Senior Staff Fellow — Division of Biochemical Toxicology

Luísa Camacho, Ph.D.
(870) 543-7121
NCTRResearch@fda.hhs.gov  

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About  |  Publications  |  Lab Member

Background

Dr. Luísa Camacho received a bachelor’s in applied plant biology from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Portugal in 1998, and a Ph.D. in cell biology from the University of Lisbon, Portugal in 2003. She was a research associate at the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Durham, UK between 2003 and 2005. She was an academic visitor at the Department of Plant Sciences of the University of Oxford, UK between 2005 and 2007. In 2007, Dr. Camacho joined NCTR’s Division of Biochemical Toxicology as a postdoctoral fellow; she converted to an FDA staff fellow in 2009. Dr. Camacho has published over 30 peer-reviewed research articles and four book chapters. She has served as an expert member in several working groups, including ones for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).  Dr. Camacho is the section editor for “Pharmacology, Toxicology, Pharmaceutical Sciences” of the journal Data in Brief and the associate editor for the Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part C – Toxicology and Carcinogenesis. 

Research Interests

Dr. Camacho’s research focuses on the conduct of animal studies to assess the toxicity of products of interest to the FDA.  A particular emphasis has been on toxicological studies that include exposures during the perinatal period of life.  She complements the toxicity assessments with molecular endpoints to characterize molecular mechanisms for the compounds of interest and to identify potential novel biomarkers of toxicity.  These studies are conducted in close collaboration with colleagues from the FDA product centers and NCTR.  Dr. Camacho served as a scientific coordinator of the CLARITY-BPA (Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on Bisphenol A Toxicity (CLARITY-BPA), a collaborative research program between the FDA, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and university-based researchers that provided data for the safety assessment of bisphenol A, an indirect food additive.  Other studies included the comparison of the dose-response and temporal dynamics of traditional (blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine) and novel (serum microRNAs) biomarkers of nephrotoxicity upon a combined exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid, and the evaluation of the toxicity of the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and of nattokinase and lumbrokinase, two dietary supplements promoted as beneficial for cardiovascular and circulation health in humans.

Professional Societies/National and International Groups

Data in Brief, Elsevier
Member, Editorial Board
2015 – Present

Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology
Member
2013 – Present

Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, China
Expert Reviewer
2015 – Present

Society of Toxicology
Member
2007 – Present

Women in Toxicology Special Interest Group of the Society of Toxicology
Member
2012

Selected Publications

Effects of Intravenous and Oral Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) and 20% Intralipid Vehicle on Neonatal Rat Testis, Lung, Liver, and Kidney. 
Camacho L., Latendresse J.R., Muskhelishvili L., Law C.D., and Delclos K.B.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2020, 111497.

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., Doerge D.R., Churchwell M.I., Bryant M.S., McLellan F.M., Woodling K., Felton R.P., Maisha M.P., Juliar B.E., Gamboa da Costa G., and Delclos K.B.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2019, 132:110728.

Data on the Effect of Heat and Other Technical Variables on the Detection of microRNAs in Human Serum.
Camacho L., Porter-Gill P., and Silva C.S.
Data in Brief. 2019, 24:103750.

Identification of Whole Blood mRNA and microRNA Biomarkers of Tissue Damage and Immune Function resulting from Amphetamine Exposure or Heat Stroke in Adult Male Rats.
Camacho L., Silva C.S., Hanig J.P., Schleimer R.P., George N.I., and Bowyer J.F.
PLOS One. 2019, 14(2):e0210273.

Effects of a 28-Day Dietary Co-Exposure to Melamine and Cyanuric Acid on the Levels of Serum microRNAs in Male and Female Fisher 344 Rats.
Silva C., Chang C., Williams D., Porter-Gill P., Gamboa da Costa G., and Camacho L.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2016, pii: S0278-6915(16)30328-3. 

Comparison  of Endpoints Relevant to Toxicity Assessments in 3 Generations of CD-1 Mice Fed Irradiated Natural and Purified Ingredient Diets with Varying Soy Protein, Isoflavone, and Thiamine Contents.
Camacho L., Lewis S.M., Vanlandingham M.M., Juliar B.E., Olson G.R., Patton R.E., Gamboa da Costa G., Woodling K., Sepehr E., Bryant M.S., Doerge D.R., Basavarajappa M.S., Felton R.P., and Delclos K.B.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2016, 94:39-56. 

NIEHS/FDA CLARITY-BPA Research Program Update.
Heindel J.J., Newbold R.R., Bucher J.R., Camacho L., Delclos K.B., Lewis S.S., Vanlandingham M., Churchwell M.I., Twaddle N.C., McLellen M., Chidambaram M., Bryant M., Woodling K., Gamboa da Costa G., Ferguson S.A., Flaws J., Howard P.C., Walker N.J., Zoeller R.T., Fostel J., Favaro C., and Schug T.T.
Reprod Toxicol. 2015, 58:33-44. 

Effects of Oral Exposure to Bisphenol A on Gene Expression and Global Genomic DNA Methylation in the Prostate, Female Mammary Gland, and Uterus of NCTR Sprague-Dawley Rats.
Camacho L., Basavarajappa M.S., Chang C.-W., Han T., Kobets T., Koturbash I., Surratt G., Lewis S.M., Vanlandingham M.M., Fuscoe J.C., Gamboa da Costa G., Pogribny I.P., and Delclos K.D.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2015, 81:92-103. 

Comparison of Lifestage-Dependent Internal Dosimetry for Bisphenol A, Ethinyl Estradiol, a Reference Estrogen, and Endogenous Estradiol to Test an Estrogenic Mode of Action in Sprague-Dawley Rats.
Churchwell M.I., Camacho L., Vanlandingham M.M., Twaddle N.C., Sepehr E., Delclos K.B., Fisher J.W., and Doerge D.R.
Toxicol Sci. 2014, 139(1):4-20. 

Toxicity Evaluation of Bisphenol A Administered by Gavage to Sprague-Dawley Rats from Gestation Day 6 Through Postnatal Day 90.
Delclos K.B., Camacho L., Lewis S.M., Vanlandingham M.M., Latendresse J.R., Olson G.R., Davis K.J., Patton R.E., Gamboa da Costa G., Woodling K.A., Bryant M.S., Chidambaram M., Trbojevich R., Juliar B.E., Felton R.P., and Thorn B.T.
Toxicol Sci. 2014, 139(1):174-97. 

Comparison of the Global Gene Expression of Choroid Plexus and Meninges and Associated Vasculature Under Control Conditions and After Pronounced Hyperthermia or Amphetamine Toxicity.
Bowyer J.F., Patterson T.A., Saini U.T., Hanig J.P., Thomas M., Camacho L., George N.I., and Chen J.J.
BMC Genomics. 2013, 14:147. 

The Estrogenic Content of Rodent Diets, Bedding, Cages and Water Bottles and Its Impact on Bisphenol A Studies.
Thigpen J.E., Setchell K.D.R., Kissling G.E., Locklear J., Caviness G.F., Whiteside T., Belcher S.M., Brown N.M., Collins B.J., Lih F.B., Tomer K.B., Padilla-Banks E., Camacho L., Adsit F.G., Grant M., and Forsythe D.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2013, 52(2):130-41. 

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.

Effects of Acrylamide Exposure on Serum Hormones, Gene Expression, Cell Proliferation, and Histopathology in the Testes of Fischer 344 Rats.
Camacho L., Latendresse J.R., Muskhelishvili L., Bowyer J.F., Thomas M., and Doerge D.R.
Toxicol Lett. 2012, 211(2):135-43. 

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

Lab Members

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

Camila S. Silva, Ph.D.
Staff Fellow

K. Barry Delclos, Ph.D.
Research Pharmacologist