Vincent Castranova, Ph.D., is the Chief of the Pathology and Physiology Research Branch in the Health Effects Laboratory Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia. He holds the grade of a CDC Distinguished Consultant and received the Shepard Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award from CDC in 2008. He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences at West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia and the Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Castranova received a B.S. in biology from Mount Saint Mary’s College, Emmitsburgh, Maryland in 1970, graduating magna cum laude. He received a Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics in 1974 from West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia before becoming an NIH fellow and research faculty member in the Department of Physiology at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. In 1977, Dr. Castranova received a research staff position at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and an adjunct faculty position at West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia. He has served at these institutions since that time.

Dr. Castranova’s research interests have been concentrated in pulmonary toxicology and occupational lung disease. He has been coordinator of the Nanotoxicology Program in NIOSH since its inception. He has been a co-editor of four books and has co-authored over 450 manuscripts and book chapters.

Representative publications:

Baron PA, Deye GJ, Chen BT, Schwegler-Berry DE, Shvedova AA, Castranova V. Aerosolization of single-walled carbon nanotubes for an inhalation study. Inhal Toxicol. 2008 20, 751-760.

Kang JL, Moon C, Lee HS, Lee HW, Park EM, Kim HS, Castranova V. Comparison of the biological activity between ultrafine and fine titanium dioxide particles in RAW 264.7 cells associated with oxidative stress. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2008 71, 478-485.

Shvedova AA, Fabisiak JP, Kisin ER, Murray AR, Roberts JR, Tyurina YY, Antonini JM, Feng WH, Kommineni C, Reynolds J, Barchowsky A, Castranova V, Kagan VE.

Sequential exposure to carbon nanotubes and bacteria enhances pulmonary inflammation and infectivity. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2008 38, 579-590.

CDC Website

Respresentative Publications