dr. SL (Samantha) Hughes

Every day, we are exposed to many different toxins from our environment, including pesticides, endocrine disruptors, PFAS, metals and nano/microplastics. These substances can enter our bodies where they have the potential to impact our health, potentially disrupting reproduction and development as well as contributing to disease. To unravel how such environmental toxins impact our health, I use the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. The simplicity and genetic similarity to humans make C. elegans ideal for studying the molecular basis of toxicity, as well as human diseases. My research portfolio explores how to use C. elegans as part of a multidisciplinary platform to probe the effects of environmental toxins and translate these to human health. Within the Toxicology group at the WUR, my focus is how exposure to pesticides is linked to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, thus bridging molecular biology with environmental health.