Nicole Sparks

Nicole Sparks, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of California Irvine (UCI) Public Health Program. She earned her doctorate in Environmental Toxicology from the University of California Riverside (UCR). This training was preceded by a Master’s of Science in Biology, emphasis in development, from California State University San Bernardino and Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from La Sierra University. As a Postdoctoral Researcher UCR, Dr. Sparks was a recipient of the inaugural NIH K99/R00 MOSAIC award through NIEHS and a previous UC Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow. As a developmental and environmental toxicologist, Dr. Sparks’ research uses human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) as a model for normal and abnormal embryonic bone development. Her research focuses on the link between environmental pollutant exposure and embryonic molecular alterations that result in developmental bone defects. Dr. Sparks’ doctoral research elucidated the adverse effects of “harm-reduction” tobacco products on the cell fate of hESC-derived osteoblasts. This research discovered transcription factors necessary for proper bone differentiation that were negatively impacted by tobacco exposure and oxidative stress, potentially uncovering an underlying mechanism between embryonic smoke exposure and bone development inhibition. At UCI, Dr. Sparks has expanded her research to elucidate the role of toxicant-responsive miRNAs in the adverse outcome associated with embryonic chemical exposure, focusing on bone development. Understanding the mechanisms of chemical action could lead to innovative approaches to diagnose, prevent, and treat skeletal malformations associated with intrauterine chemical exposure. Part of her goals are to contribute to expanding the field of stem cell toxicology. The use of stem cells in toxicology research branches our understanding of how a toxicant can have deleterious effects at the molecular level that can result in unwanted development.

Dr. Sparks has been a member of SOT since 2013. She is also a member of the Toxicology Forum and Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention.

Mentee: Faria Tavacoli