Joel Meyer

Dr. Joel Meyer is a Professor and Sally Kleberg Distinguished Chair in Environmental Toxicology at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. He directs the Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program and co-chairs the Ecotoxicology and Environmental Health division. His research focuses on mitochondrial DNA damage mechanisms, environmental toxicants' effects on human/wildlife health, and neurodegeneration pathways using C. elegans models. He holds a PhD from Duke University (2003) and B.S. from Juniata College (1992).

Research Interests:

• Mitochondrial DNA repair and damage mechanisms
• Environmental pollutants' roles in neurodegeneration
• Epigenetic and genetic factors influencing toxin sensitivity
• Development of low-cost toxicology education tools

Grants (2024-2025):

• DoD-funded study on Gulf War Illness biomarkers
• NICHD research on pollutant-induced neurodegeneration mechanisms
• Acoustofluidic device development for worm imaging

Career Contributions: Developed C. elegans as a model system for environmental toxicology, published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and pioneered mitochondrial bioenergetics studies in human populations. Collaborates with Duke's Superfund Research Center and Global Health Institute.

Labs: Leads the Meyer Lab at Duke, focusing on environmental justice and translational toxicology research. Lab activities include mitochondrial dysfunction studies, neurotoxicology assays, and epigenetic biomarker development.