Following a national search, Dr. Julia Cui has been appointed Head of the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology (EMT) in the College of Agricultural Sciences, effective September 1.
Dr. Cui joins OSU from the University of Washington, where she is a Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. A board-certified toxicologist, Dr. Cui is recognized for her leadership in the field of environmental toxicology and is the Founding Director of the Environmental Health and Microbiome Research Center (EHMBRACE). She is also the Director of the Functional Genomics Core within the UW Interdisciplinary Center for Exposures, Diseases, Genomics and Environment (EDGE).
Dr. Cui’s research focuses on the gut-liver axis, microbiome-xenobiotic interactions, and the epigenetic reprogramming that occurs following environmental exposures, particularly during early development. Her work integrates toxicogenomic and toxico-epigenomic approaches to uncover how environmental toxicants influence transcriptional and epigenetic gene regulation and contribute to chronic diseases, obesity, and altered drug metabolism. Her research has involved extensive collaboration with institutions such as the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Institute for Systems Biology, with a focus on understanding how the microbiome influences disease susceptibility in vulnerable populations and confined environments.
She has published over 90 peer-reviewed research articles and has received numerous prestigious awards, including the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Early Career Award and the Society of Toxicology Achievement Award. Dr. Cui is a nationally recognized leader in environmental health sciences, whose work advances mechanistic understanding of toxicant responses and contributes to the development of novel biomarkers and informs public health practice.
Dr. Cui received her Bachelor of Science degree from Chukechen Honors College at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, and her Ph.D. with honors from the University of Kansas Medical Center.
“We are excited to have Dr. Cui’s leadership and vision in our college,” said Staci Simonich, Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. “Dr. Cui brings extraordinary expertise, and her commitment to high-impact science, interdisciplinary collaboration, and student development will be pivotal for the department.”
The Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology is a multidisciplinary unit focused on research, teaching, and outreach related to environmental chemistry, toxicology, molecular biology, and risk assessment. The department plays a critical role in advancing understanding of environmental stressors on human and ecological health.