Joëlle Rüegg

My research focuses on how endocrine disrupting chemicals, i.e. chemicals that interfere with our endogenous hormone system, affect neurodevelopment. I engage in multidisciplinary projects to address the full complexity of this topic, coupling molecular mechanisms to human health, and translating scientific insights into regulatory and political decisions. I am coordinator of one such project, the Horizon 2020-funded ENDpoiNTs. Read more about my research here.

Diploma in Biochemistry, University of Zürich (1994-1999)

MSc in Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh (1999-2000)

PhD Ludwig Maximilian University München, (2000-2004)

Docent in Toxicology, Karolinska Institutet 2018

My research focusses on the question how early life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) affects human (neuro)development via epigenetic changes, i.e. long-lasting changes in gene regulation that do not involve alteration in the DNA sequence. In the Molecular Toxicology and Epigenetics group, we are working on four main projects:

• ENDpoiNTs, a H2020-funded research and innovation action including 16 participants, that aims at developing novel testing methods and strategies to identify chemicals that affect neurodevelopment via endocrine disrupting mechanisms.
• RACH-Mix, a Formas-funded project where we identify epigenetic changes induced by chemical mixtures and address their value as early markers for human exposure-linked disease risk.
• The Formas-funded BBB project, in which we investigate the effect of EDCs on the human blood-brain barrier using advanced in vitro models, and link our results to epidemiological findings.