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Archives Spring 2000

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From the Source

Toxicologist Elise Jackson relishes the application of industrial research

Photo by Will Owens

A native of Los Angeles, Elise Jackson became interested in toxicology as an undergraduate at UC-Berkeley. In 1995, she entered graduate school at Carolina in the Curriculum of Toxicology (part of the school of medicine). While completing her dissertation, Ms. Jackson worked full-time for the Chemical Institute of Toxicology in Research Triangle Park. The Fountain spoke with her in October 1999 about her experiences as a graduate student in a corporate setting. Elise has since completed her dissertation and now works as a scientist for Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Boulder, Colorado.

The Fountain: Could you tell us about the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology (CIIT) in which you conducted your dissertation research?

Elise Jackson (EJ): CIIT was created by several major U.S. chemical companies to meet a common need for understanding and assessing the potential effects of chemicals on human health. It is a private, non-profit research institute that is a cross between an academic and an industrial lab. The institute publishes its work, and, as a result, has been an important contributor to the scientific and industrial communities for over 25 years now.

Fountain: How did you become involved with this institute?

EJ: Many scientists on staff here at the institute have faculty appointments at local universities. My advisor, Dr. Les Recio, is an adjunct professor in UNC's Curriculum of Toxicology. It is because of him that I'm able to conduct my research here rather than on a campus lab.

Fountain: What appeals to you most about doing research in an industrial setting?

EJ: For one thing, it is a real team environment. I can walk down the hallway and get a pathologist to look at some slides for me or I can quickly locate an expert in inhalation exposure systems. They are all in this building and they all have some idea of the type of chemical I’m working on or the issue I’m approaching. This is a relatively small institute and we all know each other. It has allowed me to have diverse interests. I can learn a little bit about this and a little bit about that without ever having to leave the building. To me, that’s the best environment for conducting research. I also like the direct public applicability of industrial research. The data that I collect will impact product development, the products that people see, the safety of products that people are using…and that’s satisfying to me.

Fountain: Tell us a little bit about the current research that you are conducting.

EJ: Right now, I am focusing on butadiene, a chemical that is used in the manufacturing of certain rubbers and plastics. It is also carcinogenic in some laboratory animals. When butadiene is absorbed into the body and chemically altered by certain enzymes during the body's metabolic processes, it can become toxic. My main objective is to understand which one of the enzymes in our livers is responsible for that metabolism. For the purposes of risk assessment, we need to understand not only which enzyme is involved, but how there are differences in those enzymes between people. In the lab, this means using genetically altered mice to compare the effects of butadiene on specimens that lack selected enzymes.

Fountain: How important has this off-campus research been to your experience at Carolina?

EJ: The chance to work out here at CIIT is actually one of the reasons that I came to Carolina in the first place. When I was in my last year as an undergraduate at UC-Berkeley, I was reading manuscripts from folks who were from this building, and I was interested in the work that they were doing. When I found out that I could actually go to Carolina and work here, all I needed was an admissions letter.

Fountain: How has spending so much time off-campus affected the other parts of your Carolina experience?

EJ: It hasn’t really changed things that much. I’m still a graduate student, I’m young, and I enjoy meeting other students and hanging out. Just because I don’t do my research on campus doesn't mean I don't enjoy being there. I mean seriously, you can’t beat the campus environment on game day. I enjoy being around other students that have the same interest in learning or traveling or the same Generation X issues that I have. I need those interactions.

Fountain: How do you anticipate that your experiences in an industrial setting will affect your future career plans?

EJ: In the immediate future I see myself working in a small industrial setting, and really taking several years to get my feet wet on a scientific level. I think that my choice of employment at Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals will provide me with the opportunity to learn a great deal, as well as earn and keep a reputation in the scientific arena. Broadly speaking, I will probably pull directly on some of the skills I learned at CIIT: organization, presentation and public speaking skills, and understanding the bridge between science and business. After a few years, I can see myself transitioning into more of a managerial role, and learning more about the 'business of science.' Without a doubt, it was my training at CIIT that sparked my interest in these issues.

- John Adrian

 

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