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  1. Science & Research (NCTR)

Luísa Camacho Ph.D.

Deputy Director — Division of Biochemical Toxicology

Luísa Camacho
Luísa Camacho, Ph.D.

(870) 543-7121
NCTRResearch@fda.hhs.gov  

Back to NCTR Principal Investigator page


About  |  Publications  |  Lab Members


Background

Dr. Luísa Camacho is the deputy director of the Division of Biochemical Toxicology at FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR). She received a B.S. in applied plant biology and a Ph.D. in cell biology from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, and postdoctoral training at the University of Durham, United Kingdom, and the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. Dr. Camacho joined the Division of Biochemical Toxicology at NCTR as a postdoctoral fellow in 2007, converted to an FDA staff fellow in 2009, was hired as a research biologist in 2021, and was appointed deputy director in 2022. Dr. Camacho has published over 40 peer-reviewed research articles and five book chapters. She has served as an expert member in multiple working groups, including for the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Dr. Camacho is the section editor for “Pharmacology, Toxicology, Pharmaceutical Sciences” of the journal Data in Brief and served as the editor-in-chief for the Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part C – Toxicology and Carcinogenesis.

Research Interests

Dr. Camacho’s research focuses on the conduct of animal studies to assess the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of products of interest to the FDA. A particular emphasis has been on toxicological studies that include exposures during the perinatal period of life. She complements toxicity assessments with molecular endpoints. These studies are conducted in close collaboration with colleagues from FDA product centers. Compounds evaluated include the indirect food additive bisphenol A (BPA), the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), the dietary supplements nattokinase and lumbrokinase, and cannabidiol. Dr. Camacho served as a scientific coordinator of the Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on Bisphenol A Toxicity (CLARITY-BPA), a collaborative research program between the FDA, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and university-based researchers that provided data for the safety assessment of BPA. More recently, she has expanded her research efforts to evaluate the performance of in vitro tests using alternative skin models to predict the dermal absorption and irritation of FDA-regulated products in humans.

Professional Societies/National and International Groups

Data in Brief, Elsevier
Section Editor, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Pharmaceutical Sciences
2019 – Present

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Advisory Group to Recommend an Update to the Working Procedures of Handbooks of Cancer Prevention
Member
2019

Working Group to Evaluate Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Some Industrial Chemical Intermediates and Solvents Chair, Mechanistic and Other Relevant Data Section
Member
2019

International Association for Food Protection
Member
2018 – Present

Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part C – Toxicology and Carcinogenesis, Taylor & Francis
Editor-in-Chief
2022 – 2023

Associate Editor
2019 – 2022

Society of Toxicology
Member
2007 – Present

Selected Publications

Race, Pigmentation, and the Human Skin Barrier-Considerations for Dermal Absorption Studies.
Salminen T.S., Manga P., and Camacho L.
Front Toxicol. 2023, 11:5:1271833. doi: 10.3389/ftox.2023.1271833. eCollection 2023.

Parallel Evaluation of Alternative Skin Barrier Models and Excised Human Skin for Dermal Absorption Studies In Vitro.
Salminen T.S., Davis K.J., Felton R.P., Nischal N., VonTungeln L.S., Beland F.A., Derr K., Brown P.C., Ferrer M., Katz L.M., Kleinstreuer N.C., Leshin J., Manga P., Sadrieh N., Xia M., Fitzpatrick S.C., and Camacho L.
Toxicol In Vitro. 2023, 91:105630. doi: 10.1016/j.tiv.2023.105630. Epub 2023 Jun 13.

Temporal Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Genome and Detection of Variants of Concern in Wastewater Influent from Two Metropolitan Areas in Arkansas.
Silva C.S., Tryndyak V.P., Camacho L., Orloff M.S., Porter A., Garner K., Mullis L., and Azevedo M.
Sci Total Environ. 2022, 25:849:157546. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157546. Epub 2022 Jul 30.

A Robust Biostatistical Method Leverages Informative but Uncertainly Determined qPCR Data for Biomarker Detection, Early Diagnosis, and Treatment.
Zhuang W., Camacho L., Silva C.S., Thomson M., and Snyder K.
PLOS One, 2022, 17(1): e0263070.

Effects of Intravenous and Oral Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) and 20% Intralipid Vehicle on Neonatal Rat Testis, Lung, Liver, and Kidney. 
Camacho L., Latendresse J.R., Muskhelishvili L., Law C.D., and Delclos K.B.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2020, 111497.

A Two-Year Toxicology Study of Bisphenol A (BPA) in Sprague-Dawley Rats:  CLARITY-BPA Core Study Results.
Camacho L., Lewis S.M., Vanlandingham M.M., Olson G.R., Davis K.J., Patton R.E., Doerge D.R., Churchwell M.I., Bryant M.S., McLellan F.M., Woodling K., Felton R.P., Maisha M.P., Juliar B.E., Gamboa da Costa G., and Delclos K.B.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2019, 132:110728.

Data on the Effect of Heat and Other Technical Variables on the Detection of microRNAs in Human Serum.
Camacho L., Porter-Gill P., and Silva C.S.
Data in Brief. 2019, 24:103750.

Identification of Whole Blood mRNA and microRNA Biomarkers of Tissue Damage and Immune Function resulting from Amphetamine Exposure or Heat Stroke in Adult Male Rats.
Camacho L., Silva C.S., Hanig J.P., Schleimer R.P., George N.I., and Bowyer J.F.
PLOS One. 2019, 14(2):e0210273.

Effects of a 28-Day Dietary Co-Exposure to Melamine and Cyanuric Acid on the Levels of Serum microRNAs in Male and Female Fisher 344 Rats.
Silva C., Chang C., Williams D., Porter-Gill P., Gamboa da Costa G., and Camacho L.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2016, pii: S0278-6915(16)30328-3. 

Comparison of Endpoints Relevant to Toxicity Assessments in 3 Generations of CD-1 Mice Fed Irradiated Natural and Purified Ingredient Diets with Varying Soy Protein, Isoflavone, and Thiamine Contents.
Camacho L., Lewis S.M., Vanlandingham M.M., Juliar B.E., Olson G.R., Patton R.E., Gamboa da Costa G., Woodling K., Sepehr E., Bryant M.S., Doerge D.R., Basavarajappa M.S., Felton R.P., and Delclos K.B.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2016, 94:39-56. 

NIEHS/FDA CLARITY-BPA Research Program Update.
Heindel J.J., Newbold R.R., Bucher J.R., Camacho L., Delclos K.B., Lewis S.S., Vanlandingham M., Churchwell M.I., Twaddle N.C., McLellen M., Chidambaram M., Bryant M., Woodling K., Gamboa da Costa G., Ferguson S.A., Flaws J., Howard P.C., Walker N.J., Zoeller R.T., Fostel J., Favaro C., and Schug T.T.
Reprod Toxicol. 2015, 58:33-44. 

Effects of Oral Exposure to Bisphenol A on Gene Expression and Global Genomic DNA Methylation in the Prostate, Female Mammary Gland, and Uterus of NCTR Sprague-Dawley Rats.
Camacho L., Basavarajappa M.S., Chang C.-W., Han T., Kobets T., Koturbash I., Surratt G., Lewis S.M., Vanlandingham M.M., Fuscoe J.C., Gamboa da Costa G., Pogribny I.P., and Delclos K.D.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2015, 81:92-103. 

Comparison of Lifestage-Dependent Internal Dosimetry for Bisphenol A, Ethinyl Estradiol, a Reference Estrogen, and Endogenous Estradiol to Test an Estrogenic Mode of Action in Sprague-Dawley Rats.
Churchwell M.I., Camacho L., Vanlandingham M.M., Twaddle N.C., Sepehr E., Delclos K.B., Fisher J.W., and Doerge D.R.
Toxicol Sci. 2014, 139(1):4-20. 

Toxicity Evaluation of Bisphenol A Administered by Gavage to Sprague-Dawley Rats from Gestation Day 6 Through Postnatal Day 90.
Delclos K.B., Camacho L., Lewis S.M., Vanlandingham M.M., Latendresse J.R., Olson G.R., Davis K.J., Patton R.E., Gamboa da Costa G., Woodling K.A., Bryant M.S., Chidambaram M., Trbojevich R., Juliar B.E., Felton R.P., and Thorn B.T.
Toxicol Sci. 2014, 139(1):174-97. 

A New Approach to Synergize Academic and Regulatory-Compliant Research: the CLARITY-BPA Research Program.
Schug T., Heindel J., Camacho L., Delclos K., Howard P., Johnson A., Aungst J., Keefe D., Newbold R., Walker N., Zoeller R., and Bucher J.
Reprod Toxicol. 2013, 40:35-40.

The Estrogenic Content of Rodent Diets, Bedding, Cages and Water Bottles and Its Impact on Bisphenol A Studies.
Thigpen J.E., Setchell K.D.R., Kissling G.E., Locklear J., Caviness G.F., Whiteside T., Belcher S.M., Brown N.M., Collins B.J., Lih F.B., Tomer K.B., Padilla-Banks E., Camacho L., Adsit F.G., Grant M., and Forsythe D.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2013, 52(2):130-41. 

Performance of Urinary and Gene Expression Biomarkers in Detecting the Nephrotoxic Effects of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid Following Diverse Scenarios of Co-Exposure.
Bandele O., Camacho L., Ferguson M., Reimschuessel R., Stine C., Black T., Olejnik N., Keltner Z., Scott M., Gamboa da Costa G., and Sprando R.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2013, 51:106-13.

Effects of Acrylamide Exposure on Serum Hormones, Gene Expression, Cell Proliferation, and Histopathology in the Testes of Fischer 344 Rats.
Camacho L., Latendresse J.R., Muskhelishvili L., Bowyer J.F., Thomas M., and Doerge D.R.
Toxicol Lett. 2012, 211(2):135-43. 

Gene Expression of Biomarkers of Nephrotoxicity in F344 Rats Co-Exposed to Melamine and Cyanuric Acid for Seven Days.
Camacho L., Kelly K.P., Beland F.A., and Gamboa da Costa G.
Toxicol Lett. 2011, 206(2):166-71.

Lab Members

Contact information for all lab members:
(870) 543-7121
NCTRResearch@fda.hhs.gov 

Sadegh Modaresi, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Tetyana Kudlyk, M.S.
Staff Fellow

Camila S. Silva, Ph.D.
Research Biologist


Contact Information
Luísa Camacho
(870) 543-7121
Expertise
Expertise
Approach
Domain
Technology & Discipline
Toxicology
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