Richard T. Di Giulio

Research Professor of Environmental Toxicology in the Division of Environmental Science and Policy

Dr. Di Giulio serves as Director of Duke University's Integrated Toxicology Program and the Superfund Basic Research Center. Dr. Di Giulio's research is concerned with basic studies of mechanisms of contaminant metabolism, adaptation and toxicity, and with the development of mechanistically-based indices of exposure and toxicity that can be employed in biomonitoring. The long term goals of this research are to bridge the gap between mechanistic toxicological research and the development of useful tools for environmental assessment, and to elucidate linkages between human and ecosystem health. The bulk of Dr. Di Giulio's work employs a comparative approach with aquatic animals, particularly fishes, as models. Of particular concern are mechanisms of oxidative metabolism of aromatic hydrocarbons, mechanisms of free radical production and antioxidant defense, and mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis, developmental perturbations and adaptations to contaminated environments by fishes.

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Research Professor of Environmental Toxicology in the Division of Environmental Science and Policy

Contact Information

  • Office Location: A346B Lev Sci Res Ctr, Durham, NC 27708
  • Office Phone: +1 919 613 8024
  • Email Address: richd@duke.edu

Education

  • B.A. University of Texas, Austin, 1972
  • M.S. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 1978
  • Ph.D. Virginia Polytech Institute and State University, 1982

Courses Taught

  • ENVIRON 899: Master's Project
  • ENVIRON 394: Research Independent Study
  • ENVIRON 393: Research Independent Study

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Timme-Laragy, A. R., R. T. Di Giulio, and J. N. Meyer. “Reactive Oxygen Species and Redox Stress.” In Toxicology of Fishes, 121–55, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003160694-4.
  • Jasperse, Lindsay, Richard T. Di Giulio, and Nishad Jayasundara. “Bioenergetic Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Resistance Manifest Later in Life in Offspring of Fundulus heteroclitus from the Elizabeth River.” Environmental Science & Technology 57, no. 42 (October 2023): 15806–15. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c03610.
  • Trevisan, Rafael, Prabha Ranasinghe, Nishad Jayasundara, and Richard T. Di Giulio. “Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Impacts on Aquatic Species and Interactions with Environmental Factors and Pollutants.” Toxics 10, no. 6 (June 2022): 326. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10060326.
  • Woodyard, Megan, Beth A. Polidoro, Cole W. Matson, Ryan A. McManamay, Steven Saul, Kent E. Carpenter, Tracy K. Collier, et al. “A comprehensive petrochemical vulnerability index for marine fishes in the Gulf of Mexico.” The Science of the Total Environment 820 (May 2022): 152892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152892.
  • Hawkey, Andrew B., Perry Piatos, Zade Holloway, Jonna Boyda, Reese Koburov, Elizabeth Fleming, Richard T. Di Giulio, and Edward D. Levin. “Embryonic exposure to benzo[a]pyrene causes age-dependent behavioral alterations and long-term metabolic dysfunction in zebrafish.” Neurotoxicol Teratol 93 (2022): 107121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ntt.2022.107121.