Researchers´ Profiles - Laurie Chan

Laurie Chan was appointed in January 2006 as the BC Leadership Chair in Aboriginal Environmental Health and Professor of Community Health, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. He was formerly the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Northern Chair and Associate Professor at the Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment, Macdonald Campus of McGill University, Montréal, Canada.

He received his BSc (Biological Sciences) in 1983 and MSc (Marine Ecology) in 1987, from the University of Hong Kong. He was awarded the PhD (Marine Biology) by the University of London in 1990. From 1990-92 he was a post-doctoral fellow in Pathology at University of Western Ontario.

His work involves both basic and applied research in environmental toxicology and nutritional toxicology. His team study the interactive effects between nutrients and toxicants, such as methylmercury and toxaphene. End-points studied include teratogenicity, and neurotoxicity. They are also developing new analytical techniques for contaminant analysis using GC/MS/MS.

For applied research, he is interested in studying the effects of environmental contaminants on human health and the ecosystem. Particular concerns are the nutrition and the environment of indigenous peoples in northern Canada. His group has been conducting dietary contaminant exposure assessment in many northern communities.

He has received research funding from a variety sources, including the
Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Environment Canada, Health Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Department of Indian And Northern Affairs, Natural Resources Canada, COMERN, and ArcticNet

He currently teaches two courses on “Toxicology and Health Risks” and “Nutritional Toxicology” and supervises 2 Post-doc, 5 PhD, 5 MSc students.

Recent Publications

• Zuta, C.P. Simpson, B.K., Chan H.M., Phillips, L. (2003) “Concentrating PUFA from Mackerel Processing Waste”. JAOCS . 80(9):933-936.
   
• Kwan KHM, Chan HM, DeLafontaine, Y. (2003). “Metal Contamination in Zebra Mussels (Dressena Polymorpha) along the St. Lawrence River.” Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 88:193-219.
   
• Holloway J. Scheuhammer AM. Chan HM. (2003) “Assessment of white blood cell phagocytosis as an immunological indicator of methylmercury exposure in birds.” Archives of Environmental Contamination & Toxicology. 44(4):493-501.
   
• Chan HM, Scheuhammer AM., A. Ferran, C. Loupelle, Holloway J. and S. Weech. (2003) “Impacts of mercury on freshwater fish-eating wildlife and humans.” Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. 9: 867-883.
   
• Kuhnlein, H.V., H.M. Chan, O. Receveur and G.M. Egeland (2003) “Canadian Arctic indigenous peoples, traditional food systems and POPs.” Chapter in: Nothern Lights Against POPs: Combating Toxic Threats at the Top of the World. Edited by T. Fenge and D. Downey, McGill Queen’s University Press. P.22-40.
   
• Kuhnlein, H.V., H.M. Chan, D. Leggee and V. Barthet (2002) “Macronutrient, mineral and fatty acid composition of Canadian Arctic traditional food”. J. Food Comp. and Anal. 15:545-566.
   
• Skopp, S., M. Oehme, F.L. Chu, F. Yeboah and H.M. Chan (2002) “Analysis of total toxaphene and selected single congeners in biota by ion trap HRGC-EI-MS/MS using a congener optimized parent ion decay”. Environ. Sci. Technol. 15;36(12):2729-35.
   
• Calciu, C., S. Kubow and H.M. Chan (2002) “Interactive dysmorphogenic effects of toxaphene or toxaphene congeners and hyperglycemia on cultured whole rat embryos during organogenesis”. Toxicology. 14;175(1-3):153-65.
   
• Kuhnlein, H.V., O. Receveur and H.M. Chan (2001) “Traditional food systems research with Canadian Indigenous Peoples.” Intern. J. Circumpolar Health 60(2): 112-122.
   
• Parsons, E.C.M. and H.M. Chan (2001) “Organochlorine and trace element contamination in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the South China Sea”. Marine Pollution Bulletin 42(9):780-786.
   
• Chan, H.M. Kim, C. Leggee, D. (2001) "Cadmium in caribou (Rangifer tarandus) kidneys: speciation, effects of preparation and toxicokinetics." Food Addit. Contam.,18:607-614.
   
• Regoli, L. Chan, H.M. de Lafontaine, Y. and Mikaelian, I. (2001)"Organotins in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and sediments of the Quebec City Harbour area of the St. Lawrence River." Aquatic Toxicology, 53:115-126.
   
• Wen, Y.H. and Chan, H.M. (2000) "A pharmaockinetic model for predicting absorption, elimination, and tissue burden of toxaphene in rats." Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 168:235-243.
   
• Kuhnlein, H.V. and H. M. Chan. (2000). "Environment and contaminants in traditional food systems of northern indigenous peoples." Annu. Rev. Nutr. 2000. 20:595-626.
   
• Chan HM. Receveur O (2000). "Mercury in the traditional diet of indigenous peoples in Canada." Environ. Pollut.110(1):1-2, 2000.
   
• De Lafontaine, Y; Gagne, F., Blaise, C. Costan, G Gagnon, P. Chan, H .M. (2000). "Biomarkers in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) for the assessment and monitoring of water quality of the St Lawrence River (Canada)."Aquatic Toxicology 50:51-73.
   
• Chan, H.M., Yeboah, F. (2000) "Total toxaphene and specific congeners from the Yukon, Canada." Chemosphere 41:55-63.
   
• Chapman, L., Chan, H.M. (2000) "The influence of nutrition on methylmecury intoxication" Environ. Health. Perspect. 108(suppl 1):29-56.
   
• Stalzer, A. Chan, H.M. (1999) "The relative estrogenic activity of technical toxaphene mixture and two individual congeners." Toxicology. 138:69-80.
   
• Regoli, L., Chan, H.M., De lafontaine, Y. (1999) "Organotins in Zebra Mussels in the Saint Lawrence River" J. Great Lakes Res. 25:839-846.
   
• Chapman, L.A., Chan, H.M. (1999) Inorganic mercury pre-exposures protect against methyl mercury toxicity in NSC-34 (neuron x spinal cord hybrid) cells. Toxicology 132:167-178.
   
• Chan, H.M., Trifonopoulos, M., Ing, A., Receveur, O. Johnson, E. (1999) Consumption of freshwater fish in kahnawake: risks and benefits. Environ. Res. 80:213-222.
   
• Stalzer, A. Chan, H.M. (1999) The relative estrogenic activity of technical toxaphene mixture and two individual congeners. Toxicology 138:69-80.
   
• Guo X, Chan H.M., Guevremont R, Siu KWM. (1999). Analysis of metallothioneins by means of capillary electrophoresis coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry with sheathless interfacing." Rap. Comm.Mass Spect.13:500-507.
   
• Chan, H.M., Chan, K.M., Dickman, M. (1999) Organochlorines in Hong Kong Fish. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 39:346-351.
   
• Parsons E.C.M., Chan H.M., Kinoshita R. (1999) Trace metal and organochlorine concentrations in a pygmy Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) from the South China Sea. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 38:51-55.
   
• Kim, C., Chan, H.M, Receveur, O. (1998) Risk assessment of cadmium exposure in Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories, Canada. Food Addit. Contam. 15:307-317.
   
• Berti, P.R., Chan, H.M., Receveur, O., Macdonald, C.R. (1998) Population exposure to radioactivity from consumption of Caribou in the Dene/Métis of the western Northwest Territories. J Exp Anal Environ Epi, 8:145-158.
   
• Berti, P.R., Receveur O, Chan H.M., Kuhnlein, H.V. (1998) Dietary exposure to chemical contaminants from traditional food among adult Dene/Métis in the western Northwest Territories, Canada. Environ. Res., 76:131-142.
   
• Blain, D., Chan, H.M. and Kubow, S. (1998) Zinc pre-treatment inhibits isotretinoin teratogenicity and induces embryonic metallothionein in CD-1 mice. J. Nutr.128:1239-1246.
   
• Chan, H.M. (1998) A database for environmental contaminants in traditional foods in northern and arctic Canada: Development and applications. Food Addit. Contam.,15:127-134.
   
• Chan, H.M., Zhu, J., Yeboah, F. (1998) Determination of toxaphene in biological samples using high resolution GC coupled with ion trap MS/MS. Chemosphere 36:2135-2148.

email:laurie.chan@unbc.ca