Current Research:
My current research efforts try to address the effect of an environmental contaiminant, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD), on the B lymphocyte. Our current understand is that B lymphocytes exposure to TCDD their impairs the ability to differentiate into antibody producing plasma cells following stimulation with antigen. While it is known that the Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor plays a critical role in this process, the cellular events which lead to the observed impairment are not yet fully understood.

Selected Achievements and Awards:
1st Place, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University Undergraduate Research Forum (2002)

NJCAA Academic All-American, Wrestling (1998)

Center for Integrative Toxicology (CIT) Training Fellowship

Selected Publications/Abstracts:

Prior to entering Pharmacology/Toxicology graduate program at MSU:
North CM, Harkins JM, Chung Y, Johnson J, Claycombe KJ: Effects of leptin deficiency on systemic inflammation in ob/ob mice. Experimental Biology Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2003 (Abstract)

Harkins JM, North CM, Chung Y, Islam Z, Claycombe KJ. Obesity-induced systemic inflammation in ob/ob mice: role of adipose tissue IL-6 synthesis and secretion. Experimental Biology Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2003 (Abstract)

Harkins JM, Moustaid-Moussa N, Chung YJ, Penner KM, Pestka JJ, North CM. Claycombe KJ: Ex-pression of interleukin-6 is greater in preadipocytes than in adipocytes c3T3-L1 cells and C57BL/6J and ob/ob mice. J. Nutr. 134(10): 2673-2677, 2004.

After entering Pharmacology/Toxicology graduate program at MSU:
Colin M. North, Norbert Kaminski, Byung-Sam Kim, Robert Crawford, Neil Snyder and Michael Holsapple. Interferon-gamma Treatment Reverses TCDD-mediated Suppression of the In Vitro Anti-sRBC Antibody Forming Cell Response and Attenuates CYP1A1 Induction. Superfund Basic Research Program Meeting, New York, NY 2006. (Abstract)