Many diseases result from gene-environment interactions.
Dr. Graziano's laboratory is primarily interested in the consequences of metal exposure on the CNS, and is involved in studies of both early childhood development and neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly. For example, his laboratory developed a highly effective oral medication for the treatment of childhood lead poisoning. Other work has utilized the technique of stable isotope dilution to experimentally determine in humans the bioavailability and toxicokinetics of lead from a variety of dietary and environmental matrices. More recently, Dr. Graziano's lab has turned its attention to the general hypothesis that genetic or environmentally induced alterations in essential mineral metabolism may play a role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease. In collaboration with Dr. Richard Mayeux, a neuroepidemiologist and Director of the Sergievsky Center, case-control studies of these diseases are exploring the environmental and genetic components of disease.