Biography
Blossom received a B.S. in Natural Sciences (1992). She earned her PhD (1999) from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She completed a 3 year postdoctoral fellowship in Immunotoxicology at Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute in 2003.
Personal Statement
My research is focused on studying impacts of environmental toxicants on autoimmunity and hypersensitivity disorders in animal models. I am a basic scientist/immunologist/T cell biologist by training with specific expertise in immunotoxicology of water contaminants, namely the industrial solvent, trichloroethylene. I have been continuously funded as a PI since 2010. In my new R01 we will investigate the epigenetic impacts of TCE exposure in pathogenic subsets of CD4+ cells and study how they promote autoimmune disease.
Areas of Specialty
Immunology
Toxicology
Education
PhD
Courses Taught
Integrated Pharmacology I (PHRM 820 IP1), fall semester Integrated Pharmacology II (PHRM 825 IP2), fall semester (served as IOR) PHRM 305/805, fall semester
Research and Scholarship
Blossom SJ, Gokulan K, Arnold M, Khare S. Sex-dependent effects on liver inflammation and gut microbial dysbiosis after continuous developmental exposure to trichloroethylene in autoimmune prone mice. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Oct; 11: 569008. PMID: 33250767.
Blossom SJ, Melnyk SB, Simmen FA. Complex Epigenetic Patterns in Cerebellum Generated After Developmental Exposure to Trichloroethylene and/or High Fat Diet in Autoimmune-Prone Mice. Environ Sci Process Impacts. 2020. 22: 583. Selected by the Editor as one of the top 10% of papers published in ESPI based on exceptionally positive referee reports during peer review. PMID: 31894794.
Byrum SD, Washam CL, Patterson JD, Vyas KK, Gilbert KM, Blossom SJ. Continuous Developmental and Early Life Trichloroethylene Exposure Promoted DNA Methylation Alterations in Polycomb Protein Binding Sites in Effector/Memory CD4+ T Cells. Front Immunol. 2019. Aug 28; 10:2016. PMID: 31326514.
Khare S, Gokulan K, Williams K, Bai S, Gilbert KM, Blossom SJ. Irreversible effects of trichloroethylene on the gut microbial community and gut-associated immune responses in autoimmune-prone mice. J Appl Toxicol. 2019 Feb; 39(2):209-220. PMID: 30187502.
Blossom SJ, Fernandes L, Bai S, Khare S, Gokulan K, Yuan Y, Dewall M, Simmen FA, Gilbert KM. Opposing Actions of Developmental Trichloroethylene and High-Fat Diet Coexposure on Markers of Lipogenesis and Inflammation in Autoimmune-Prone Mice. Toxicol Sci. 2018 Jul; 164 (1): 313-327 PMID: 29669109.