Dr. Christa Wright to Lead Chemical Insights' Toxicology Health Sciences Center

Wright joins team after leading work at Georgia State University

ATLANTA – Oct. 19, 2021 – Chemical Insights Research Institute of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. announced today that Christa Wright, Ph.D., has joined the team as Director of Toxicology to lead the organization’s efforts to expand its pollutant exposure laboratory and grow its toxicology health sciences program. Dr. Wright will join a team of scientists focusing on how chemical and particle exposures from global air pollution, emerging technologies and consumer products affect human health.

The Toxicology Center will expand Chemical Insights ability to study how biological factors may increase individual susceptibility to environmental disease. Dr. Wright will develop a framework for in vitro and chemical mechanistic toxicity research to characterize potential biomarkers of effect, which can be used to develop biological plausibility to support complementary epidemiological studies.

Dr. Wright joins Chemical Insights from an assistant professor position with Georgia State University where she conducted consumer product safety research along with teaching environmental health and environmental health toxicology. Dr. Wright’s extensive postdoctoral research training at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health focused on linking exposures of particles released from nano-enabled products to toxicology and genotoxicity of engineered metal nanomaterials will be an asset to the Toxicology Center’s current and future directives.

“Dr. Wright’s depth of research experience and ability to lead and advance the Toxicology Center will strengthen and expand our capabilities and knowledge in understanding the impact of pollutants on human health and how to reduce risks, ” said Dr. Marilyn Black, vice president of the Chemical Insights Research Institute.

One of Dr. Wright’s many accomplishments is the 2020 award for Best Platform Presentation and New Investigator Award at the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society Conference. Additionally, Dr. Wright’s recent project, “African American Susceptibility to Periodontal Disease Due to Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) Usage,” blends directly into one of Chemical Insights recent areas of research focused on determining the public health impact of vaping.

About Chemical Insights Research Institute

As an Institute of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. we deliver the scientific insight policymakers, healthcare providers, business leaders, and consumers depend on to make informed environmental health decisions. Combining the best minds, rigorous scientific research, and a commitment for thorough and accurate results, Chemical Insights is improving the health of people and the planet.

Our work lets people around the world know what chemicals are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the products we interact with every day. Our research and initiatives give them the knowledge of exactly what those chemicals are, how they may affect human health, and how to manage their impact. Our leadership role is to provide science or knowledge to implement improved practices, alternative product design, and changes that enable safer products and healthier environments.

To learn more, please visit chemicalinsights.org.

About Underwriters Laboratories

Underwriters Laboratories is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the UL public safety mission through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being. To learn more, visit UL.org.

Contacts

Denise Rushing
Director of Communications and Outreach
Denise.Rushing@ul.org
423-580-8831