Douglas M. Ruden

Douglas M. Ruden is a Professor and Director of Epigenomics at Wayne State University’s Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, housed within the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He holds joint appointments in IEHS and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Research Focus: Dr. Ruden’s laboratory investigates how environmental toxicant exposures during pregnancy influence long-term child health outcomes. His work integrates toxicogenomics, stem cell biology, and epigenomics to uncover the mechanisms underlying developmental programming and disease susceptibility.

Current projects include NIH-funded ECHO consortium studies examining prenatal exposures to phthalates, PFAS, heavy metals, and dietary factors in relation to neurodevelopment, metabolic health, and epigenetic alterations in children. His lab also develops high-throughput screening platforms using embryonic and trophoblast stem cells to model stress responses and predict developmental toxicity.

Teaching Contributions: Dr. Ruden teaches graduate-level courses including Interdisciplinary Cell and Molecular Biology (IBS7015), Introduction to Genetics (MGG7015), Bioinformatics (MGG7050), and Advanced Topics in Pharmacology (PHC7650), emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches in environmental health sciences and genomics.

Laboratory and Collaborations: The Ruden lab collaborates extensively with the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Henry Ford Health Systems as part of the ECHO program. These partnerships enable large-scale cohort studies and translational research linking environmental exposures to pediatric health outcomes.