Sairam V. Jabba

I am investigating the toxicological, addictive and behavioral effects of nicotine, flavorings, sweeteners and other constituents added to modified risk tobacco products, including E-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and oral nicotine products. Further, I study the role of sensory receptors, including but not limited to TRP ion-channels, nicotinic receptors, taste receptors, in mediating these effects. 

Project I: Identify novel chemical products of E-cigarette flavorants generated during storage, heating and vaporization and examine their toxicological effects. Further, determine the cellular, metabolic and genotoxic effects of these adducts in respiratory cells.

Project II: Inhalation toxicity and sensory effects associated with anesthetic and synthetic cooling flavors in e-cigarette liquids.

Project III: Risk assessment analysis of flavors and chemical additives in tobacco products.

Project III: Determine the role of synthetic sweeteners and sweet flavors in initiation and consumption of tobacco products.

 Project V: Sensory and pharmacological effects of solvent chemicals of E-cigarette liquids.

In my Tobacco Regulatory Science research, I employ multidisciplinary approaches that includes a combination of:

• tobacco product analytical chemistry
• high-throughput functional screening assays to record respiratory irritant receptors (TRP ion-channels) responses to chemical stimuli and for determining the sensory irritant potential of tobacco product constituents
• high-throughput pharmacological and toxicological cell-culture model systems for testing the cytotoxic, molecular and metabolic functional effects of tobacco product flavorants on airway epithelial cells
• innovative organ-on-a-chip toxicity assays
• established rodent models of tobacco product and nicotine consumption
• flavorant and sweet receptor-deficient mouse strains to study flavor and sweetener effects on nicotine consumption, sensory irritant effects of tobacco chemical exposures