William W. Au, Ph.D.

Professor,  Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, Division of Environmental Toxicology

Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine

Director, International Science Outreach Program

Education: B.S. University of North Carolina

                  Ph.D. University of Cincinnati

                  Post-doctoral M.D. Anderson Tumor Institute, UT System
                  Cancer Center

Research Interests

Genetic and acquired susceptibility to environmental disease

Dr. Au’s research interest is in conducting molecular and cytogenetic studies to assess long-term health risk from exposure to environmental toxicants. The working hypothesis is that individuals who have inherited certain polymorphic metabolizing genes and DNA repair genes will have significantly increased chromosome aberrations and health risk compared with those having different versions of the genes. Cancer patients are studied to document which polymorphic genes  are associated with development of environmental diseases.
 

Teaching

Course Director:  Environmental Health and Toxicology (PMCH 6328) – for residents in the Aerospace, Occupational and General Preventive Medicine tracks

Course Director: Design and Methods in Clinical, Nutritional and Environmental Toxicology (PMCH 6322) – for graduate students in the Preventive Medicine graduate program

Course Director:  Gene, Environment and Disease (BBSC 6213) – for first year graduate students in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Other activities

Dr. Au is the Chairman of a series of international conferences on environmental mutagens in human populations (Egypt, 1992; Czech Republic, 1995; Thailand, 1998; Brazil, 2003; Turkey, 2007). 

Editor of the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 

Fellow – Collegium Ramazzini, an international honor society for environmental and occupational health.  Memberships are limited to 180 members.

Selected Publications (from 135 peer-reviewed publications and 30 monographs/book chapters)

Bonassi, S., W.W. Au.  Biomarkers in molecular epidemiology studies for health risk prediction.  Mutat. Res. 511, 73-86, 2002.

Au, W.W.  Susceptibility of children to environmental toxic substances.  Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health, 205, 1-3, 2002. 

Au, WW, Oberheitmann, B, Harms, C.  Assessing DNA damage and health risk using biomarkers.  Mutat. Res., 407, 1-11, 2002.

Sierra-Torres, H., Au, W.W., Arrastia, C.D., Cajas-Salazar, N., Robazetti, S.C., Payne, D.C., Tyring, C.K.  Polymorphisms for CYP2E1, GSTM1, and mEH, and the risk for cervical neoplasia.  Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 41, 69-76, 2003.

Cajas-Salazar N., Au, W. W., Zwischenberger, JB, Sierra-Torres, HS, Salama, SA, Alpard, SK, Tyring, SK.  Effect of expoxide hydrolase polymorphisms on chromosome aberrations and risk for lung cancer.  Cancer Genetics Cytogenet., in press, 2003.

Au, W.W., Sierra-Torres, C.H., Tyring, S.K.  Acquired and genetic susceptibility to cervical cancer.  Mutat. Res., in press, 2003.

Spengler RF, Anderson BE, Zenick HH, Au WW, Falk, H.  Findings and directions of the US superfund health research program.  Intern. J. Hyg. Env. Health (monograph) 205, 1 – 168, 2002.

Au, WW (consultant).  18 ways to decrease your cancer risk.  Consumer Reports on Health 15, 1-12, 2003.

Au, W.W.  Life style, environmental and genetic susceptibility to cervical cancer.   Toxicology 198, 117-120, 2004. 

Harms, C., Salama, S.A., Sierra-Torres, C.H., Cajas-Salazar, N., Au, W.W.   Polymorphisms in DNA repair genes, chromosome aberrations and lung cancer.  Environ. Mol. Mutag., 44:74-82, 2004.

Au, W.W., Navasumrit, P., Ruchirawat, M.  Use of biomarkers to characterize functions of  polymorphic DNA repair genotypes.  Int. J. Hygiene Environ. Health, 207, 301-313, 2004.

Au, W.W. and Salama, SA.  Cytogenetic challenge assays for assessment of DNA repair capacities.  In:  DNA Repair Protocols: Eukaryotic Systems.  Editor:  D Henderson.  Humana Press., in press, 2004.

Ashley, B.C., Birchfield, P.T., Chamberlain, B.V., Kotwal, R.S., McClellan, S.F., Moynihan, S.,  Patni, S.B., Salmon, S.A., Au, W.W.  Environmental health concerns from the consumption of irradiated food.  Int. J. Hygiene Env. Health, 207, 493-504, 2004.

Rivero, L.R., Persson, J.L., Romine, D.C., Taylor, J.T., Toole, T.C., Trollman, C.J., Au, W.W.  Towards the world-wide ban on indoor cigarette smoking in public places.  Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health, in press, 2005.

Cebulska-Wasilewska, A., Panek, A., Zabinski, Z., Moszczynski, P., Au, W.W.  Influence of occupational exposure to mercury vapour on genotoxicity and DNA repair.  Mutat. Res., in press, 2005.