OHSU

Karen Watanabe

Karen Watanabe

Email: 
Phone:  503 748-1217
Fax:  503 748-1464

 

Current Appointments

Assistant Professor, Division of Environmental and Biomolecular Systems

 

Education

B.S., Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1990
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley 1993

 

Biography

Dr. Watanabe earned a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and a master's and doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley with a major in bioengineering. Before joining the School of Science and Engineering, she was a Research Assistant Professor at Tulane University.

 

Research Interests

Dr. Watanabe applies her engineering background to develop computational models of biological systems. Her current research focuses on developing a physiologically based model of the reproductive axis in fathead minnows that will link molecular-level gene and protein expression with reproductive effects from exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. This research is sponsored by the U.S. EPA, and involves collaborators from the University of Florida, Florida Atlantic University, Purdue University, and U.S. EPA.

 

Selected Publications

Villeneuve, D. L.; Garcia-Reyero, N.; Martinovic-Weigelt, D.; Li, Z.; Watanabe, K. H.; Orlando, E. F.; LaLone, C. A.; Edwards, S. W.; Burgoon, L. D.; Denslow, N. D.; Perkins, E. J.; Ankley, G. T. (2012) A graphical systems model and tissue-specific functional gene sets to aid transcriptomic analysis of chemical impacts on the female teleost reproductive axis. Mutat. Res., Genet. Toxicol. Environ. Mutagen., 746, 151-162. (DOI: 10.1016/j.mrgentox.2011.12.016)

Li, Z.; Kroll, K. J.; Jensen, K. M.; Villeneuve, D. L.; Ankley, G. T.; Brian, J. V.; Sepulveda, M. S.; Orlando, E. F.; Lazorchak, J. M.; Kostich, M.; Armstrong, B.; Denslow, N. D.; Watanabe, K. H. (2011) A computational model of the hypothalamic: pituitary: gonadal axis in female fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to 17α-ethynylestradiol and 17Β-trenbolone. BMC Syst Biol, 5, 63.

Johns, S. M.; Denslow, N. D.; Kane, M. D.; Watanabe, K. H.; Orlando, E. F.; Sepulveda, M. S. (2011) Effects of estrogens and antiestrogens on gene expression of fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) early life stages. Environ. Toxicol., 26, 195-206. (DOI: 10.1002/tox.20545)

Watanabe, K. H.; Andersen, M. E.; Basu, N.; Carvan, M. J., III; Crofton, K. M.; King, K. A.; Sunol, C.; Tiffany-Castiglioni, E.; Schultz, I. R. (2010) Defining and modeling known adverse outcome pathways: domoic acid and neuronal signaling as a case study. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 30, 9-21. (DOI: 10.1002/etc.373)

Watanabe, K. H.; Li, Z.; Kroll, K. J.; Villeneuve, D. L.; Garcia-Reyero, N.; Orlando, E. F.; Sepulveda, M. S.; Collette, T. W.; Ekman, D. R.; Ankley, G. T.; Denslow, N. D. (2009) A computational model of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in male fathead minnows exposed to 17α-ethinylestradiol and 17Β-estradiol. Toxicol. Sci., 109, 180-192. (DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfp069)

Watanabe, K. H.; Djordjevic, M. V.; Stellman, S. D.; Toccalino, P. L.; Austin, D. F.; Pankow, J. F. (2009) Incremental lifetime cancer risks computed for benzo[a]pyrene and two tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines in mainstream cigarette smoke compared with lung cancer risks derived from epidemiologic data. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol., 55, 123-133. (DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2009.06.007)

Johns, S. M.; Kane, M. D.; Denslow, N. D.; Watanabe, K. H.; Orlando, E. F.; Villeneuve, D. L.; Ankley, G. T.; Sepulveda, M. S. (2009) Characterization of ontogenetic changes in gene expression in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 28, 873-880. (DOI: 10.1897/08-213r.1)

Garcia-Reyero, N.; Villeneuve, D. L.; Kroll, K. J.; Liu, L.; Orlando, E. F.; Watanabe, K. H.; Sepulveda, M. S.; Ankley, G. T.; Denslow, N. D. (2009) Expression signatures for a model androgen and antiandrogen in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) ovary. Environ. Sci. Technol., 43, 2614-2619. (DOI: 10.1021/es8024484)

Garcia-Reyero, N.; Kroll, K. J.; Liu, L.; Orlando, E. F.; Watanabe, K. H.; Sepulveda, M. S.; Villeneuve, D. L.; Perkins, E. J.; Ankley, G. T.; Denslow, N. D. (2009) Gene expression responses in male fathead minnows exposed to binary mixtures of an estrogen and antiestrogen. BMC Genomics, 10, No pp. given. (DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-308)

Ankley, G. T.; Bencic, D. C.; Breen, M. S.; Collette, T. W.; Conolly, R. B.; Denslow, N. D.; Edwards, S. W.; Ekman, D. R.; Garcia-Reyero, N.; Jensen, K. M.; Lazorchak, J. M.; Martinovic, D.; Miller, D. H.; Perkins, E. J.; Orlando, E. F.; Villeneuve, D. L.; Wang, R.-L.; Watanabe, K. H. (2009) Endocrine disrupting chemicals in fish: Developing exposure indicators and predictive models of effects based on mechanism of action. Aquat. Toxicol., 92, 168-178. (DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2009.01.013)

Watanabe, K. H.; Jensen, K. M.; Orlando, E. F.; Ankley, G. T. (2007) What is normal? A characterization of the values and variability in reproductive endpoints of the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas. Comp. Biochem. Physiol., Part C: Toxicol. Pharmacol., 146C, 348-356. (DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2007.04.015)

Pankow, J. F.; Watanabe, K. H.; Toccalino, P. L.; Luo, W.; Austin, D. F. (2007) Calculated cancer risks for conventional and "potentially reduced exposure product" cigarettes. Cancer Epidemiol., Biomarkers Prev., 16, 584-592. (DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-06-0762)