Associate Directors
Marion Miller, Ph.D, UC Davis
Marion Miller is sponsoring an initiative in a new field called NMR-based metabonomics. This powerful technique can take a snap-shot of the potentially hundreds of small organic molecules that make up the body’s metabolic system. These measurements can be made on tissue and biofluid samples (typically urine or blood) following exposure to toxicants, during the development of organisms, or throughout the progress of a disease. The analysis and interpretation of the resulting metabolite profiles is dependent upon computational and mathematical methods, termed bioinformatics. Metabonomics is ideally suited for examining mechanistic aspects of toxicology and for determining metabolic changes that can be associated with specific disease or exposure states. In conjunction with studies on the genetic composition of organisms and of the proteins expressed by those genes, metabonomic information could offer unprecedented insights into mechanisms of toxic action.
The aims of this initiative are to increase awareness of the emerging technique of NMR-based metabonomics, and to develop seed projects that could ultimately lead to future funding. An additional goal is to develop the necessary spectroscopic, statistical, and bioinformatic infrastructure. Accordingly, this initiative includes a collaboration with The Center for Image Processing and Integrated Computing at UC Davis under the direction of Dr. David Rocke. In addition, the UC Davis NMR Facility will provide technical support.
Joe Norbeck, Ph.D, UC Riverside
Joseph Norbeck is the Yeager Families Professor of Environmental Engineering and former Director of CE-CERT. He now heads the UCR Environmental Research Institute. He joined the University of California, Riverside, in January 1992 after working as head of the Chemistry Department, Research Staff, Ford Motor Co. He has a Ph.D. in Theoretical Chemistry from the University of Nebraska. He has published more than seventy-five papers in theoretical chemistry, atmospheric modeling, vehicle emissions, and advanced vehicle technology. His current research includes the relationship between vehicle emissions and air quality, development of renewable fuels, and development of advanced vehicle technology. Dr. Norbeck was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1999. He received the South Coast Air Quality Management District Clean Air Award in 1995, the Valley Group Award in 1997 for Excellence in Environment and Research, and was elected as local leader for the City of Riverside and received the Regional Leader of the Year Award in 1998. He has held a gubernatorial appointment as an Air Quality Expert on the California Inspection/Maintenance Review Committee and is a member of several other committees including the Cal/EPA Environmental Technology Partnership Task Force, the Executive Research Advisory Committee of the Society of Automotive Engineers, and Scientific Review Committee for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
