Deborah Cory-Slechta

Dr. Deborah Cory-Slechta is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, where she leads an active research laboratory focused on understanding how environmental chemical exposures contribute to central nervous system disorders. Her work bridges animal models and human population studies to evaluate health risks and inform regulatory policies.

Her research interests center on environmental neurotoxicology, with specific expertise in metal toxicity (particularly lead, mercury, and arsenic), air pollution effects on brain development, and the interaction between chemical exposures and non-chemical stressors. Dr. Cory-Slechta's laboratory employs multiple techniques including behavioral assessments across species, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, neurotransmitter quantification, and histological analysis to identify neurotoxic effects of environmental contaminants.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on cumulative risk assessment, the neurotoxic effects of air pollution across the lifespan, and the synergistic interactions between chemical exposures and stress factors. Her work increasingly addresses environmental justice issues, examining how racial and socioeconomic disparities influence exposure patterns and health outcomes.

• Principal Investigator, Cory-Slechta Lab
• Faculty member, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience
• Member, Environmental Health Sciences Center
• Member, Institute for Human Health and the Environment
• Faculty in Neuroscience Ph.D. Program
• Faculty in Toxicology Ph.D. Program
• Faculty in Translational Biomedical Science Ph.D. Program

Dr. Cory-Slechta's laboratory currently includes research specialists and graduate students investigating projects related to enhanced neurotoxicity of metals in combination with other risk factors, developmental air pollution exposure effects on the brain, lead and prenatal stress associated epigenetic alterations, and endocrine disrupting chemical mixtures. Her research has significant implications for regulatory policy and public health protection against environmental neurotoxicants.