Matthew Campen of University of New Mexico

“There are more things microplastics in heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”

Matthew J Campen, PhD, MSPH
Director, New Mexico Center for Metals in Biology and Medicine, Regents' Professor, Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences 
COP - Pharmaceutical Sciences, CC - Cancer Control and Pop Sci

Abstract: Since mass production ramped up in the 1950’s, disposal of plastics has been unsustainably managed.  As a result, we now see the emergence of microplastics as a ubiquitous and exponentially growing environmental contaminant.  Our research has led the development of novel methods to detect plastics in biological specimens in a manner that allows both polymer identification and quantification.  Micro- and nanoplastics are ubiquitous in our bodies and most likely coming from the food we eat and a principle source.  The brain, notably, is a sink for plastics, with the highest values measured among organs sampled from autopsy cases.  More importantly the concentrations of microplastics in autopsy specimens is increasing over time.  This talk will review the breadth of the microplastics impact and highlight novel, insightful data that helps color our perspectives on the potential impacts on human health.

Biography:

Matthew Campen, Ph.D. M.S.P.H., is a Regents’ Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a recognized expert in the areas of inhalation toxicology and air pollution, which he is now parlaying into unique insights into the health effects of micro- and nanoplastics.  He received his PhD in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, and conducted postdoctoral training in pulmonary physiology and Johns Hopkins.

Email:

Address:Albuquerque, United States, 87106