Biography
Brandon Pearson is a neuroscientist and toxicologist. Dr. Pearson's research focuses on the biology of brain disease and aging. In particular, his group studies the impact of complex environmental stressors during development and across the life course. By applying expertise in neurotoxicology, epigenetics, cell biology, stress, and diverse model organisms, the lab has a unique strength in identifying relevant environmental stressors with the potential to contribute to human pathology. Current projects in the lab focus on genetic and environmental factors in autism, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's, and cardiometabolic disorders.
Topics
Education
Mailman Affiliations
Editorial Boards
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Neuroscience - Cellular Neuropathology Section
Editorial Board, Toxics
Columbia Affiliations
Areas of Expertise
Gerontology, Healthy Aging and Longevity, Autism, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Neurological Disease / Disorders, Pollution--Air/Ground/Water, Chemical Hazards, Climate and Health, Toxicology, Epigenetics, Gene-Environment Interactions, Genetics, Genomics, Mental Health
Select Publications
Preprint: Baker BH, Zhang S, Simon JM, McLarnan SM, Chung WK, Pearson BL (2021). Environmental carcinogens disproportionally mutate genes implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.17.473207 accompanying web app: www.environmentalmutation.com
Nawrotek K, Rudnicka K, Gatkowska J, Michlewska S, Pearson BL, Wieczorek M (2021). Ten‐eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase 3‐loaded microspheres penetrate neurons in vitro causing active demethylation and neurite outgrowth. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine 15(5): 463-474.
Xie K, Ryan DP, Pearson BL, Henzel KS, Neff F, Vidal RO, Hennion M, Lehmann I, Schleif M, Schroeder S, Adler T, Rathkolb B, Rozman J, Schueltz A, Prehn C, Edvar M, Weiergraeber M, Adamski J, Busch DH, Ehninger G, Matynia A, Jackson WS, Wolf E, Fuchs H, Gailus-Durner V, Bonn S, Hrabe de Angelis M, Ehninger D. (2018). Epigenetic alterations in longevity regulators, reduced lifespan and exacerbated aging-related pathology in old father offspring mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A 115(10):E2348-E2357.
Xie K, Neff F, Markert A, Rozman J, Aguilar-Pimentel JA, Amarie OV, Becker L, Brommage R, Garrett L, Henzel KS, Hoelter SM, Janik D, Lehmann I, Moreth K, Pearson BL, Racz I, Rathkolb B, Ryan DP, Schroeder S, Treise I, Bekeredjian R, Busch DH, Graw J, Ehninger G, Klingenspor M, Klopstock T, Ollert M, Sandholzer M, Schmidt-Weber C, Weiergraeber M, Wolf E, Wurst W, Zimmer A, Gailus-Durner V, Fuchs H, Hrabe de Angelis M, Ehninger D (2017). Every-other-day feeding extends lifespan but fails to delay many symptoms of aging in mice. Nature Communications 8, 155.
Ryan DP, Henzel KS, Pearson BL, Siwek ME, Papazoglou A, Paesler K, Mueller R, Xie K, Schroeder S, Becker L, Garrett L, Hoelter SM, Neff F, Racz I, Rathkolb B, Rozman J, Ehninger G, Klingenspor M, Klopstock T, Wolf E, Wurst W, Zimmer A, Fuch H, Guilus-Durner V, Hrabe de Angelis M, Sidiropoulou K, M Weiergraeber M, Ehninger D (2017). A paternal methyl donor-rich diet altered cognitive and neural functions in offspring mice. Molecular Psychiatry 23(5):1345-1355
Pearson BL, Ehninger D (2017). Environmental chemicals and aging. Current Environmental Health Reports 4:38-43.
Pearson BL, Simon JM, McCoy ES, Salazar G, Fragola G, Zylka MJ (2016). Identification of chemicals that mimic transcriptional changes associated with autism, brain aging and neurodegeneration. Nature Communications 7:11173.
King IF, Yandava CN, Mabb AM, Hsiao JS, Huang H, Pearson BL, Calabrese JM, Starmer J, Parker JS, Magnuson T, Chamberlain SJ, Philpot BD, Zylka MJ. (2013). Topoisomerases facilitate transcription of long genes linked to autism. Nature 501: 58-62.
Pearson BL, Corley MJ, Vasconcellos A, Blanchard DC, Blanchard RJ (2013). Heparan sulfate deficiency in autistic postmortem brain tissue from the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles. Behavioural Brain Research 243: 138-145
Sugawara A, Pearson BL, Blanchard DC, Ward MA. 2012. Mouse females devoid of exposure to males during fetal development exhibit increased maternal behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology 37(3): 383-395.