Darlene Dixon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Darlene Dixon
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| Born |
New Jersey, US
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| Alma mater | Tuskegee University Michigan State University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Toxicologic pathology, veterinary medicine |
| Institutions | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences |
Darlene Dixon is an American scientist who studies animal health and how diseases affect the body. She is a veterinary scientist and a toxicologic pathologist. This means she looks at how chemicals and other things can cause harm or sickness.
Dr. Dixon researches how unusual growths, called tumors, form in the reproductive organs of animals like mice and also in humans. She also studies how things in our environment and our body's own hormones can make these growths bigger. She works as a lead researcher at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Learning and Degrees
Darlene Dixon was born in New Jersey. She went to Tuskegee University where she earned her first science degree. In 1982, she completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree there. This degree allows her to practice veterinary medicine.
After that, Dr. Dixon continued her studies. She earned her Ph.D. in 1985 from Michigan State University. A Ph.D. is a very advanced degree for researchers. She then did special training called a postdoctoral fellowship at The Rockefeller University. In 1987, she became certified by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. This means she is an expert in studying diseases in animals.
Her Work and Career
Dr. Dixon started working at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in 1987. The NIEHS is a part of the U.S. government that studies how the environment affects our health. She works there as a veterinary scientist and a toxicologic pathologist.
As of 2019, she is a senior investigator. This means she leads important research projects. She is part of the NIEHS National Toxicology Program's Molecular Pathogenesis Group.
Dr. Dixon also helps other scientists. She is active in the North Carolina Women of Color Research Network. She also mentors students through a program called NIEHS Scholars Connect Program (NSCP). This program gives students from certain universities a chance to learn about science at NIEHS.
What Dr. Dixon Researches
Dr. Dixon's team studies how tumors, or unusual growths, start and grow. They focus on growths that affect the reproductive organs in both animals and people. They want to understand how things in the environment and hormones in the body affect these growths.
Her team uses different methods for their research. They study cells in dishes and also use 3D models of tissues. They also look at old tissue samples from mice and human patients. This helps them understand how hormones and other signals in the body affect the growth of uterine fibroids. Fibroids are common, non-cancerous growths in the uterus.
They use samples from patients who are part of the NIEHS George Washington University Fibroid Study. They also use animal tissue samples from studies done at NIEHS.
Dr. Dixon and her team hope to learn the basic ways diseases work at a tiny, molecular level. This research could lead to new ways to treat fibroids and other conditions that affect the female reproductive system. They hope to find treatments that do not require surgery.
