant-induced disease.”

According to Aschner, manganese is required for many processes within the body such as the metabolism of proteins and fats, regulating blood sugar levels and supporting blood clotting. Some people, such as welders, have particularly high exposures to manganese.