Directory Entry For: Daniel Conklin
Biography
I earned a Ph.D. in cardiovascular physiology from the University of Notre Dame (1995) and had NIEHS-Postdoctoral Fellow training in cardiovascular toxicology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston, TX; Dr. Paul Boor, M.D., 1996-1998). After 5 years as Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, I joined Drs. Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., and Sanjay Srivastava, Ph.D., at the University of Louisville in 2003 to pursue “Environmental Cardiology” research. I became a tenured Professor of Medicine in 2016, and currently, my research on the cardiovascular and pulmonary toxicity of air pollution and tobacco product-derived aerosols focuses on the role of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). My research is funded by a Superfund Research Center (P42); an American Heart Association - Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science (AHA-TCORS; U54); the Center for Cardiometabolic Science (P30); the Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences (P30); and FDA R01, and, a Department of Defense grant. Uniquely, all of these research Centers are virtually housed within the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute.
Research Interests
My research program investigates the high sensitivity of the cardiovascular system to the detrimental effects of inhaled toxicants including particulate air pollution, tobacco product aerosols, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as aldehydes. The sensitivity of the cardiovascular system is dependent on metabolism of inhaled and endogenously-generated aldehydes and selective targets of these aldehydes (e.g., receptors). For example, we recently found a role of the sensory system and the Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin-1 (TRPA1) in detection of noxious inhaled compounds and the triggering of nocifensive pulmonary and cardiovascular reflexes (Kratschmer Reflex) that lead to endothelial dysfunction. These responses are important in the context of environmental (e.g., wildfire smoke exposure) and tobacco product-derived exposures especially their potential utility in assessing cardiopulmonary disease risk of use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS; e-cigarettes) and also exposures to environmental pollutants.
Research Labs
Degrees and Certifications
University of Notre Dame, 1989-1995
University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, 1986-1989
University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, 1982-1986