Darlene Dixon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Darlene Dixon
Born	New Jersey, US
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 veterinary scientist. She is a special kind of scientist called a toxicologic pathologist. This means she studies how chemicals and other things affect the health of animals and people. She also researches how tumors (unusual growths) start and grow in the body, especially in parts related to reproduction. She looks at how things from the environment and natural body hormones might play a role. Dr. Dixon is a senior investigator at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). This means she leads important research projects there.

Early Life and Education

Darlene Dixon was born in New Jersey, USA. She went to Tuskegee University and earned her first degree. In 1982, she became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) from the same university. This degree allows her to work as a veterinarian.

Later, in 1985, Dr. Dixon earned her Ph.D. from Michigan State University. After that, she continued her advanced research at The Rockefeller University. In 1987, she became a certified expert in veterinary pathology. This certification shows she has special knowledge in studying diseases in animals.

Career and Research

Dr. Dixon started working at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in 1987. She works there as a veterinary scientist and a toxicologic pathologist. As of 2019, she is a senior investigator in the Molecular Pathogenesis Group at NIEHS.

Dr. Dixon is also involved in helping other scientists. She is active in the North Carolina Women of Color Research Network. She also mentors students through the NIEHS Scholars Connect Program. This program helps students from historically black colleges and universities learn about science through a year-long apprenticeship.

Understanding Tumors

Dr. Dixon's research team focuses on understanding how tumors start and grow. They specifically study tumors that affect the reproductive system in both animals (like rodents) and humans. They also look at how things from our environment and our body's own hormones can affect these tumors.

Her team uses different methods to study these growths. They work with special cells grown in labs and even 3D models. They also study tissue samples from mice and human patients. This helps them learn how certain receptors (like those for estrogen) and growth factors influence the growth of tumors, such as uterine fibroids. Fibroids are common, non-cancerous growths that can appear in the uterus.

Dr. Dixon and her team hope their research will help scientists understand the basic ways diseases work. This knowledge could lead to new, less invasive treatments for fibroids and other health problems affecting the female reproductive system.

Selected Works

• Nikitin, A. Y., Alcaraz, A., Anver, M. R., Bronson, R. T., Cardiff, R. D., Dixon, D., ... & Jacks, T. (April 2004). Classification of proliferative pulmonary lesions of the mouse: recommendations of the mouse models of human cancers consortium. Cancer research, 64(7), 2307-2316. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-03-3376