Associate Professor Fiona Young

Research Overview: Reproductive Toxicology, Environmental Endocrine Disrupters and Fertility Oncology

1. Use of human reproductive cells in vitro (including primary-derived human granulosa cells and spermatozoa from patients of Flinders Reproductive Medicine, embryonic stem cells, and human breast, uterine and ovarian cancer cell lines), as well as in vitro mouse embryo cultures, to assess the toxicity, or the activity, of novel bioactive extracts, nanoparticles, agrichemicals (eg pesticides and herbicides), new pharmaceutical agents or bioremediation products.
2. Endocrine Disrupters - the detection and characterisation of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in surface and drinking waters, recycled water and wastewater, using SPE-ELISA, HPLC, E-screen, and human cell lines in novel in vitro assays.
3. Development of a preventative anti-cancer therapy for post-menopausal women.
4. Development of a therapy that will prevent breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
5. Fertility Oncology - anti-cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy make female cancer patients infertile. This research area is about developing therapies that can preserve the fertility of female cancer survivors.