EDUCATION

1995 B.S. in Biological Sciences - California State University , Chico

 

2001 M.S. in Vertebrate Physiology - California State University , Chico

RESEARCH FOCUS

I am interested in the potential for neuroendocrine disruption of persistent organic chemicals. In particular I study the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) on vasopressin hormone release both in vivo and in vitro . Currently I am investigating the potential for these toxicants to interfere with cell signaling events required for hormone release in an effort to determine the mechanism(s) of action underlying the physiological effects of these toxicants.

INTERNSHIPS

During the winter and spring quarters of 2006 I worked with Dr. Prasada Kodavanti, Cellular and Molecular Toxicology Branch, Neurotoxicology Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle park, North Carolina.

PUBLICATIONS

Coburn, C.G.,  Margarita C. Currás-Collazo and Prasada Rao S. Kodavanti (2007). Comparative effects of ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners on calcium homeostasis in rat brain in vitro. Neurochemical Research 33(2), 355-364.

Coburn, C.G.,  Margarita C. Currás-Collazo and Prasada Rao S. Kodavanti (2007). Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) as neuroendocrine disruptors of vasopressin release: effects during physiological activation and structure-activity relationships.  Toxicological Sciences 98(1), 178-186.

Coburn, C.G., Gillard, E.R. and M.C. Curras-Collazo. (2005) Dietary exposure to the PCB mixture Aroclor 1254 alters central and peripheral vasopressin release in response to dehydration in the rat. Toxicological Sciences 84, 149-156.

Gillard, ER, Coburn, C.G., de Leon, A., Snissarenko, EP.,  Bauce, LG., Pittman, QJ., Hou, B., and M.C. Curras-Collazo (2007). Vasopressin autoreceptors and nitric oxide-dependent glutamate release are required for somatodendritic vasopressin release from rat magnocellular neuroendocrine cells responding to osmotic stimuli. Endocrinology 148(2), 479-489.

Gillard, E.R. Gillard, M. Leon-Olea, S. Mucio-Ramirez, C.G. Coburn, E. Sanchez-Islas, A.  deLeon, H. Mussenden, L.G. Bauce, Q.J. Pittman and M.C. Curras-Collazo (2006) A novel role for endogenous pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) in the magnocellular neuroendocrine system. Endocrinology 147(2), 791-803.

G. Rodriguez-Fuentes, C.G. Coburn, M.C. Curras-Collazo and D. Schlenk. Effect of osmotic stress on the expression of FMO mRNA, protein and catalytic activity in rat kidney.  Submitted