Alexandra Noël
Associate Professor and Director of Inhalation Laboratory
Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences
LSU School of Veterinary Medicine
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
In the News
Education
PhD, Université de Montréal, Faculté de Médecine, 2013
MSc, Université de Montréal, Faculté de Médecine, 2007
BS, Université de Montréal, Faculté de Médecine, 2003
Research Interest
The focus of our research is production and characterization of aerosols, composed of engineered nanoparticles, ultrafine or fine particles, as well as inhalation and developmental toxicology. We seek to investigate the fundamental mechanisms at the epigenetic, molecular and cellular levels that underlie the developmental origins of health and disease, with respect to respiratory effects caused by distinct emerging inhaled environmental pollutants. This includes the study of engineered nanoparticles, second-hand smoke, electronic cigarette vapor, hookah smoke, and a multi-pollutant approach to simulate real-life exposure scenarios. We use a multidisciplinary approach bridging inhalation toxicology, nanotoxicology, pathology and lung biology, as well as in utero exposure and lung disease models (asthma, emphysema, fibrosis and lung cancer), coupled with gene expression and DNA methylation analysis, allowing for an adequate exposure – effect continuum correlation. These studies also allow for the identification of the common toxicological pathways and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms related to the adverse pulmonary effects induced by these airborne contaminants.
Teaching Interest
Inhalation toxicology as well as cellular and molecular biology
Clinical interest
Translational research in pulmonary diseases.
Awards & Honors
2020 David Bates Award - American Thoracic Society (ATS) Environmental, Occupational and Population Health Assembly
2020 LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award
2020 APSselect article for the month of April 2020
2019 NIH/NHLBI AGOLD PRIDE program scholar
2019 Distinguished Scientific Presentation Award - Toxicologists of African Origin, Society of Toxicology
2018 Excellence in Research Grant
2018 Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel - Jewish National Fund
2017 Chair - Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) – Lung Development, Injury & repair
2017 Minority Trainee Development Scholarship - American Thoracic Society
2016 Abstract Scholarship - Thoracic Oncology Assembly, American Thoracic Society
2015 Minority Trainee Development Scholarship - American Thoracic Society
2014 Post-doctoral Fellowship - Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé
Publications
Inhalation of particulate matter containing free radicals leads to decreased vascular responsiveness associated with an altered pulmonary function. Harmon, Ashlyn; Noël, Alexandra; Subramanian, B; Perveen, Z; Jennings, M; Chen, Y; Penn, Arthur; Legendre, K; Paulsen, Daniel; Varner, K; Dugas, Tammy. 2021. American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, Volume: 321, Number: 4, Pages: H667-H683.
Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34415187/
In utero exposure to e-cig aerosols decreases lung fibrillar collagen content, increases Newtonian resistance and induces sex-specific molecular signatures in neonatal mice. Cahill, Kerin; Gartia, Manas; Sahu, Sushant; Bergeron, Sarah; Heffernan, Linda; Paulsen, Daniel; Penn, Arthur; Noël, Alexandra. 2021. Toxicological Research.
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43188-021-00103-3
Effects of Chronic Secondhand Smoke (SHS) Exposure on Cognitive Performance and Metabolic Pathways in the Hippocampus of Wild-Type and Human Tau Mice. Raber J, Perez R, Torres ERS, Krenik D, Boutros S, Patel E, Chlebowski AC, Torres ER, Perveen Z, Penn A, Paulsen DB, Bartlett MG, Jia E, Holden S, Hall R, Morré J, Wong C, Ho E, Choi J, Stevens JF, Noël A, Bobe G, Kisby G. 2021. Environmental health perspectives, 129(5), 57009. doi.org/10.1289/EHP8428.
Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34009016/
Sub-ohm vaping increases the levels of carbonyls, is cytotoxic, and alters gene expression in human bronchial epithelial cells exposed at the air-liquid interface. Noël, Alexandra; Hossain, Md Ekhtear; Perveen, Zakia; Zaman, Hasan; Penn, Arthur. 2020. Respiratory Research, 19;21(1):305. doi: 10.1186/s12931-020-01571-1.
Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33213456/
Cell-specific toxicity of short-term JUUL aerosol exposure to human bronchial epithelial cells and murine macrophages exposed at the air-liquid interface. Pinkston, Rakeysha; Zaman, Hasan; Hossain, Md Ekhtear; Penn, Arthur; Noël, Alexandra. 2020. Respiratory Research, 17;21(1):269. doi: 10.1186/s12931-020-01539-1.
Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33069224/
Electronic-cigarette vehicles and flavoring affect lung function and immune responses in a murine model. Szafran, Brittany; Pinkston, Rakeysha; Perveen, Zakia; Ross, Matthew; Morgan, Thimothy; Paulsen, Daniel; Penn, Arthur; Kaplan, Barbara; Noël, Alexandra. 2020. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(17):6022. doi: 10.3390/ijms21176022.
Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32825651/
In utero exposures to electronic-cigarette aerosols impair the Wnt signaling during mouse lung development. Noël, Alexandra; Hansen, Shannon; Zaman, Anusha; Perveen, Zakia; Pinkston, Rakeysha; Hossain, Md Ekhtear; Xiao, Rui; Penn, Arthur. 2020. American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Volume: 318, Number: 4, Pages: L705-L722.
Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32083945/
Generation of Electronic Cigarette Aerosol by a Third-Generation Machine-Vaping Device: Application to Toxicological Studies. Noël, Alexandra; Verret, Christina; Hasan, Farhana; Lomnicki, Slawomir; Morse, John; Robichaud, Annette; Penn, Arthur. 2018. Journal of Visualized Experiments, Volume: 138, Pages: e58095.
Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30199038/
Sex-specific lung functional changes in adult mice exposed only to second-hand smoke in utero. Noël, A; Xiao, R; Perveen, Z; Zaman, H; Le Donne, V; Penn, Arthur. 2017. Respiratory Research, 18(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s12931-017-0591-0.
Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28651580/
Early Postnatal Secondhand Smoke Exposure Disrupts Bacterial Clearance and Abolishes Immune Responses in Muco-Obstructive Lung Disease. Lewis, B; Sultana, R; Sharma, R; Noël, Alexandra; Langohr, Ingeborg; Patial, Sonika; Penn, Arthur; Saini, Yogesh. 2017. Journal of Immunology, Volume: 199, Number: 3, Pages: 1170-1183.
Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28667160/
Grants
Effect of third-generation electronic-cigarette design features on aerosol constituents and pulmonary toxicity in vitro and in vivo - Focus on humectants and vitamin E acetate, NIH/NIEHS, $72,769.00.
Cardiopulmonary effects induced by electronic-cigarette and JUUL aerosols in both in vivo and in vitro models, NIH/NHLBI, $816,995.00.
LSU Superfund Research Program, NIH NIEHS, $253,453.40.