Michael Cowley

Michael Cowley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at NC State University and Director of the Toxicology Graduate Program. He leads the Cowley Lab, focusing on developmental epigenetics and environmental impacts on genome regulation and metabolic disease susceptibility.

Affiliations:

• Department of Biological Sciences
• Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE)
• Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease
• Program in Genetics
• Program in Toxicology
• Chancellor's Faculty Excellence Program

Research Interests:

• Epigenetic regulation of development and disease
• Environmental toxicants (e.g., cadmium) and metabolic programming
• Imprinted genes and their role in developmental disorders
• Intergenerational effects of maternal exposures

Highlights of Articles:

• Focus on cadmium-induced epigenetic changes and metabolic diseases like NAFLD
• Investigation of imprinted gene networks and their environmental interactions
• Use of mouse models to study transgenerational health effects

Awards:

• 2021 Society of Toxicology Paper of the Year Award
• 2020 CHHE Outstanding Member Award
• 2017 NIEHS Career Development Award
• 2012 King’s College London Medal Fellowship

Advising & Grants:

• Advised student Logan (PhD 2025)
• Funded by NIEHS, Ralph E. Powe, and other grants

Labs & Teams:

• Primary affiliation: Cowley Lab (Developmental Epigenetics and Environment)
• Collaboration with CHHE and functional genomics initiatives