Theodore Alan Slotkin

We study the interaction of drugs, hormones and environmental factors with the developing organism, with particular emphasis on the fetal and neonatal nervous system. The role of biochemical factors mediating development of nerve cells and other types of tissue is a major thrust, since they influence the subsequent structural and physiological status of critical organ systems. Ongoing projects comprise five areas: (1) Mechanisms regulating development of synapses - role of endocrine and other trophic factors, intracellular messengers in developing cells, control of target organ differentiation by neural input; (2) Adverse effects of exogenous agents on development, with an emphasis on identification of mechanisms by which behavioral or physiological damage occurs - drugs of abuse (especially nicotine), hormonal imbalances, environmental contaminants (especially pesticides), food additives, intrauterine growth retardation, fetal and neonatal hypoxia; (3) Control of fetal and neonatal cardiovascular and respiratory function by the immature nervous system - normal physiological mechanisms, responses to stress, factors mediating the transition from fetal to neonatal function, reactivity during delivery, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; (4) Breast cancer cell growth regulation - role of hormone and neurotransmitter receptors converging on common cell signaling mechanisms, and targeting of these receptors for cancer therapeutics.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology · 1979 - Present Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Basic Science Departments

Professor in Neurobiology · 1994 - Present Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments

Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · 2021 - Present Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

In the News

Published January 8, 2025

Climate Change & the Brain

Published February 20, 2020

Paternal Marijuana Will Impact Brain Development of Offspring

Published January 5, 2017

Animal Study Shows Harmful Effects of Secondhand Smoke Even Before Pregnancy

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Recent Publications

Cyclic Mechanism Affects Lumbar Spine Creep Response.

Journal Article Ann Biomed Eng · August 4, 2024 PURPOSE: This study aims to explore how cyclic loading influences creep response in the lumbar spine under combined flexion-compression loading. METHODS: Ten porcine functional spinal units (FSUs) were mechanically tested in cyclic or static combined flexi ... Full text Link to item Cite