Shuk-Mei Ho
Vice Chancellor of Research & Innovation
faculty
Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine
Research Areas
Biography and Research Information
OverviewAI-generated summary
Shuk-Mei Ho's research focuses on environmental exposures and their health implications, particularly concerning intergenerational effects. She is currently serving as PI on a $468,131 NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grant investigating RNA modifications from paternal exposure to arsenic and subsequent impacts on sperm quality.
Her recent publications address challenges in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) research, specifically environmental triggers, and the complex interactions between open burn pit exposure and health outcomes in veterans. Ho also has a publication on smart contracts in casualty insurance claims. Her scholarly work, while limited in publication count, reflects an engagement with public health issues and the mechanisms of environmental toxicology. She has collaborated with researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including Kalpana P. Padala, Prasad R. Padala, and Yuet‐Kin Leung.
Metrics
- h-index: 57
- Publications: 284
- Citations: 11,749
Selected Publications
-
Epigenetic signatures of maternal-fetal health: insights from cord blood and placenta (2025)
-
Global metabolomic alterations associated with endocrine-disrupting chemicals among pregnant individuals and newborns (2025)
-
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: A Looming Threat to Current and Future Generations (2024)
-
Gestational exposure to environmental chemicals and epigenetic alterations in the placenta and cord blood mononuclear cells (2024)
-
The Loss of an Orphan Nuclear Receptor NR2E3 Augments Wnt/β‐catenin Signaling via Epigenetic Dysregulation that Enhances Sp1‐β catenin‐p300 Interactions in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (2024)
-
Challenges in IBD Research 2024: Environmental Triggers (2024)
-
Abstract 3011: The loss of an orphan nuclear receptor NR2E3 augments Wnt/β-Catenin signaling via epigenetic dysregulation that links to the Sp1-β catenin-p300 interactions in hepatocellular carcinoma (2024)
-
Abstract 6282: Novel androgen related gene network in prostate cancer cell model (2024)
-
Maternal and newborn metabolomic changes associated with urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolite concentrations at delivery: an untargeted approach (2023)
-
Stem Cell Theory of Cancer: Clinical Implications of Epigenomic versus Genomic Biomarkers in Cancer Care (2023)
-
The androgen receptor inhibits transcription of GPER1 by preventing Sp1 and Sp3 from binding to the promoters in prostate cancer cells (2021)
-
Three-Generation Study of Male Rats Gestationally Exposed to High Butterfat and Bisphenol A: Impaired Spermatogenesis, Penetrance with Reduced Severity (2021)
-
Untangling the Complex Interactions of Open Burn Pit Exposure and Health Outcomes (2021)
-
Genetic and epigenetic changes in the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis: association with decreased endometrial αvβ3 integrin expression (2021)
Federal Grants 1 $468,131 total
RNA modifications by paternal exposure to arsenic and intergenerational effects on sperm quality
Research Interests
INTRODUCTION I am a globally recognized leader in the fields of Oncology, Toxicology, and Environmental Epigenetics. With a career spanning over three decades and a continuous funding record from the VA, NIH, NSF, and DoD since 1992, my work focuses on the molecular mechanisms driving treatment-resistant cancers and the lasting biological impacts of environmental exposures. Currently, I am a professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), and a VA BLR&D Research Career Scientist (IK6) at Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. I serve as the Corresponding Principal Investigator on a DoD/CDMRP partnership grant investigating the epigenetic "memory" of burn pit exposures in Veterans, and an NIH/NIEHS funded R01 studying sperm small RNA modifications as mediators of paternal inheritance. My laboratory bridges the gap between basic molecular discovery and translational precision medicine, utilizing high-resolution multi-omics to improve health outcomes for those who have served, as well as the general public. MAJOR RESEARCH THEMES 1. Precision Oncology & Non-Canonical Signaling -My lab is a pioneer in defining the role of estrogen signaling in prostate cancer. We identified the testosterone-to-estrogen ratio as a critical risk factor and characterized the five isoforms of ER-beta (ESR2). Our most recent breakthrough involves GPER1 (GPR30), a membrane-bound receptor we identified as a potent inhibitor of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). 2. Environmental Epigenetics & DOHaD - As a foundational contributor to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), I provided the first evidence that early-life exposure to endocrine disruptors (like BPA) causes life-long epigenetic reprogramming. This research helped shape national and international regulatory policies and continues today through our study of transgenerational health effects and small RNA modifications in reproductive toxicology. 3. The Stem Cell Theory of Cancer - We investigate epithelial stem cells as the "seeds" of malignancy. By studying early molecular and epigenetic "switches" in stem-progenitor cells, we aim to identify the earliest markers of transformation. We utilize single-cell analysis and long-read sequencing to dissect the molecular signatures of cancer stem-like subpopulations across disease stages. 4. Occupational Health & Biomarker Discovery - My research extends to high-risk occupations, identifying molecular "fingerprints" of toxicant exposure. From firefighting to military deployment, we utilize global metabolomics and DNA methylation profiling to develop personalized risk assessments for individuals exposed to airborne hazards and environmental pollutants. IMPACT & RECOGNITIONS 1.Global Ranking: Recognized in the PLoS Biology World-wide Top 2% Author Ranking, placing 912th out of 230,678 researchers globally. 2.Publication Record: Over 260 peer-reviewed publications with >27,000 citations, an h-index of 85, and an i10-index of 232. 3.National Leadership: Served on the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council (NIEHS-NIH) (2017-2020); Current Invited Member, the Urologic Disease in America Contract Management Board (UDA CMB) (2019-present) for NIH/NIDDK; Current Invited Member, External Expert Panel, O’Brien Urology Cooperative Research Centers (U54) Consortium, NIH/NIDDK(2025-present); and participated in over 130 NIH and 30 DoD/CDMRP study sections 4.Academic Leadership: Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation at UAMS (2019-2024), Chief Integrity Officer of UAMS (2019-2024),Hayden Family Cancer Research Chair & Director of the Cincinnati Cancer Center (2013-2018), Jacob G. Schmidlapp Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) (2005-2019), Associate Dean for Basic Research at UCMC (2011-2019), Director of the NIEH Facility Core-Center for Environmental Health at UCMC (2007-2019), Director of the Genomics, Epigenomics, and Sequencing Core of the University of Cincinnati (2006-2019), Director of Translational Research in the Department of Surgery and Director of Urological Research at the Division of Urology (1998-2005) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Associate Dean for Research and Continued Education at Tufts University (1967-1998).
Grants & Funding
- Metallothionein &Cadmium Carcinogenesis in the Prostate NIH Principal Investigator
- NATURE OF LUNG ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE MECHANISM NIH Principal Investigator
- RNA modifications by paternal exposure to arsenic and intergenerational effects on sperm quality NIH/Nat. Inst. of Environmental Health Sciences Principal Investigator
- Metal-induced cell-level changes in prostate epithelium and cancer risk Veterans' Administration (VA) Principal Investigator
- RNA modifications by paternal exposure to arsenic and intergenerational effects on sperm quality NIH/Nat. Inst. of Environmental Health Sciences Principal Investigator
- Developmental Reprogramming of Prostate Carcinogenesis by BPA NIH Co-Principal Investigator
- Developmental Exposure to Low-dose Bisphenol A and Human Prostate Cancer Suscepti NIH Co-Principal Investigator
- NSF, RII Track-2 FEC: Facilitating Ubiquitous Technology Utilizing Resilient Eco-friendly Sensors (FUTURE Sensors) National Science Foundation - Pass Through: Louisiana Tech University Principal Investigator
Collaborators
Researchers in the database who share publications
Similar Researchers
Based on overlapping research topics