Neurotoxicity of Metals

Assembles international authorities to address contemporary research in metal neurotoxicity. Essential and non-essential metals play an important role in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Recent developments in understanding the role of metals in the etiology of these disorders have led to rapid growth in clarifying the pathology of some of the most devastating diseases we face and in identifying potential new therapies. Few books or periodicals have been wholly dedicated to the topic of metals, and this collection is intended to serve as a resource for all researchers interested in metals and their role in health and disease.

Michael Aschner is the Gray E. B. Stahlman Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine as well as a Senior Investigator at the Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Dr Aschner's research group has a particular interest in the neurobiology and physiology of astrocytes and the signaling mechanisms associated with central nervous system injury. Dr Aschner's laboratory studies metal uptake and distribution in the brain, investigating the mechanisms of transport of methylmercury and manganese across the capillaries of the blood-brain barrier. His research utilizes various experimental models (C. elegans, tissue cultures and rodents) to understand the acute toxicity of manganese deposition in the brains of human neonates.