Guest Speaker, Dr. Tomás R. Guilarte, Shares about the Effects of Lead Exposure

PTS Parent, Dr. Tomás R. Guilarte, was a guest speaker who shared his knowledge with students in IB Environmental Systems and Societies, IB Sports Exercise and Health Science, AP Physics 1, Biomedical Sciences, and World Cultures Honors.

Dr. Guilarte spoke about the effects that lead exposure has on the central nervous system during brain development and strategies for mitigating learning deficits. Exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health and cause adverse effects such as learning problems, lower IQ, decreased ability to pay attention, and underperformance in school.
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As a Dean at Robert Stempel College of Public Health, a Social Work Professor,  an Environmental Health Sciences Professor, and a Cognitive Neuroscience and imaging Director, his focus is on Brain Science and Neurotoxicology.⁠ He is also the Brain Behavior & the Environment—FIU Emerging Preeminent Program Member, Biomolecular Sciences Institute. 
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Dr. Guilarte’s research explores the impact of environmental pollutants on neurological and mental disease. His work uses behavioral, cellular, and molecular approaches, ranging from studies using primary culture of brain cells to the application of brain imaging technologies.⁠
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