Research Center for Developmental Toxicology and Pharmacology

The mission of the RCDToP is to advance knowledge, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of fetal or early postnatal developmental deficits influenced by maternal use of drugs (prescription medicines or substance use/abuse) or environmental toxicant exposures during gestation or neonatal period. This will be achieved through interdisciplinary collaborations for cutting-edge transitional research and premier education programs. The focus will be on neurodevelopmental deficits affecting cognition, language, learning, or intellectual abilities as well as on congenital abnormalities such as neural tube defects and congenital heart defects.

RCDToP Goals:

• Establish an integrative, multidisciplinary, and state-of-the-art research environment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) focused on neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Conduct pioneering basic and translational research to understand the molecular and pharmacological parameters in mother and fetus contributing to neurodevelopmental deficits.
• Develop therapeutic interventions and technologies for early diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
• Educate and train the next generation of researchers and clinicians in developmental biology, toxicology, and pharmacology (graduate students, post-docs, physician scientists or junior faculties).
• Secure funding from federal research grants, private foundations, or philanthropic donations.
• Contribute to the community and economic development in the state of Nebraska by reducing the burden of developmental disorders through accomplishing translational science, attracting high-potential candidates, and creating new jobs.
• Become a world leader in the research field focused on developmental toxicology and pharmacology.

A Message From Our Director

Welcome to the Research Center for Developmental Toxicology and Pharmacology (RCDToP). As the Founding Director, it is my immense pleasure to introduce this new multidisciplinary center established at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to address one of the most pressing challenges in maternal and infant health. Fetal developmental impairments induced by maternal use of drugs (prescription medicines or illicit substance use/abuse) or environmental toxicant exposures continue to be one of the major public health concerns in Nebraska, the United States, and worldwide. Exposure to these agents during pregnancy could lead to some form of neurodevelopmental or chronic congenital disorders. These developmental deficits can adversely impact several functions such as cognition, learning, language or intellectual abilities of children, which in turn can affect health, school, or social outcomes. Such disorders not only impact the normal daily activities of children affected by these conditions but also place a significant burden on their family members in terms of health care costs, time commitment, mental health and burnout.

Given the growing prevalence of medication/illicit drug use during pregnancy and continued exposure to environmental toxicants, advancing research in developmental toxicology and pharmacology has never been more important. Despite significant advances in biomedical science, critical knowledge gaps remain in understanding of how specific pharmacologic or environmental agents contribute to neurodevelopmental or congenital disorders. Furthermore, effective therapeutic and preventive strategies, as well as non-invasive diagnostic tools for early detection of developmental deficits, remain in their early stages of development.

The RCDToP will address each of these critical gaps through multi-disciplinary, collaborative, translational research.  Equally important, the center is committed to cultivating the next generation of scientists and clinicians through premier education, mentorship, and training programs that will strengthen the future workforce in developmental toxicology and pharmacology. Currently, researchers from UNMC and the broader NU system are working on focused research areas such as biomarker discovery, bioimaging tool development, therapeutic drug-development or public health assessments in developmental disorders and therapeutics. However, the RCDToP will create a central collaborative space at UNMC for fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration among scientists, clinicians, and data analysts with the research focus on toxin-associated developmental disorders, diagnostic, and intervention strategies. The center will provide the leadership, mentoring and infrastructure necessary to build on existing research excellence at UNMC. Together, we strive to reduce the burden of drug- and environmental toxicant-induced developmental disorders, improve the health outcomes of children and families, and mitigate associated healthcare costs in Nebraska and beyond.

Aditya N. Bade, PhD

Founding Director

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience