Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

Washington State University

1983
Ph.D. in Pharmacology/Toxicology

Washington State University

1996

Phone: (402) 559-6715
Email: jvanwaes@unmc.edu

The primary focus of my research is the study of gene-nutrient-environment interactions involved in normal and abnormal development, especially with respect to maternal teratogen exposures and congenital birth defects.  I am also interested in understanding the mechanism(s) through which maternal folate supplementation affords protection against certain types of birth defects, such as neural tube defects (NTDs) and other neural crest cell-derived congenital anomalies such as craniofacial malformations and conotruncal heart defects.  Some of the environmental toxicants and/or pharmacological agents being examined in my laboratory include arsenic, fumonisin, and alcohol.  We maintain several strains of inbred and outbred mice that display unique sensitivities to various teratogens.  In addition, we have transgenic mouse models in which genes for the GPI-anchored folate receptor (Folbp1) or the reduced folate carrier (RFC) have been inactivated.  These animal models provide excellent tools for the study of gene-environment interactions, and facilitate our understanding of the role of folate in the prevention of birth defects. 

1. Bennett GD, Gelineau-van Waes J, Moser K, Chaudoin T, Starr L, Rosenquist TH. (2006) Failure of Homocysteine to Induce Neural Tube Defects in a Mouse Model.  Birth Defects Research Part B: Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology 77(2):89-94.
2. Gelineau-van Waes, J., Aleman, F., Maddox, J.R., Bauer, L.K., Wilberding, J., Rosenquist, T.H., and R.H. Finnell (2006)  Folic Acid Prevents Conotruncal Malformations in Folbp1 Knockout Mice: Role of Folate in Cardiac Neural Crest Cell Survival and Migration.  In: Chemistry and Biology of Pteridines and Folates, Kluwer Academic Publishers (in press)
3. Finnell, R.H., Zhu, H., Rosenquist, T.H., Cabrera, R.M., and J. Gelineau-van Waes (2006) Embryonic Consequences of Abnormal Folate Transport: How Folic Acid Supplementation Prevents Complex Birth Defects.  In: Chemistry and Biology of Pteridines and Folates, Kluwer Academic Publishers (in press)
4. Riley, R.T., Voss, K.A., Speer, M., Stevens, V.L., and J. Gelineau-van Waes (2006).  Fumonisin Inhibition of Ceramide Synthase: A Possible Risk Factor for Human Neural Tube Defects.  In: Sphingolipid Biology, pp. 345-362, Y. Hirabayashi, A..J. Merrill and Y. Igarashi (eds), Springer Verlag, Tokyo. 
5. Voss, K. A., Riley, R. T., and J. Gelineau-van Waes (2005) Trends in fumonisin research: Recent Studies on the developmental effects of fumonisins and Fusarium verticillioides.  Mycotoxins 55(2):91-100.
6. Gelineau-van Waes, J., Starr, L., Maddox, J.R., Aleman, F., Voss, K.A., Wilberding, J. and R.T. Riley (2005)  Maternal fumonisin exposure and risk for neural tube defects: Disruption of sphingolipid metabolism and folate transport in an in vivo mouse model.  Birth Defects Research: Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology 73(7):487-497.
7. Rosenquist, T.H., Gelineau-van Waes, J., Shaw, G.M., and R. H. Finnell (2005) Nutrient Effects upon Embryogenesis: Folate, Vitamin A and Iodine.  In: The Impact of Maternal Nutrition on the Offspring; Nestle Nutr Workshop Ser Pediatr Program, (55):29-40.
8. Voss, K.A., Riley, R.T., Gelineau-van Waes, J., and C. Bacon (2004) Fumonisins: Toxicology, Emerging Issues, and Prospects for Control and Detoxification.  In: New Horizon of Mycotoxicology for Assuring Food Safety, Proceedings of the International Symposium of Mycotoxicology in Kagawa, Ed: T. Yoshizawa, Bikohsha Co., Takamatsu, Japan, pp. 41-48.
9. Marasas, W., Riley, R.T., Hendricks, K., Stevens, V.L., Sadler, T., Gelineau-van Waes, J., Missmer, S.A., Valverde, J.C., Torres, O., Gelderblom, W., Allegood, J., Martinez de Figueroa, A., Maddox, J., Miller, J.D., Starr, L., Sullards, M.C., Roman, A., Voss, K., Wang, E., and A.H. Merrill (2004) Fumonisins disrupt sphingolipid metabolism, folate transport, and development of neural crest cells in embryo culture and in vivo: a risk factor for human neural tube defects among populations consuming fumonisin-contaminated maize.  J. Nutrition 134(4):711-716.
10. Lammer, E., Shaw, G., Gelineau-van Waes, J., and R.H. Finnell (2004) Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy, Genetic Variation of N-acetyltransferases NAT1 and NAT2, and Risk for Orofacial Clefts.  Epidemiology 15(2):1-7.
11. Voss, K.A., Plattner, R., Gelineau-van Waes, J., and C. Bacon (2003) Current Trends in Mycotoxin Research: Deoxynivalenol and Fumonisins.  In: Proceedings of the NFRI International Symposium on Food Safety 2003, National Food Research Institute (Japan), Tsukuba, Japan, pp. 9-12.
12. Finnell, R.H., Wlodarczyk, B., Spiegelstein, O., Triplett, A.A., and Gelineau-van Waes, J. (2003)  Folate transport abnormalities and congenital defects.  In: Chemistry and Biology of Pteridines and Folates.  pp. 637-642.
13. Finnell, R.H., Gelineau-van Waes, J., Eudy, J.D., and Rosenquist, T.H.  (2002) Molecular Basis of Environmentally-Induced Birth Defects.  Ann. Rev. Pharmacol & Toxicol., Vol 42:181-208.
14. Wlodarczyk, B., J. Gelineau-van Waes, J.D. Eudy, R.L. Vorce, J.A. Piedrahita, G.B. Schaefer, and R.H. Finnell (2001)  Susceptibility to Arsenic-Induced Congenital Malformations in Genetically Susceptible Folate Binding Protein-2 (Folbp2) Knockout Mice,  Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 177:238-246.
15. Gelineau-van Waes, J. and R.H. Finnell, (2001) Importance of Model Organisms in Understanding the Biology and Genetic Basis of Human Nonsyndromic Neural Tube Defects.  Teratology 64(4):177-80.
16. Gelineau-van Waes, J. and R.H. Finnell (2001) Genetics of Neural Tube Defects.  In: Seminars in Pediatric Neurology  J.B. Bodensteiner (Ed), W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA  8(3):160-164.
17. Barber, R.C., Gelineau-van Waes, J., Lammer, E.J., Shaw, G.M., Rosenquist, T.H., Finnell, R.H. (2001)  Folic Acid and Homocysteine as Risk Factors for Neural Tube Defects.  In: Folate in Human Development, E.J. Massaro (Ed) Humana Press, Totwa, N.Y., p.165-181.
18. Gelineau-van Waes, J., and Finnell, R.H.  (2001)  Part VI. Genetics of Cleft Lip and Palate Chap. 18: The Human Genome Project.  In: Cleft Lip and Palate: From Origin to Treatment. Oxford Univ. Press, D.F. Wyszynski, ed., pp. 205-213.
19. Ruan, Y., Petersen, M.H., Wauson, E.M., Gelineau-van Waes, J., Finnell, R.H., and Vorce, R.L. (2000).  Folic acid protects SWV/Fnn embryo fibroblasts against arsenic toxicity.  Toxicol Letters 117:129-137.
20. Piedrahita, J.A., B. Oetama, G.D. Bennett, J. Gelineau-van Waes, S.W. Lacey, B.A. Kamen, J.Richardson, R. Lark, and R.H. Finnell, (1999)  Mice lacking the folic acid-binding protein are defective in early embryonic development.  Nature Genetics  23:1-5.