Senior Science Advisor — Office of the Center Director

Gonçalo Gamboa da Costa, Ph.D.
(870) 543-7121
NCTRResearch@fda.hhs.gov

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About  |  Publications  |  Lab Members

Background

Dr. Gonçalo Gamboa da Costa is a senior science advisor to the Center Director at FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR). He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, followed by an M.S. in technologic organic chemistry from the New University of Lisbon, Portugal, and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal. Following a postdoctoral appointment at the Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK, Dr. Gamboa da Costa became Director of the Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance at NCTR. Dr. Gamboa da Costa has been the principal investigator for several toxicological studies sponsored by an Interagency Agreement between the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Division of the National Toxicology Program and FDA/NCTR. His area of expertise is the implementation of mass spectral-based analytical methodologies to elucidate mechanisms of toxicity. Dr. Gamboa da Costa also serves as the FDA Liaison Officer to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and as the FDA representative in the Sustainable Chemistry Council, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Research Interests

Dr. Gamboa da Costa’s research interests are focused on the in-depth toxicological evaluation of food adulterants and food additives. He was the principal investigator of key toxicological studies sponsored by NTP aiming to clarify the combined toxicity of melamine and cyanuric acid. These food adulterants were implicated in the kidney illness and death of large numbers of cats and dogs in the U.S. in 2007, as well as the deaths of at least six infants and the hospitalization of an estimated 300,000 infants in China in 2008. Dr. Gamboa da Costa is also responsible for ongoing studies that aim to clarify certain toxicological aspects of brominated vegetable oil, a food additive.

The studies conducted by Dr. Gamboa da Costa typically encompass not only guideline endpoints such as histopathology and clinical chemistry, but also the toxicokinetic evaluation of the parent toxicant and its metabolites or the quantification of covalent DNA adducts stemming from genotoxicants, enabling a more comprehensive evaluation of the mechanisms of toxicity.

Given Dr. Gamboa da Costa’s expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and mass spectral-based analytical methodologies, he is regularly invited to collaborate with national and international research teams on a range of topics in toxicology. 

Professional Societies/National and International Groups

American Society for Mass Spectrometry
Member
2009 – Present

Society of Toxicology
Member
2008 – Present

Selected Publications

A Rapid and Highly Sensitive UPLC-ESI-MS/MS Method for the Analysis of the Fatty Acid Profile of Edible Vegetable Oils.
Nagumalli S.K, Jacob C.C., and Gamboa da Costa G.
J Chromatogr B. 2020, 1161:122415.

Pharmacokinetics of Oseltamivir Phosphate and Oseltamivir Carboxylate in Non-Pregnant and Pregnant Rhesus Monkeys.
Loukotková L., Basavarajappa M., Lumen A., Roberts R., Mattison D., Morris S.M., Fisher J., Beland F.A., and Gamboa da Costa., G.
Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2020, 112:104569.

A Two-Year Toxicology Study of Bisphenol A (BPA) in Sprague-Dawley Rats: CLARITY-BPA Core Study Results.
Camacho L., Lewis S.M., Vanlandingham M.M., Olson G.R., Davis, K.J., Patton, R.E., Twaddle N.C., Doerge D.R., Churchwell M.I., Bryant M.S., McLellen F.M., Woodling, K.A., Felton R.P., Maisha M.P., Juliar B.E., Gamboa da Costa G., and Delclos K.B.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2019, 132:110728.

Effects of Human Sulfotransferases on the Cytotoxicity of 12-Hydroxynevirapine.
Fang J-L, Loukotková L., Chitranshi P., Gamboa da Costa G., and Beland F.A.
Biochem Pharmacol. 2018, 155:455.

Simple and Rapid Quantification of Brominated Vegetable Oil in Commercial Soft Drinks by LC-MS.
Chitranshi P. and Gamboa da Costa G.
Food Chem. 2016, 213:567-70.

Toxicity Evaluation of Bisphenol A Administered by Gavage to Sprague Dawley Rats From Gestation Day 6 Through Postnatal Day 90.
Delclos K., Camacho L., Lewis S., Vanlandingham M., Latendresse J., Olson G., Davis K., Patton R., Gamboa da Costa G., Woodling K., Bryant M., Chidambaram M., Trbojevich R., Juliar B., Felton R., and Thorn B.
Toxicol Sci. 2016, 153(1):212.

Metabolic Activation of 2-Amino-1-Methyl-6-Phenylimidazo [4,5-b]Pyridine and DNA Adduct Formation Depends on p53: Studies in Trp53(+/+),Trp53(+/-) and Trp53(-/-) Mice.
Krais A., Speksnijder E., Melis J., Singh R., Caldwell A., Gamboa da Costa G., Luijten M., Phillips D., and Arlt V.
Int J Cancer. 2016, 138(4):976-82.

Evaluation of Serum and Liver Toxicokinetics for Furan and Liver DNA Adduct Formation in Male Fischer 344 Rats.
Churchwell M., Scheri R., Von Tungeln L., Gamboa da Costa G., Beland F., and Doerge D.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2015, 86:1-8.

Exceptionally Long-Term Persistence of DNA Adducts Formed by Carcinogenic Aristolochic Acid I in Renal Tissue from Patients with Aristolochic Acid Nephropathy.
Schmeiser H., Nortier J., Singh R., Gamboa da Costa G., Sennesael J., Cassuto-Viguier E., Ambrosetti D., Rorive S., Pozdzik A., Phillips D., Stiborova M., and Arlt V.
Int J Cancer. 2014, 135(2):502-7.

Performance of Urinary and Gene Expression Biomarkers in Detecting the Nephrotoxic Effects of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid Following Diverse Scenarios of Co-Exposure.
Bandele O., Camacho L., Ferguson M., Reimschuessel R., Stine C., Black T., Olejnik N., Keltner Z., Scott M., Gamboa da Costa G., and Sprando R.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2013, 51:106-13.

Timing and Route of Exposure Affects Crystal Formation in Melamine and Cyanuric Exposed Male and Female Rats: Gavage vs. Feeding.
Sprando R., Reimschuessel R., Stine C., Black T., Olejnik N., Scott M., Keltner Z., Bandele O., Ferguson M., Nemser S., Tkachenko A., Evans E., Crosby T., Woodling K., Loukotková L., and Gamboa da Costa G.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2012, 50(12):4389-97.

Urinary Biomarker Detection of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid-Induced Kidney Injury in Rats.
Zhang Q., Gamboa da Costa G., Von Tungeln L., Jacob C., Brown R., and Goering P.
Toxicol Sci. 2012, 129(1):1-8.

Dose-Response Assessment of Nephrotoxicity from a Twenty-Eight-Day Combined-Exposure to Melamine and Cyanuric Acid in F344 Rats.
Gamboa da Costa G., Jacob C., Von Tungeln L., Hasbrouck N., Olson G., Hattan D., Reimschuessel R., and Beland F.
T Toxicol Sci. 2012, 126(2):317-24.

Pharmacokinetics of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid and their Combinations in F344 Rats.
Jacob C., Von Tungeln L., Vanlandingham M., Beland F., and Gamboa da Costa G.
Toxicol Sci. 2012, 126(2):317-24.

Gene Expression of Biomarkers of Nephrotoxicity in F344 Rats Co-Exposed to Melamine and Cyanuric Acid for Seven Days.
Camacho L., Kelly K., Beland F., and Gamboa da Costa G.
Toxicol Lett. 2011, 206(2):166-71.

Low-Level Quantification of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid in Limited Samples of Rat Serum by UPLC-Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry.
Jacob C. and Gamboa da Costa G.
J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2011, 879(9-10):652-6.

Dose-Response Assessment of Nephrotoxicity from a 7-Day Combined Exposure to Melamine and Cyanuric Acid in F344 Rats.
Jacob C., Reimschuessel R., Von Tungeln L., Olson G., Warbritton A., Hattan D., Beland F. and Gamboa da Costa G.
Toxicol Sci. 2011, 119(2):391-7.

Detection and Quantitation of N-(Deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-Amino-1-Methyl-6-Phenylimidazo[4,5-b]Pyridine Adducts in DNA Using Online Column-Switching Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry.
Singh R., Arlt V., Henderson C., Phillips D., Farmer P., and Gamboa da Costa G.
J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2010, 878(23):2155-62.

Quantification of 3-Nitrobenzanthrone-DNA Adducts Using Online Column-Switching HPLC-Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry.
Gamboa da Costa G., Singh R., Arlt V., Mirza A., Richards M., Takamura-Enya T., Schmeiser H., Farmer P., and Phillips D.
Chem Res Toxicol. 2009, 22(11):1860-8.

DNA Adduct Formation from Acrylamide via Conversion to Glycidamide in Adult and Neonatal Mice.
Gamboa da Costa G., Churchwell M., Hamilton L., Von Tungeln L., Beland F., Marques M., and Doerge D.
Chem Res Toxicol. 2003, 16(10):1328-37.
 

Lab Members

Contact information for all lab members:
(870) 543-7121
NCTRResearch@fda.hhs.gov

Kellie A. Woodling, Ph.D.
Chemist (DBT)

Suresh K. Nagumalli, Ph.D.
Visiting Scientist (DBT)