Jennifer Schlezinger

Dr. Schlezinger’s expertise is in the field of molecular toxicology and focused on how environmental toxicants usurp the function of ligand-activated transcription factors to disrupt physiological function. In the early part of her career, she focused on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and its activation by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls. She collaborated with Dr. David Sherr, an immunologist, to determine how PAHs suppress B lymphocyte development and impair immune function. This led to her introduction to nuclear receptors, as she transitioned to investigate the effects of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) ligands on B cell development. She found that PPARγ ligands were not only directly acting on the developing B cells, but also changing the microenvironment of the bone marrow, because PPARγ ligands skew multipotent cell differentiation from bone formation to adipose formation. For the past ten years, the overarching goal of her laboratory’s research is to determine how exposure to environmental toxicants impair bone, liver and adipose homeostasis, which lays the foundation for osteoporosis and metabolic disease. She has investigated nuclear receptor activation (e.g., PPARγ, RXRs, LXRs) in bone/adipocyte forming cells and the physiological impact of environmental chemical-driven changes in the activities of these receptors. She then expanded her focus to include examining the role of environmental toxicants in development of metabolic disease, showing that environmental PPARγ ligands contribute to the development of pathological adipose tissue and metabolic dyshomeostasis. Most recently, Dr. Schlezinger’s research has turned to investigating the effects of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on activation of diverse nuclear receptors (e.g., PPARα, CAR and PXR) and the consequences for metabolic and bone health. She also is currently investigating the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 infection with PFAS exposure with viral immunologist, Dr. Florian Douam (NEIDL). To conduct human relevant research on PFAS in animal models, she has developed novel animal models and experimental designs to maximize the applicability of the results to understanding adverse health effects in people.