Gerald A. LeBlanc explained

Gerald A. LeBlanc
Occupation:Biologist, toxicologist, author, and academic
Education:BS in Biology
MA in Biology
PhD in Biology
Alma Mater:University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Bridgewater State University
University of South Florida
Thesis Title:Glutathione S-Transferases of Daphnia magna: Characterization of Structure and Function
Thesis Year:1986

Gerald A. LeBlanc is an American biologist, toxicologist, author, and academic. He is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biological Sciences at the North Carolina State University.[1]

LeBlanc's research interests span the fields of environmental toxicology and risk assessment with a focus on investigating the processes involved in the endocrine regulation of reproduction and development, as well as how environmental agents can disrupt these processes. He is the author of the book, Everyday Chemicals: Understanding the Risks and has published over 190 articles.[1]

Education and early career

LeBlanc received his bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 1975, followed by a Master's in Biology from Bridgewater State University in 1981. Following his Bachelor's, he started his professional career as an Aquatic Toxicologist at EG&G Bionomics in Wareham, Massachusetts in 1975, a position he held for five years. Subsequently, in 1980, he was appointed as the Director of Toxicology and held that position until 1983. He then joined the University of South Florida in Tampa in 1983 as a Research Associate and received his Ph.D. in biology in 1986. From 1986 to 1989 he served as a Research Fellow in the Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School where he completed his post-doctoral training.[2]

Career

LeBlanc began his academic career in 1989 at North Carolina State University, where he became a professor of Toxicology and Environmental Health. He also served as an adjunct professor from 2012 to 2016 in the Department of Biological Sciences at Clemson University in South Carolina.[3]

Research

LeBlanc is most known for his contributions to the field of environmental health sciences, focusing his research on the effects of environmental contaminants on human and environmental health. With a particular emphasis on endocrine-disrupting compounds, his research has centered on exploring the mechanisms of action and toxicological properties of diverse environmental chemicals. In his book, Everyday Chemicals: Understanding the Risks, he has provided details into the potential health risks associated with chemicals to which people are commonly exposed and has given a nontechnical overview of the essential factors involved in assessing whether exposure to chemicals in everyday lives could cause harm.[4]

Endocrine disruption

LeBlanc's research in the field of toxicology, particularly centered on endocrine disruption, has contributed to the understanding of the impact of environmental contaminants on human[5] and wildlife health.[6] He investigated the impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on mammals,[7] fishes,[8] reptiles,[9] and invertebrates.[10] He identified the suite of nuclear receptors in the crustacean, Daphnia pulex,[11] and functionally characterized several of these receptors.[12] He deciphered the neuro-endocrine signaling pathway responsible for sex determination in some crustaceans,[13] including the discovery of the hormone responsible for sex determination, methyl farnesoate,[14] and its receptor protein.[15] He also demonstrated that some insecticides can mimic the action of methyl farnesoate in daphnids resulting in altered sex ratios of offspring.[16]

In 2005, LeBlanc created a mathematical model that integrated concentration addition, response addition, and toxicokinetic interactions to enable the assessment of the toxicity of chemical mixtures.[17] He demonstrated the utility of this model by assessing the joint toxicity of 9 chemicals commonly found in surface waters in the US.[18] This model has been used by regulatory agencies[19] and has been recommended by the National Research Council in the assessment of risks to endangered and threatened species from exposure to pesticide mixtures.[20]

Risk assessment

LeBlanc has conducted research in risk assessments, notably, identifying chemicals for prioritization in environmental risk assessments.[21] He suggested the integration of surrogate species and biomarkers of chronic toxicity into conventional toxicity assessments to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of environmental risk assessments.[22] In a collaborative study, he suggested that hepatic testosterone biotransformation enzymes serve as more reliable indicators of puberty compared to preputial separation, and recommended the inclusion of these enzymes in risk assessment protocols for potential xenoestrogens.[23] He assessed the risk associated with several environmental chemicals including phthalate esters in bottled drinking water[24] and tributyltin in marine organisms.[25]

Awards and honors

Bibliography

Books

Selected articles

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gerald LeBlanc. Toxicology Program.
  2. Web site: Longtime NC State Professor LeBlanc Named Head of Biological Sciences. College of Sciences.
  3. Environmental Toxicants and Unsaturated Fatty Acids Alter Toxicant Sensitivity and Allocation of Polar Lipids in Daphnia Magna. Namrata. Sengupta. May 1, 2016. All Dissertations.
  4. Web site: Everyday chemicals : understanding the risks.
  5. Chapel Hill bisphenol A expert panel consensus statement: Integration of mechanisms, effects in animals and potential to impact human health at current levels of exposure. Frederick S.. vom Saal. Benson T.. Akingbemi. Scott M.. Belcher. Linda S.. Birnbaum. D. Andrew. Crain. Marcus. Eriksen. Francesca. Farabollini. Louis J.. Guillette. Russ. Hauser. Jerrold J.. Heindel. Shuk-Mei. Ho. Patricia A.. Hunt. Taisen. Iguchi. Susan. Jobling. Jun. Kanno. Ruth A.. Keri. Karen E.. Knudsen. Hans. Laufer. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. Michele. Marcus. John A.. McLachlan. John Peterson. Myers. Angel. Nadal. Retha R.. Newbold. Nicolas. Olea. Gail S.. Prins. Catherine A.. Richter. Beverly S.. Rubin. Carlos. Sonnenschein. Ana M.. Soto. Chris E.. Talsness. John G.. Vandenbergh. Laura N.. Vandenberg. Debby R.. Walser-Kuntz. Cheryl S.. Watson. Wade V.. Welshons. Yelena. Wetherill. R. Thomas. Zoeller. August 1, 2007. Reproductive Toxicology. 24. 2. 131–138. 10.1016/j.reprotox.2007.07.005. 17768031 . 2967230 . 10481/24820 .
  6. Book: LeBlanc, Gerald A.. Endocrine Toxicology. May 22, 2010. CRC Press. 10.3109/9781420093100-14.
  7. Vickie S.. Wilson. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. January 1, 1998. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 148. 1. 158–168. ScienceDirect. 10.1006/taap.1997.8319. 9465275 .
  8. Louise G.. Parks. Ann O.. Cheek. Nancy D.. Denslow. Scott A.. Heppell. John A.. McLachlan. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. Craig V.. Sullivan. June 1, 1999. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Endocrinology. 123. 2. 113–125. ScienceDirect. 10.1016/S0742-8413(99)00010-9. 10442820 .
  9. Alterations in sexually dimorphic biotransformation of testosterone in juvenile American alligators (alligator mississippiensis) from contaminated lakes. M. P.. Gunderson. G. A.. LeBlanc. L. J.. Guillette. December 22, 2001. Environmental Health Perspectives. 109. 12. 1257–1264. 10.1289/ehp.011091257. 11748033. 1240508.
  10. Helen Ying. Wang. Allen W.. Olmstead. Hong. Li. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. September 10, 2005. Aquatic Toxicology. 74. 3. 193–204. ScienceDirect. 10.1016/j.aquatox.2005.05.010. 16046008 .
  11. Web site: Annotation, phylogenetics, and expression of the nuclear receptors in Daphnia pulex. Thomson. Susanne. Baldwin. William. Wang. Ying. Kwon. Gwijun. LeBlanc. Gerald. May 22, 2009. agris.fao.org.
  12. Interactions of the crustacean nuclear receptors HR3 and E75 in the regulation of gene transcription. Bethany R.. Hannas. Ying H.. Wang. William S.. Baldwin. Yangchun. Li. Andrew D.. Wallace. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. June 1, 2010. General and Comparative Endocrinology. 167. 2. 268–278. 10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.03.025. 20346363 . 2873136 .
  13. Allison A.. Camp. Jeonga. Yun. Samantha A.. Chambers. Maher H.. Haeba. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. February 1, 2020. Journal of Insect Physiology. 121. 104015. ScienceDirect. 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2020.104015. 31930975 . 210195862 . 7098118.
  14. Allen W.. Olmstead. Gerald A.. Leblanc. December 1, 2002. Journal of Experimental Zoology. 293. 7. 736–739. CrossRef. 10.1002/jez.10162. 12410602 .
  15. A Transgenerational Endocrine Signaling Pathway in Crustacea. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. Ying H.. Wang. Charisse N.. Holmes. Gwijun. Kwon. Elizabeth K.. Medlock. April 17, 2013. PLOS ONE. 8. 4. e61715. 10.1371/journal.pone.0061715. 23613913. 3629115 . 2013PLoSO...861715L . free .
  16. Ligand-Mediated Receptor Assembly as an End Point for High-Throughput Chemical Toxicity Screening. Elizabeth K.. Medlock Kakaley. Stephanie A.. Eytcheson. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. August 15, 2017. Environmental Science & Technology. 51. 16. 9327–9333. 10.1021/acs.est.7b02882. 28708939. 5831241. 2017EnST...51.9327M .
  17. Web site: An Integrated Addition and Interaction Model for Assessing Toxicity of Chemical Mixtures.
  18. Toxicity Assessment of Environmentally Relevant Pollutant Mixtures Using a Heuristic Model. Allen W.. Olmstead. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. May 22, 2005. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. 1. 2. 114. CrossRef. 10.1897/IEAM_2004-005R.1. 45495510 . free.
  19. Predictive Modeling of a Mixture of Thyroid Hormone Disrupting Chemicals That Affect Production and Clearance of Thyroxine. J. L.. Flippin. J. M.. Hedge. M. J.. DeVito. G. A.. LeBlanc. K. M.. Crofton. September 22, 2009. International Journal of Toxicology. 28. 5. 368–381. CrossRef. 10.1177/1091581809341883. 19815844 . 206688219 . free.
  20. Web site: Assessing risks to endangered and threatened species from pesticides.
  21. Retrospective: Acute Toxicity of Priority Pollutants. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. September 1, 2016. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 97. 3. 301–302. Springer Link. 10.1007/s00128-016-1859-7. 27334097 . 206881731 . free.
  22. Chronic toxicity of environmental contaminants: sentinels and biomarkers.. G A. LeBlanc. L J. Bain. February 22, 1997. Environmental Health Perspectives. 105. suppl 1. 65–80. 10.1289/ehp.97105s165. 9114278. 1470223.
  23. Web site: Neonatal Low- and High-Dose Exposure to Estradiol Benzoate in the Male Rat: I. Effects on the Prostate Gland.
  24. Phthalate Esters and Their Potential Risk in PET Bottled Water Stored under Common Conditions. Xiangqin. Xu. Gang. Zhou. Kun. Lei. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. Lihui. An. January 22, 2020. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 17. 1. 141. 10.3390/ijerph17010141 . 31878152 . free . 6982309.
  25. Jia. You. Jun-min. Gao. Ping-ting. Fu. Gerald A.. LeBlanc. Jin-song. Guo. Li-xia. Zhang. Mao-qiu. Li. November 1, 2022. Science of the Total Environment. 845. 157276. ScienceDirect. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157276. 35835194 . 2022ScTEn.845o7276Y . 250464518 .

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