Staff Fellow — Division of Systems Biology

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Kelly E. Mercer, Ph.D.
870-543-7121
NCTRResearch@fda.hhs.gov

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 About  |  Publications  |  Lab Members

Background

Dr. Kelly Mercer received a Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed postdoctoral training at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Prior to joining FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research, her research interests were in cancer biology, biochemical toxicology, nutrition, and metabolomics. She was an assistant professor in the department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and an investigator at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, which is funded through the Human Nutrition Research Centers program in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.

Research Interests

Dr. Mercer’s current research has focused on development of novel in vivo models to screen newly engineered immunotherapies, such as Chimeric Antigen T Cell products for adverse effects and toxicities associated with treatment, such as severe inflammatory toxicity. SARS-CoV-2 infections also present a similar inflammatory toxicity called a “cytokine storm” and part of her research has shifted to projects related to characterizing the histopathological patterns of COVID-19 disease progression in vital organs, combining traditional histopathology and immunohistochemistry methodology with newer imaging techniques.

Professional Societies/National and International Groups

American Society of Nutrition
Member
2017 – 2020

Metabolomics Society
Member
2015 – 2019

University of Arkansas of Medical Sciences Leadership Institute
Member
2015 – 2019

Selected Publications

Exercise Training and Diet-Induced Weight Loss Increase Markers of Hepatic Bile Acid (BA) Synthesis and Reduce Serum Total BA Concentrations in Obese Women.
Mercer K.E., Maurer A., Pack L.M., Ono-Moore K., Spray B.J., Campbell C., Chandler C.J., Burnett D., Souza E., Casazza G., Keim N., Newman J., Hunter G., Fernadez J., Garvey W.T., Harper M.E., Hoppel C., Adams S.H., and Thyfault J. 
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2021, 320 (5), E864-E873. 

Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 to Adiponectin Ratio: A Potential Biomarker to Monitor Liver Fat in Children With Obesity.
Tas E., Bai S., Ou X., Mercer K., Lin H., Mansfield K., Buchmann R., Diaz E.C., Oden J., Borsheim E., Adams S.H., and Dranoff J. 
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020, 11, 654. 

Xenometabolite Signatures in the UC Davis Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rat Model Revealed Using a Metabolomics Platform Enriched with Microbe-Derived Metabolites.
Mercer K.E., Yeruva L., Pack L., Graham J.L., Stanhope K.L., Chintapalli S.V., Wankhade U.D., Shankar K.,  Havel P.J., Adams S.H., and Piccolo B.D. 
Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2020, 319 (2), G157-G169. 

Circulating miRNA Signatures Associated with Insulin Resistance in Adolescents with Obesity.
Lin H., Tas E., Borsheim E., and Mercer K.E. 
Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2020, 13, 4929-4939. 

Divergence in Aerobic Capacity Impacts Bile Acid Metabolism in Young Women.
Maurer A., Ward J.L., Dean K., Billinger S.A., Lin H., Mercer K.E., Adams S.H., and Thyfault J.P. 
J Appl Physiol (1985). 2020, 129 (4), 768-778. 

Infant Formula Feeding Increases Hepatic Cholesterol 7alpha Hydroxylase (CYP7A1) Expression and Fecal Bile Acid Loss in Neonatal Piglets.
Mercer K.E., Bhattacharyya S., Diaz-Rubio M.E., Piccolo B.D., Pack L.M., Sharma N., Chaudhury M.,  Cleves M.A., Chintapalli S.V., Shankar K., Ronis M.J.J., and Yeruva L. 
J Nutr. 2018, 148 (5), 702-711. 

Modulating Sterol Concentrations in Infant Formula Influences Cholesterol Absorption and Synthesis in the Neonatal Piglet.
Babawale E.A., Jones P.J., Mercer K.E., Lin H., Yeruva L., Bar Yoseph F., and Rutherfurd S.M. 
Nutrients. 2018, 10 (12).

Diet Supplementation with Soy Protein Isolate, but Not the Isoflavone Genistein, Protects Against Alcohol-Induced Tumor Progression in DEN-Treated Male Mice.
Mercer K.E., Pulliam C.F., Hennings L., Cleves M.A., Jones E.E., Drake R.R., and Ronis M.J.J. 
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2018, 1032, 115-126. 

Soy Protein Isolate Inhibits Hepatic Tumor Promotion in Mice Fed a High-Fat Liquid Diet.
Mercer K.E., Pulliam C.F., Pedersen K.B., Hennings L., and Ronis M.J. 
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2017, 242 (6), 635-644. 

Soy Protein Isolate Protects Against Ethanol-Mediated Tumor Progression in Diethylnitrosamine-Treated Male Mice.
Mercer K.E., Pulliam C., Hennings L., Lai K., Cleves M., Jones E., Drake R.R., and Ronis M. 
Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2016, 9 (6), 466-75. 

Reactive Oxygen Species Differentially Regulate Bone Turnover in an Age-Specific Manner in Catalase Transgenic Female Mice.
Alund A.W., Mercer K.E., Suva L.J., Pulliam C.F., Chen J.R., Badger T.M., Van Remmen H., and Ronis M.J. 
J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2016, 358 (1), 50-60. 

Alcohol Consumption, Wnt/Beta-catenin Signaling, and Hepatocarcinogenesis.
Mercer K.E., Hennings L., and Ronis M.J. 
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2015, 815, 185-95. 

p47phox-Nox2-Dependent ROS Signaling Inhibits Early Bone Development in Mice but Protects Against Skeletal Aging.
Chen J.R., Lazarenko O.P., Blackburn M.L., Mercer K.E., Badger T.M., and Ronis M.J. 
J Biol Chem. 2015, 290 (23), 14692-704. 

Alcohol Consumption Promotes Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis in Male Mice Through Activation of the Wnt/Beta-catenin Signaling Pathway.
Mercer K.E., Hennings L., Sharma N., Lai K., Cleves M.A., Wynne R.A., Badger T.M., and Ronis M.J. 
Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2014, 7 (7), 675-85. 

Vitamin D Supplementation Protects Against Bone Loss Associated with Chronic Alcohol Administration in Female Mice.
Mercer K.E., Wynne R.A., Lazarenko O.P., Lumpkin C.K., Hogue W.R., Suva L.J., Chen J.R., Mason A.Z., Badger T.M., and Ronis M.J. 
J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2012, 343 (2), 401-12.

Expression of Sulfotransferase Isoform 1A1 (SULT1A1) in Breast Cancer Cells Significantly Increases 4-hydroxytamoxifen-Induced Apoptosis.
Mercer K.E., Apostolov E.O., Gamboa da Costa G., Yu X., Lang P., Roberts D.W., Davis W., Basnakian A.G., Kadlubar F.F., and Kadlubar S.A. 
Int J Mol Epidemiol Genet. 2010, 1 (2), 92-103. 

Identification of a Mammalian Mitochondrial Porphyrin Transporter.
Krishnamurthy P.C., Du G., Fukuda Y., Sun D., Sampath J., Mercer K.E., Wang J., Sosa-Pineda B., Murti K.G., and Schuetz J.D. 
Nature. 2006, 443 (7111), 586-9.

The Stem Cell Marker Bcrp/ABCG2 Enhances Hypoxic Cell Survival Through Interactions with Heme.
Krishnamurthy P., Ross D.D., Nakanishi T., Bailey-Dell K., Zhou S., Mercer K.E., Sarkadi B., Sorrentino B.P., and Schuetz J.D. 
J Biol Chem. 2004, 279 (23), 24218-25.

Lab Members

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

Jalina Moore
Biologist