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Staff Profile

Dr Adi Baumgartner

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences

 

During my career, I gained valuable experience in research and research-informed teaching in the UK, Germany and the United States of America. This significantly widened my horizon and improved my skills as a scholar, lecturer and tutor or supervisor. Working in a diverse and inclusive environment was and still is quite essential to my personal and professional development. The Biomedical Science course at York St John represents such a challenging and invigorating task where I can contribute with my research experience as well as my teaching skills.

Prior to my current Senior Lectureship, I was appointed to be an International Lecturer in Medical Sciences at the University of Bradford with an emphasis on innovative teaching methods and delivering teaching at partner institutions overseas. In Bradford, I also successfully finished the PGCHEP course and became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I have travelled to Singapore, met students and trained staff abroad. I supervised students on home courses and overseas. I was involved in teaching as module leader of the Clinical Sciences’ module Integrated Medical Sciences and on other modules such as:

  • Cell & Tissue Biology
  • Cell Pathology
  • Cancer and Therapeutics
  • Haematology & Immunology
  • Developing Professional Skills
 

Further information

Teaching

 

I am the Module Leader for the following:

  • Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Cellular pathology
  • Research Project

On the Biomedical course, I will be teaching and tutoring students from all 3 years, supervising Research Projects in Year 3 and also contributing to the Clinical Genetics and Toxicology and Pharmacology modules. I am currently teaching only undergraduate students, but in the future also graduate students. I very successfully supervised undergraduates, MSc and PhD students.

 

Research

 

My research activity at York St John and my research interests involve:

  • Genotoxicology
  • Oxidative stress
  • Nanoparticles
  • Male-mediated defects
  • Mutagenesis
  • Cell pathology.

Genotoxicology of various compounds including nanoparticles and their effect on somatic and germ cells is currently my main research focus. But also identifying potent anti-oxidants that will be tested in vitro to alleviate the genotoxic impact on cells such as lymphocytes.

Research collaborations and links exist in-house and with other Universities and institutions, nationally and internationally.

In recent years, I was participating in an integrated project which aimed to develop a microfluidic point-of-care diagnostic system for the acute coronary syndrome based on lectin-induced agglutination of red blood cells. I was involved in the European NewGeneris project, which targeted genotoxic exposure risks of newborns. This study finally resulted in the identification of paternal smoking being a transgenerational mutagen.

My research experience also includes the assessment of genotoxic effects of oestrogenic compounds on DNA of human lymphocytes as well as the development of high-end commercial-grade DNA-probes for fluorescence in situ hybridisation, which target specific sites on chromosomes in single cells, being then used in preimplantation genetic diagnostics (PGD) and also for cancer cytogenetics. Regarding cancer biology, one focus was on radiation-induced tumours such as post-Chernobyl childhood papillary thyroid cancers, the delineation of complex chromosomal rearrangements in these tumours, chromosomal radio-sensitivity and the time-course of radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations in tumour patients after radiotherapy.

 

Publications

 

Baumgartner A., Hartleb V., Taylor J.D. (2019) Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) in Genotoxicology. In: Genotoxicity Assessment - Methods and Protocols, 2nd Edition, Springer Protocols, Eds. Dhawan A. and Bajpayee M., Humana Press, Methods in Molecular Biology. Humana Press, London, U.K., ISBN: 978-1-49399-645-2.

Taylor J.D., Baumgartner A., Schmid T.E., Brinkworth M.H. (2019) Responses to genotoxicity in mouse testicular germ cells and epididymal spermatozoa are affected by increased age. Toxicol. Lett. 310, 1-6.

Baumgartner A., Ferlatte C., Polyzos A., Weier H.-U.G., Weier J.F., O’Brien B. (2018) Full karyotype interphase cell analysis. J Histochem Cytochem, 66(8), 595-606.

Dandah O., Najafzadeh M., Isreb M., Linforth R., Tate C., Baumgartner A., Anderson D. (2018) Aspirin and ibuprofen, in bulk and nanoforms: Effects on DNA damage in peripheral lymphocytes from breast cancer patients and healthy individuals. Mutat Res 826, 41-46.

Alotaibi A., Najafzadeh M., Davies J.D., Baumgartner A., Anderson D. (2017) Inhibition of surviving expression after using oxaliplatin and vinflunine to induce cytogenetic damage in vitro in lymphocytes from colon cancer patients and healthy individuals. Mutagenesis 32(5), 517-524.

Habas K., Najafzadeh M., Baumgartner A., Brinkworth M., Anderson A. (2017) An evaluation of DNA damage in human lymphocytes and sperm exposed to methyl methanesulfonate involving the regulation pathways associated with apoptosis. Chemosphere 185, 709-716.

Baumgartner A., Ali A., Normington C., Anderson D. (2016) The Comet assay in sperm - Assessing genotoxins in male germ cells. In: The Comet Assay in Toxicology, 2nd Edition, Eds. Dhawan A. and Anderson D., Series Issues in Toxicology, RSC Publishing, Cambridge, U.K., ISBN: 978-1-78262-287-1.

Anderson D., Baumgartner A., Najafzadeh M. (2016) Genotoxic effects in peripheral blood and sperm in humans in healthy individuals and those with disease states. In: The Comet Assay in Toxicology, 2nd Edition, Eds. Dhawan A. and Anderson D., Series Issues in Toxicology, RSC Publishing, Cambridge, U.K., ISBN: 978-1-78262-287-1.

Anderson D., Schmid T.E., Baumgartner A. (2015) Paternal smoking as a cause for transgenerational damage in the offspring. Chapter 2. In: Handbook of Fertility: Nutrition, Diet, Lifestyle and Reproductive Health, Ed. Watson RR, Academic Press, Elsevier, ISBN 978-0-12800-872-0.

Vande Loock K., Botsivali M., Zangogianni M., Anderson D., Baumgartner A., Fthenou E., Chatzi L., Marcos R., Agramunt S., Namork E., Granum B., Knudsen L.E., Nielssen J.K.S., Meltzer H.M., Haugen M., Kyrtopoulos S.A., Decordier I., Plas G., Roelants M., Merlo F., Kleinjans J, Kogevinas M., Kirsch-Volders M. (2014) The effect of dietary estimates calculated using food frequency questionnaires on micronuclei formation in European pregnant women: a NewGeneris study. Mutagenesis 29(6), 393-400.

Bocsi J., Nieschke K., Mittag A., Reichert T., Laffers W., Marecka M., Pierzchalski A., Piltz J., Esche H.-J., Wolf G., Dähnert I., Baumgartner A., Tarnok A. (2014) Diagnosis of myocardial infarction based on lectin-induced erythrocyte agglutination: a feasibility study. Proc. SPIE 8947, Imaging, Manipulation, and Analysis of Biomolecules, Cells, and Tissues XII, 89470V. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2037702]

Anderson D., Schmid T.E., Baumgartner A. (2014) Male-mediated developmental toxicity. Asian J. Androl. 16, 81-88.

Baumgartner A. (2013) Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) in Genotoxicology. In: Genotoxicity Assessment: Methods and Protocols. Chapter 13. Eds. Dhawan A. and Bajpayee M., Springer Science+Business Media New York. Methods in Molecular Biology 1044, 245-268.

Weier J.F., Hartshorne C., Nguyen H.N., Baumgartner A., Polyzos A.A., Lemke K.H., Zeng H., Weier H.-U.G. (2013) Analysis of human invasive cytotrophoblasts using multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization. Methods, EPUB 06JUN2013.

Zeng H., Weier J.F., Wang M, Kassabian H.J., Polyzos A.A., Baumgartner A., O’Brien B., Weier H.-U.W. (2012) Bioinformatic tools identify chromosome-specific DNA probes and facilitate risk assessment by detecting aneusomies in extra-embryonic tissues. Curr. Genomics 13, 438-445.

Schmid T.E., Eskenazi B., Marchetti F., Young S., Weldon R.H., Baumgartner A., Anderson D., Wyrobek A.J. (2012) Micronutrients intake is associated with improved sperm DNA quality in older men. Fertil. Steril. 98, 1130-1137.

Laubenthal J., Zlobinskaya O., Poterlowicz K., Baumgartner A., Gdula M.R., Fthenou E., Keramarou M., Hepworth S.J., Kleinjans J.C.S., van Schooten F.-J., Brunborg G., Godschalk R.W., Schmid T.E., Anderson D. (2012) Cigarette smoke-induced transgenerational alterations in genome stability in cord blood of human F1 offspring. FASEB J. 26, 3946-3956.

Baumgartner A., Sampol-López M., Cemeli E., Schmid T.E., Donahue R., Evans D., Anderson D. (2012) Genotoxicity of birch-bark tar - a most prehistoric adhesive. Advances in Anthropology 2, 49-56.

Bocsi J., Mittag A., Pierzchalski A., Baumgartner A., Dähnert I., Tárnok A. (2012) Comparison of quantitative flow cytometric data provided by panels with lower and increased color number. Proc SPIE 8225, 822512. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.906712]

Najefzadeh M., Baumgartner A., Gopolan R., Davies J.B., Wright A., Reynolds P.D., Anderson D. (2012) In vitro sensitivities to UVA of lymphocytes from patients with colon and melanoma cancers and pre-cancerous states in the micronucleus and the Comet assays. Mutagenesis 27, 351-357.

Alotaibi A., Baumgartner A., Najafzadeh M., Cemeli E., Anderson D. (2012). In vitro investigation of DNA interstrand crosslinks induced by the DNA cross-linking agents oxaliplatin and satraplatin in lymphocytes of colorectal cancer patients. J. Cancer Therapy 3, 78-89.

Baumgartner A., Kurzawa-Zegota M., Laubenthal J., Cemeli E., Anderson D. (2012) Comet assay parameters as rapid biomarkers of exposure to dietary / environmental compounds – an in vitro feasibility study on spermatozoa and lymphocytes. Mutat. Res. 743, 25-35.

Doherty A.T., Baumgartner A., Anderson D. (2012) Cytogenetic in vivo assays in somatic cells. In: Genetic Toxicology - Principles and Method, Springer Protocols, Eds. Parry J.M. and Parry E.M., Humana Press, Methods in Molecular Biology 817, Chapter 14, pp. 271-304.

Kurzawa-Zegota M., Najafzadeh M., Baumgartner A., Anderson D. (2012) The protective effect of the flavonoids on food-mutagen-induced DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes from colon cancer patients. Food Chem. Toxicol. 50, 124-129.

Najafzadeh M., Kurzawa-Zegota M., Baumgartner A., Reynolds P.D., Davies J.B., Anderson D. (2011) The effect of flavonoids in soybean products in lymphocytes from IBD and colon cancer patients after treatment with food mutagens and hydrogen peroxide. In: Soybean and Health, Ed. Hany El-Shemy, ISBN: 978-953-307-535-8, InTech, Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/soybean-and-health/the-effect-of-flavonoids-in-soybean-products-in-lymphocytes-from-ibd-and-colon-cancer-patients-after.

Anderson D., Laubenthal J., Baumgartner A. (2011) Male and female germ cell biomarkers. In: Biomarkers and Human Biomonitoring, Eds. Knudsen L., Merlo D.F., Anderson D. and Marrs T., Series Issues in Toxicology, RSC Publishing, Cambridge, U.K., Chapter 12, pp. 174-196.

Foroutan B., Zitzelsberger H., Bauer V., Ruf A.A., Baumgartner A., Anderson D. (2011) Molecular cytogenetic analysis of chemoresistant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with p53 abnormalities using fluorescence in situ hybridisation and comparative genomic hybridisation. Arch. Iran Med. 14, 321-326.

Linschooten J.O., Laubenthal J., Cemeli E., Baumgartner A., Anderson D., Sipinen V.E., Brunborg G., Haenen G.R., Fthenou E., Briedé J.J., van Schooten F.J., Godschalk R.W. (2011) Incomplete protection of genetic integrity of mature spermatozoa against oxidative stress. Reprod. Toxicol. 32, 106–111.

Huber R., Braselmann H., Geinitz H., Jaehnert I., Baumgartner A., Thamm R., Figel M., Molls M., Zitzelsberger H. (2011) Chromosomal radiosensitivity and acute radiation side effects after radiotherapy in tumour patients - a follow-up study. Radiat. Oncol. 6, 32-39.

Osman I.F., Baumgartner A., Cemeli E., Fletcher J.N., Anderson D. (2010) Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in HEp-2 cells. Nanomedicine 5, 1193-1203.

 

Professional activities

 

Professional activities 

  • Member of the Histochemical Society, USA
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, FHEA, UK
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice, PGCHEP, University of Bradford
  • Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, York St John University, since 2016
  • International Lecturer in Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK, 2012-2016
  • Scientist, Heart Center, FuL Kika, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany, 2011-2012
  • Research Fellow, Biomedical Sciences, University of Bradford, UK, 2006-2010
  • Assistant Specialist, ObGyn/RS, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2004-2006
  • Marie-Curie-Fellow, Biomedical Sciences, University of Bradford, UK, 2002-2004
  • Post-doctoral Fellow, Institute of Molecular Radiobiology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Germany, 1999-2002
  • PhD (Dr. rer. nat.), Ludwig-Maximilians-University (Munich, Germany), 1999
  • BSc & MSc in Biology, University of Regensburg (Germany)