Cheryl A. Dyer, Ph.D., Associate Research Professor,
Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences

Uranium is an abundant element whose environmental levels are highest where uranium mining/milling have occurred such as in the Four Corners region of the southwest U.S.  My laboratory has discovered that uranium impacts health not only by its radioactivity but as a heavy metal by mimicking estrogen’s actions. Uranium in the drinking water of female laboratory mice, at or below the safe drinking water level set by the U.S. EPA, causes tissues in the mice to respond as if they have been exposed to estrogen, for instance accelerating the onset of puberty. Uranium added to cultured human breast cancer cells causes them to grow faster, the same response that is observed when estrogen is added to the cells.

Our efforts now as a research group are many fold. We are investigating how uranium acts like estrogen using genetic, molecular and biochemical based techniques with cultured cells and laboratory mice.  At the same time NAU has nationally recognized environmental science researchers who we are working with to develop microbial or bacteria-based remediation to remove uranium from contaminated water sources. The translational nature of our research has attracted many undergraduate and graduate students who come from communities directly effected by environmental uranium.  These students will gain the skills and training to continue our research efforts to understand more about the increased health risks and problems associated with exposure to environmental uranium.

The Physiology Lab of
Cheryl A Dyer, Ph.D.