Shuk‐Mei Ho
Vice Chancellor of Research & Innovation
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
faculty
Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine
Research Areas
Is this your profile? Verify and claim your profile
Biography and Research Information
OverviewAI-generated summary
Shuk-Mei Ho's research focuses on the health impacts of environmental exposures, particularly concerning intergenerational effects and specific health outcomes. She is currently serving as PI on an NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grant totaling $468,131. This project investigates RNA modifications resulting from paternal exposure to arsenic and the subsequent intergenerational effects on sperm quality. Ho has also published on the complex interactions between open burn pit exposure and health outcomes, and on challenges in understanding environmental triggers for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Her work has garnered recognition, as indicated by her designation as a highly cited researcher and her h-index of 34, with over 5,800 citations across 43 publications. Ho maintains an active laboratory website and leads a research group at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she also holds the position of Vice Chancellor of Research & Innovation and is a Professor in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Her collaborations within the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences include work with Kalpana P. Padala, Prasad R. Padala, and Yuet‐Kin Leung.
Metrics
- h-index: 34
- Publications: 43
- Citations: 5,811
Selected Publications
Federal Grants 1 $468,131 total
RNA modifications by paternal exposure to arsenic and intergenerational effects on sperm quality
Research Interests
INTRODUCTION I am a globally recognized leader in the fields of Oncology, Toxicology, and Environmental Epigenetics. With a career spanning over three decades and a continuous funding record from the VA, NIH, NSF, and DoD since 1992, my work focuses on the molecular mechanisms driving treatment-resistant cancers and the lasting biological impacts of environmental exposures. Currently, I am a professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), and a VA BLR&D Research Career Scientist (IK6) at Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. I serve as the Corresponding Principal Investigator on a DoD/CDMRP partnership grant investigating the epigenetic "memory" of burn pit exposures in Veterans, and an NIH/NIEHS funded R01 studying sperm small RNA modifications as mediators of paternal inheritance. My laboratory bridges the gap between basic molecular discovery and translational precision medicine, utilizing high-resolution multi-omics to improve health outcomes for those who have served, as well as the general public. MAJOR RESEARCH THEMES 1. Precision Oncology & Non-Canonical Signaling -My lab is a pioneer in defining the role of estrogen signaling in prostate cancer. We identified the testosterone-to-estrogen ratio as a critical risk factor and characterized the five isoforms of ER-beta (ESR2). Our most recent breakthrough involves GPER1 (GPR30), a membrane-bound receptor we identified as a potent inhibitor of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). 2. Environmental Epigenetics & DOHaD - As a foundational contributor to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), I provided the first evidence that early-life exposure to endocrine disruptors (like BPA) causes life-long epigenetic reprogramming. This research helped shape national and international regulatory policies and continues today through our study of transgenerational health effects and small RNA modifications in reproductive toxicology. 3. The Stem Cell Theory of Cancer - We investigate epithelial stem cells as the "seeds" of malignancy. By studying early molecular and epigenetic "switches" in stem-progenitor cells, we aim to identify the earliest markers of transformation. We utilize single-cell analysis and long-read sequencing to dissect the molecular signatures of cancer stem-like subpopulations across disease stages. 4. Occupational Health & Biomarker Discovery - My research extends to high-risk occupations, identifying molecular "fingerprints" of toxicant exposure. From firefighting to military deployment, we utilize global metabolomics and DNA methylation profiling to develop personalized risk assessments for individuals exposed to airborne hazards and environmental pollutants. IMPACT & RECOGNITIONS 1.Global Ranking: Recognized in the PLoS Biology World-wide Top 2% Author Ranking, placing 912th out of 230,678 researchers globally. 2.Publication Record: Over 260 peer-reviewed publications with >27,000 citations, an h-index of 85, and an i10-index of 232. 3.National Leadership: Served on the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council (NIEHS-NIH) (2017-2020); Current Invited Member, the Urologic Disease in America Contract Management Board (UDA CMB) (2019-present) for NIH/NIDDK; Current Invited Member, External Expert Panel, O’Brien Urology Cooperative Research Centers (U54) Consortium, NIH/NIDDK(2025-present); and participated in over 130 NIH and 30 DoD/CDMRP study sections 4.Academic Leadership: Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation at UAMS (2019-2024), Chief Integrity Officer of UAMS (2019-2024),Hayden Family Cancer Research Chair & Director of the Cincinnati Cancer Center (2013-2018), Jacob G. Schmidlapp Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) (2005-2019), Associate Dean for Basic Research at UCMC (2011-2019), Director of the NIEH Facility Core-Center for Environmental Health at UCMC (2007-2019), Director of the Genomics, Epigenomics, and Sequencing Core of the University of Cincinnati (2006-2019), Director of Translational Research in the Department of Surgery and Director of Urological Research at the Division of Urology (1998-2005) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Associate Dean for Research and Continued Education at Tufts University (1967-1998).
Grants & Funding
- Metallothionein &Cadmium Carcinogenesis in the Prostate NIH Principal Investigator
- NATURE OF LUNG ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE MECHANISM NIH Principal Investigator
- RNA modifications by paternal exposure to arsenic and intergenerational effects on sperm quality NIH/Nat. Inst. of Environmental Health Sciences Principal Investigator
- Metal-induced cell-level changes in prostate epithelium and cancer risk Veterans' Administration (VA) Principal Investigator
- RNA modifications by paternal exposure to arsenic and intergenerational effects on sperm quality NIH/Nat. Inst. of Environmental Health Sciences Principal Investigator
- Developmental Reprogramming of Prostate Carcinogenesis by BPA NIH Co-Principal Investigator
- Developmental Exposure to Low-dose Bisphenol A and Human Prostate Cancer Suscepti NIH Co-Principal Investigator
- NSF, RII Track-2 FEC: Facilitating Ubiquitous Technology Utilizing Resilient Eco-friendly Sensors (FUTURE Sensors) National Science Foundation - Pass Through: Louisiana Tech University Principal Investigator
Collaborators
Researchers in the database who share publications
Similar Researchers
Based on overlapping research topics