Resume

• 2018

  Awarded a certificate of completion for the Senior Executive Fellows Program

  January 2018

  John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University

  Executive Education.

  Harvard Kennedy School

• 1997

  Ph.D.

  Biology

• 1993

  BA

  Biology

• Science Policy

  Assay Development

  Molecular Biology

  Grant Writing

  Toxicology

  Environmental Science

  Environmental Policy

  Cell Biology

  RT-PCR

  Lifesciences

  Genetics

  Data Analysis

  Public Health

  Developmental Biology

  Scientific Writing

  Environmental Awareness

  Science

  Research

  Risk Assessment

  Life Sciences

  Toxicological Review of RDX

  Toxicological Review of RDX

  Willi Suter

  Yi Yang

  Author Order: D'Amico

  Seng

  Yang

  Suter\nBook Chapter\nPublisher: Wiley\nISBN: 978-0-470-42513-8

  Assessment of Drug-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Zebrafish

  Government Report. Multiple Authors.\n\nIntegrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Assessment of Ammonia. Member of assessment team.

  Toxicological Review of Ammonia

  Noncancer Inhalation

  H.F. Nijhout

  Goggy Davidowitz

  Author Order: D'Amico

  Davidowitz

  Nijhout\n\nThe evolution of body size is a dominant feature of animal evolution. However

  little is known about how the underlying developmental mechanisms that determine size change as body size evolves. Here we report on a case of body size evolution in the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta that occurred over a period of nearly 30 years. We take advantage of an extensive series of physiological studies performed in the early 1970s that established the parameters that regulate body size in this species and compare their values with those of modern individuals that are descendants of the same colony. We show that three of the five processes that determine adult body size changed during this period

  while two remained constant. Changes in these three developmental processes completely account for the observed evolutionary change in body size.

  The developmental and physiological basis of body size evolution in an insect.

  Government Report. Multiple Authors.\n\nIntegrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Assessment for Benzo[a]pyrene. Assessment team member.

  Toxicological Review of Benzo[a]pyrene

  Myrtle Davis

  Elizabeth Glaze

  Chunqi Li

  Author Order: D'Amico

  Li

  Glaze

  Davis

  Seng\nBook Chapter\nPublisher: Wiley\nISBN: 978-0-470-42513-8

  Zebrafish: A Predictive Model for Assessing Cancer Drug-Induced Organ Toxicity

  H.F. Nijhout

  Goggy Davidowitz

  Author Order: Davidowitz

  D'Amico

  Nijhout\n\nAdult body size in animals is determined by the duration of the growth period and the amount of mass gained during that period. Few models of body size regulation distinguish between these two components or explicitly address the mechanisms that control the duration of the growth period. Body size in the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta is controlled by three underlying physiological factors: growth rate; timing of the onset of juvenile hormone decay (which initiates the processes leading to pupation)

  as measured by the critical weight; and the timing of prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH

  which stimulates ecdysteroid secretion) and ecdysteroid secretion

  as measured by the interval to cessation of growth (ICG

  the time interval between the attainment of the critical weight and entry into the pre-pupal wandering stage). The critical weight and the ICG determine the duration of the growth period

  while growth rate determines how much mass accumulates during that period. We studied how phenotypic plasticity of body size in M. sexta

  in response to variation in temperature and diet quality

  is affected by phenotypic plasticity of these

  three physiological determinants of body size. We show that plasticity of size in response to diet quality is regulated by variation in growth rate and critical weight

  while plasticity of size in response to temperature is regulated by variation in growth rate and the ICG. These results demonstrate the importance of the timing of hormonal events in the regulation of phenotypic plasticity. We suggest that the differential sensitivity of the physiological processes that regulate body size may enable insects to adjust adult body size in response to simultaneous variation in multiple types of environmental stimuli.

  The effects of environmental variation on a mechanism that controls insect body size.

  Government Report. Multiple Authors.\n\nAmerica's Children and the Environment is an EPA report that presents key information on environmental stressors that can affect children's health.

  America's Children and the Environment

  H.F. Nijhout

  Michael Browder

  Author Order: Browder*

  D'Amico

  Nijhout\n*denotes mentored undergraduate researcher\n\nThe activity of juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) in feeding fifth instar larvae of Manduca sexta increases gradually with larval weight and rises to a peak after larvae pass the critical weight when juvenile hormone secretion ceases. Starvation of larvae of Manduca sexta (L.) that had exceeded the critical weight inhibited peak levels of JHE

  but did not delay entry into the wandering stage when larvae leave the plant in search of a pupation site. This suggests that peak levels of JHE may not be essential for the normal timing of metamorphosis. Starved larvae pupated normally

  indicating the peak of JHE was not necessary for a morphologically normal pupation. Treatments of larvae with the selective JHE inhibitor O-ethyl-S-phenyl phosphoramidothiolate (EPPAT) that began immediately after larvae achieved the critical weight (6.0 to 6.5 grams for our strain of Manduca) delayed entry into the wandering stage. By contrast

  EPPAT treatment of larvae at weights above 8.0 g had no effect on the subsequent timing of the onset of wandering. Therefore

  although the normal timing of the onset of wandering does not require peak levels of JHE

  it requires low to moderate levels of JHE to be present until larvae reach a weight of about 8.0 g.

  The role of low levels of juvenile hormone esterase in the metamorphosis of Manduca sexta.

  Anthony DeLise

  Author Order: Haldi

  Harden

  D'Amico

  DeLise

  Seng\nBook Chapter\nPublisher: Wiley\nISBN: 978-0-470-42513-8

  Developmental Toxicity Assessment in Zebrafish

  H.F. Nijhout

  Goggy Davidowitz

  Author Order: Davidowitz

  D'Amico

  Nijhout\n\nBody size is one of the most important life history characters of organisms

  yet little is known of the physiological mechanisms that regulate either body size or variation in body size. Here

  we examined one of these mechanisms

  the critical weight

  which is defined as the minimal mass at which further growth is not necessary for a normal time course to pupation. The critical weight occurred at 55% of peak larval mass in laboratory-reared larvae of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta. We examined the effects of genetic and environmental variation in the critical weight on body size. As in many other insects

  Manduca larvae reared on poor diets were smaller and those reared at lower temperatures were larger than control animals. We demonstrated that the critical weight was lower on low quality diets but did not change with temperature. There was significant genetic variation for body size

  for plasticity of body size

  and for critical weight

  but not for plasticity of critical weight. Variation in the critical weight accounted for 73% of between-family variance in peak larval size

  whereas plasticity of critical weight was not significantly correlated with plasticity of body size. Our results suggest that although critical weight is an important factor in determining body size and enabling the evolution of body size

  it may

  at the same time

  act as a constraint on the evolution of plasticity of body size. Thus

  the determinants of body size and the determinants of plasticity of body size do not need to be identical.

  Critical weight in the development of insect body size.

  Louis

  D'Amico

  Phylonix Pharmaceuticals

  Northeastern University

  US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  Duke University

  Worked with the Graduate School to develop materials to improve student recruitment.

  Duke University

  Lecturer / Post-Doc

  Taught Genetics and Molecular Biology for undergraduates. Taught additional smaller graduate and undergraduate seminar classes. Also continued research on insulin and steroid signaling in developing tissues

  Northeastern University

  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  Office of Children's Health Protection

  Developed national indicators of environmental health for the 3rd edition of America’s Children and the Environment. Authored indicators on Bisphenol A

  Obesity

  and Food Contaminants. \n\nReviewed and provided comment on Agency risk assessments and toxicological reviews for OCHP. Participated in Agency workgroups to develop chemical action plans under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Participated in interagency discussions on emerging chemicals of concern. \n\nMember of USEPA workgroup developing a training program on new developments in computational tools for risk assessment. Member of USEPA partnership reviewing the development of a new research program within the Office of Research and Development

  “Chemical Safety for Sustainability.”

  AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow

  Arlington

  Virginia

  Office of Research and Development / National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA)\n\nI provide high-level program advice on all aspects of science communications

  outreach

  and science policy. NCEA develops high profile

  environmental and human health assessments that inform decisions made by EPA.\n\nLeads the development and implementation of communication strategies to make complex scientific assessments and topics accessible to a wide array of audiences

  and builds awareness for NCEA products. Serves as point of contact with ORD for inquiries on NCEA products. Oversees

  directs

  and provides training to science communication staff to balance and meet competing deadlines. Coordinates

  advises

  and supports NCEA managers and staff with media interactions

  including the development of talking points and recommending key messages. \n\nOversees development and implementation of diverse internal and external communications materials to meet NCEA project needs

  including press releases

  fact sheets

  web and social media content

  blog posts

  desk statements

  and news bulletins. Develops responses to media inquiries and maintains and builds relationships with media. Prepares materials for ORD senior management briefings. Prepares congressional responses

  including testimony

  questions for the record

  and mandated reports to Congress. As director

  reviews

  edits

  and approves written materials describing center activities for internal and external release. Responds to public stakeholder inquiries and maintains relationships with stakeholders. Meets with external stakeholders who request meetings with NCEA senior management to discuss science policy and technical issues. \n \nMaintains awareness of science policy issues of importance to NCEA and ORD. Tracks congressional activity and language that could impact NCEA activities. Leads the development of responses and communications about advisory reports (NAS

  GAO) that impact NCEA.

  Assistant Center Director

  Communications and Regulatory Support

  US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  Continued research on the regulation of body size and tissue growth.

  Duke University

  US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  Washington D.C. Metro Area

  Provides scientific expertise and science policy guidance and advice to the Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science and EPA Science Advisor

  as well as other senior leaders in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

  Senior Science Advisor

  Led and contributed to original and client-sponsored toxicology research. Managed projects for clients

  including execution of experiments

  data collection and analysis

  and writing final reports. Coordinated activities and trained research assistants and interns to assist on client projects. Revised and reviewed standard operating procedures (SOPs) to improve quality control. Specialized in assays involving developmental toxicity

  cardiac toxicity

  and neurotoxicity. \n\nParticipated in the development of multiple successful grant proposals. Served as Primary Investigator on grant to fund the development of new toxicity assays. Presented or contributed to presented research at multiple national and international meetings. Contributed to the development of company intellectual property. \n\nServed as Chemical Hygiene Officer. Coordinated waste removal

  as well as developed employee safety protocols.

  Phylonix Pharmaceuticals

  US EPA

  Arlington

  Virginia

  Office of Research and Development / National Center for Environmental Assessment / Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Program\n\nAssessment Manager - Develop hazard assessments

  author sections

  and coordinate progress of toxicological reviews.\n\nInteragency Review Facilitator - Co-coordinate the interagency review process for IRIS assessments

  manage communication with interagency reviewers

  and structure interagency meetings. Coordinate with Assessment Managers to insure response to comments are appropriate.\n\nDatabase Development - Co-designed and developing a database to collect

  respond to

  and analyze comments received during assessment development.\n\nGeneral Toxicology Workgroup - Contribute to the development of toxicological reviews through authoring and review of sections of ongoing assessments.

  Biologist