Bio

Dr. Heather Patisaul received her B.S. in Zoology in 1995 from the University of Florida and her Ph.D. from Emory University in 2001. Her lab explores the mechanisms by which endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) alter neuroendocrine pathways in the brain related to sex specific physiology and behavior. She is specifically interested in phytoestrogens, flame retardants, and BPA (Bisphenol A). The lab uses a variety of traditional and transgenic rodent models (rats, mice and voles) and employs a suite of neuroanatomical, neurobehavioral, and molecular testing strategies such as RNAseq, qtPCR, in situ hybridization, autoradiography and immunohistochemistry. Dr. Patisaul is a NIEHS ONES Award recipient and has participated on several national and international expert panels and workshops related to health effects associated with soy and other endocrine disruptors. She also chaired the 2016 Gordon Research Conference on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors.

Awards

2019, The Research Leadership Academy

Publications

• Sex-specific disruption of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) density in the social brain neural network by Firemaster 550 , Journal of the Endocrine Society (2026)
• Comprehensive Transcriptomic and Epigenomic Insights into Environmental Toxicant Exposures: The TaRGET II Resource , bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (2025)
• Cross-tissue molecular responses in the liver and blood after toxicant exposures , Research Square (2025)
• Developmental PBDE exposure impairs histamine release from mast cells by altering granule maturation and calcium signaling in adult male and female mice , bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (2025)
• Modeling the developing nervous system: a neuroscience perspective on the use of NAMs in DNT testing , Toxicological Sciences (2025)
• Neuropeptide receptor distributions in male and female Eulemur vary between female-dominant and egalitarian species , Biology Letters (2025)
• Response to reader comment on: Modeling the developing nervous system: a neuroscience perspective on the use of new approach methodologies in developmental neurotoxicity testing , Toxicological Sciences (2025)
• Toxicogenomic Insights into Environmental Toxicant Exposures: The TaRGET II Resource , Research Square (2025)
• Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in placental tissues of maternal and fetal origin in exposed Wistar rats and associations with thyroid hormone levels , Toxicological Sciences (2024)
• Identification of hippocampal area CA2 in hamster and vole brain , The Journal of Comparative Neurology (2024)