Sean M. Richards

Sean M. Richards is a Professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) specializing in environmental toxicology, ecotoxicology, and metabolomics. His research focuses on the effects of toxicants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, and pharmaceuticals on human and ecological health, including studies on low birth weight in Hamilton County infants and the ecological impacts of pharmaceuticals in surface waters.

• Current Projects: Investigating placental exposure to pollutants, metabolomic profiling for cancer and fetal anomaly detection, and pharmaceutical ecotoxicology.
• Collaborations: Partnerships with institutions like Columbia University, University of Salerno, and Erlanger Hospital.

His work includes probabilistic risk assessments, biomarker quantitation (e.g., HPLC, atomic absorption spectroscopy), and interdisciplinary applications of metabolomics in toxicology and environmental health. Recent publications highlight metabolomic trends in endometrial cancer screening, pharmaceutical environmental persistence, and fetal growth restriction linked to placental toxicants.

Dr. Richards teaches courses such as Environmental Toxicology (BIOL 5320), Risk Assessment (ESC 5650), and Hazardous Waste Management (CHEM 5160). He serves on the US EPA FQPA Science Review Board and as Associate Editor for Ecotoxicology.