Jennifer Freeman, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Toxicology Phone: (765) 494-1408 Fax: (765) 496-1377 E-mail: jfreema@purdue.edu Full directory listing

Education

Research: Molecular and Systems Toxicology

Dr. Freeman's research interests are in toxicogenomics, environmental toxicology, and molecular cytogenetics. Her past research experience includes investigating the potential impacts of agrochemicals commonly reported to contaminate potable and surface waters using both in vitro and in vivo assays. This research evaluated various herbicides in both mammalian and anuran cell lines to assess cytotoxicity, alterations to the cell cycle, and genotoxicity. In vivo studies were conducted in metamorphing anuran species including the model species, Xenopus laevis, and in a native anuran species, Bufo americanus, to assess the potential genotoxicity and developmental impacts (e.g., time to metamorphosis) of common herbicide contaminants at environmental exposure concentrations.

Dr. Freeman also has experience working with the zebrafish model system. She has been involved in defining and characterizing the zebrafish genome using cytogenetic mapping and developing array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) platforms for the zebrafish. The array CGH platforms have been applied to investigate genetic imbalances in a genome-wide fashion in zebrafish developmental mutant and disease models including cancer models.

Dr. Freeman's current research efforts are focused on investigating the adverse effects of environmental stressors on human and environmental health using the zebrafish model system. Ongoing research projects include (1) Defining the influence of environmental stressors on genomic instability and carcinogenicity, (2) Investigating the role of structural genetic variation in response to exposure to environmental stressors, and (3) Identifying the role of environmental stressors in the onset of neurodegenerative disorders.

Teaching

Essentials of Environmental, Occupational, and Radiological Health Sciences (HSCI 202)

Advanced Techniques in Molecular Toxicology (HSCI 590)

Representative Publications

Freeman, J.L., C. Ceol, H. Feng, D.M. Langenau, C. Belair, H.M. Stern, A. Song, B.H. Paw, A.T. Look, Y. Zhou, L.I. Zon, and C. Lee. 2009. Construction and application of a zebrafish array CGH platform. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 48:155-170.

Yoder, J.A., J.P. Cannon, R.T. Litman, C. Murphy, J.L. Freeman, and G.W. Litman. 2008. Evidence for a transposition event in a second NITR gene cluster in zebrafish. Immunogenetics 60:257-265.

Freeman, J.L., A. Adeniyi, R. Banerjee, S. Dallaire, S. F. Maguire, J. Chi, B.L. Ng, C. Zepeda, C.E. Scott, S. Humphray, J. Rogers, Y. Zhou, L.I. Zon, N.P. Carter, F. Yang, and C. Lee. 2007. Definition of the zebrafish genome using flow cytometry and cytogenetic mapping. BMC Genomics 8: 195.

Shepard, J.L., J.F. Amatruda, D. Finkelstein, J. Ziai, K.R. Finley, H.M. Stern, K. Chiang, C. Hersey, B. Barut, J.L. Freeman, C. Lee, J.N. Glickman, J.L. Kutok, J.C. Aster, and L.I. Zon. 2007. A mutation in separase causes genome instability and increased susceptibility to epithelial cancer. Genes Dev. 21:55-59.

Redon, R. Ishikawa, K.R. Fitch, L. Feuk, G.H. Perry, T.D. Andrews, H. Fiegler, M.H. Shapero, A.R. Carson, W. Chen, E.K. Cho, S. Dallaire, J.L. Freeman, J.R. Gonzalez, M. Gratacos, J. Huang, D. Kalaitzopoulos, D. Komura, J.R. MacDonald, C.R. Marshall, R. Mei, L. Montgomery, K. Nishimura, K. Okamura, F. Shen, M.J. Somerville, J. Tchinda, A. Valsesia, C. Woodwark, F. Yang, J. Zhang, T. Zerjal, J. Zhang, L. Armengol, D.F. Conrad, X. Estivill, C.Tyler-Smith, N.P. Carter, H. Aburatani, C. Lee, K.W. Jones, S.W. Scherer, and M.E. Hurles. 2006. Global variation in copy number in the human genome. Nature 444:444-454.

Freeman, J.L., G.H. Perry, L. Feuk, R. Redon, S.A. McCarroll, D.M. Altshuler, H. Aburatani, K. Jones, C. Tyler-Smith, M.E. Hurles, N.P. Carter, S.W. Scherer, and C. Lee. 2006. Copy number variation: New insights in genome diversity. Genome Res. 16:949-961.

Freeman, J.L. and A.L. Rayburn. 2006. Aquatic herbicide contaminants: In vitro cytotoxicity and cell cycle analysis. Environ. Toxicol. 21:256-263.

Freeman, J.L., N. Beccue, and A.L. Rayburn. 2005. Differential metamorphosis alters the endocrine response in anuran larvae exposed to T₃ and atrazine. Aquat. Toxicol. 75:263-276.

Freeman, J.L. and A.L. Rayburn. 2005. Developmental impact of atrazine on metamorphing Xenopus laevis as revealed by nuclear analysis and morphology. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 24:1648-1653.

Freeman, J.L. and A.L. Rayburn. 2004. In vivo genotoxicity of atrazine to anuran larvae. Mutat. Res.-Gen. Tox. En. 560:69-78.