jan.mennigen@austin.utexas.edu
Background: Originally from Germany, I obtained my BSc and MSc equivalents in Biotechnology from the University of Stuttgart, with a major in Animal Physiology. During this time I participated in an academic exchange with the University of Ottawa, Canada, where I worked with Dr. Vance Trudeau. It was during this exchange year that I became interested in (comparative) endocrinology, and upon completion of my MSc equivalent in Germany, I pursued my PhD degree in Biology at the University of Ottawa under the supervision of Dr. Trudeau and Dr. Moon working on fish models. Specifically, my PhD research focused on (neuro)endocrine aspects of reproduction and energy balance in fish, but I also began studying the disruption of these neuroendocrine systems in fish by aquatic pollutants, particularly trace pharmaceuticals that are detected in rivers and lakes. Following my PhD, I obtained a European Marie-Curie scholarship, which allowed me to return to Europe to pursue a 2-year postdoctoral fellow ship at INRA, France. At INRA, I studied the (endocrine) regulation and comparative function of hepatic microRNAs in hepatic energy metabolism in fish.
Current research: I joined the Gore lab as a post-doctoral fellow in 2014. In the Gore lab, I am expanding my interest in endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to include different stages of the life cycle, which are especially vulnerable to endocrine disruption. In this context, my current research aims to determine developmental and transgenerational effects of EDCs and their mixtures in SD rats. A current focus of my research lies on the characterization of metabolic effects following developmental exposure of low-dose EDC mixtures, with a particular focus on potential neuroendocrine mechanisms of energy balance. Additionally, I am involved in a project elucidating potential transgenerational modes of actions of Arochlor 1221, a PCB mixture, on the reproductive phenotype of male and female SD rats. Our approach to determine potential transgenerational effects of A1221 on the reproductive phenotype in SD rats utilizes integrative analysis of several levels of biological organization, ranging form hypothalamic gene expression analysis to circulating hormone concentrations and the measurement of developmental and physiological indices of reproductive function.
For further information and publications, please see C.V. (pdf)