Susan L. Schantz, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Veterinary Biosciences

Department of Veterinary Biosciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2001 S. Lincoln Ave.
Urbana, IL 61802
Phone: (217) 333-6230
E-mail: schantz@uiuc.edu

Area of Interest

My research program centers on understanding the neurobehavioral effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), methyl mercury, dioxins and related compounds. These widely dispersed and persistent environmental contaminants enter the human diet from a variety of sources. One of the primary sources of exposure is consumption of fish from polluted waters such as the Great Lakes. My research focuses on exposure to these compounds during development and aging, two periods when the nervous system is particularly vulnerable to toxic insult. My approach includes laboratory-based animal studies and parallel epidemiological studies of Great Lakes fish eaters. One aspect of my laboratory research program is mechanistically based, focusing on understanding the specific functional domains that are altered or impaired by contaminant exposure and the biological mechanisms underlying those impairments. Another aspect is risk-based, modeling actual human exposure to the complex mixtures of PCBs, methyl mercury, dioxins and other chemicals found in Great Lakes fish. The ultimate goal of the mixture studies is to identify the chemical components that mediate neuropsychological effects observed in exposed human populations.

Publications

Roegge, C. S., Seo, B.W., Crofton, K.M. and Schantz, S.L. (2000) Maternal exposure to Aroclor 1254 impairs radial arm maze performance in male offspring. Toxicological Sciences, 57:102-111. (featured in the Toxicological Perspective)

Schantz, S.L., Gasior, D.M., Polverejan, E., McCaffrey, R.J., Sweeney, A.M., Humphrey, H.E.B., and Gardiner, J.C. (2001) Impaired memory and learning in older adults exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls via consumption of Great Lakes fish. Environmental Health Perspectives 109:605-611.

Widholm, J.J., Clarkson, G.B., Strupp, B.J., Crofton, K.M., Seegal, R.F., and Schantz, S.L. (2001) Spatial reversal learning in Aroclor 1254 rats: Sex specific deficits in inhibitory control and associative ability. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 174:188-198.

Schantz, S.L., Gardiner, J.C., Gasior, D.M., Sweeney, A.M., Humphrey, H.E.B., and McCaffrey, (1999) R.J. Motor function in aging Great Lakes fisheaters, Environmental Research, 80:S46-S56.

Schantz, S.L., Sweeney, A., Gardiner, J., Humphrey, H., McCaffrey, R., Gasior, D., and Budd, M. (1996) Neuropsychological assessment of an aging population of Great Lakes fisheaters. Toxicology and Industrial Health, 12:403-417.

Keywords

cognitive function, motor function, aging, development, environmental chemicals