University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A., 1972, Biology
University of California, Santa Barbara, M.A., 1972, Biological Sciences
University of California, Davis, Ph.D., 1978, Pharmacology & Toxicology

Experience:

• Chief, Pharmacodynamics Branch, Division of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, NCTR/FDA (1980-1990). Began development of the multidisciplinary team approach to solve toxicological problems and recruited research team members to enhance NCTR's neurotoxicological research and assessment capability.
• Acting Director, Division of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, NCTR/FDA (1990-1991). Developed and published quantitative risk assessment approaches for non-cancer endpoints.
• Acting Director, Division of Neurotoxicology, NCTR/FDA (1992-1993). Continued to recruit and focus the efforts of the multidisciplinary research staff to address FDA's needs in neurotoxicity risk assessment.
• Director, Division of Neurotoxicology, NCTR/FDA (1993-present). Articulated via national/international presentations, workshops and peer reviewed publications biologically-based, quantitative risk assessment approaches for neurotoxicity risk assessment.

Honors:

• Member of the Program Committee, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, (2000 to present)
• Member, Scientific Advisory Panel, FIFRA/USEPA (1998-1999), Retrospective Analysis of Developmental Neurotoxicity Studies and FQPA, 10X Safety Factor Update.
• Member of the Task Force on Risk Assessment (1996-1998) and Continuing Education Committee, Society of Toxicology, (1997-1999).
• Teratology Society: Councilor, 1995-1998; Chairperson, Publication Committee, 1998-2000, Vice President elect, 2000-present.
• Neurotoxicology Specialty Section, President, 1995-1996, Society of Toxicology
• Member of the editorial board for Reproductive Toxicology (1997-present) and Neurotoxicology and Teratology (1996-1999).
• Associate editor for NeuroToxicology (1994 to present).
• Associate editor for Toxicological Sciences (1999-present).

Current Primary Research Interests: Neurotoxicology/Neuroprotection, Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment.

• Development and validation of animal models to predict human neurotoxicity and developmental toxicity.
• Development and validation of neurohistological, neurobiological, neurochemical and behavioral methods to determine biomarkers of neurotoxicity.
• Development and validation of quantitative risk assessment models and procedures to reduce the uncertainty of risk assessment.
• Development of hypotheses to define the mechanisms of toxicity and approaches to neuroprotection for substituted amphetamines, excitotoxicants and metabolic inhibitors.

• Bowyer, J.F., Newport, G.D., Slikker W. Jr., Gough, B., Ferguson, S.A. and Tor-Agbidye, J. An evaluation of l-ephedrine neurotoxicity with respect to hyperthermia and caudate/putamen microdialysate levels of ephedrine, dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate. Toxicol. Sci., 55:133-142, 2000.

• Imam, S.Z., Crow, J.P., Islam, F., Slikker, W. and Ali, S.F. Methamphetamine generates peroxynitrite and produce dopaminergic neurotoxicity in mice: protective effects of peroxynitrite scavenger FeTMPyP. Brain Research, 837(1-2):15-21, 1999.

• Imam, S.Z., Newport, G.D., Islam, F., Slikker, W. Jr., and Ali, S.F. Selenium, an antioxidant, protects against methamphetamine-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity. Brain Res. 818:575-578, 1999.

• Lipe, G.W., Duhart, H.L., Newport, G.D., Slikker, W. Jr., and Ali, S.F. Effects of manganese on the concentration of amino acids in different regions of the rat brain. J. Environ. Sci. & Health, 34:119-132, 1999.

• Patterson, T.A., Binienda, Z.K., Newport, G.D., Lipe, G.W., Gillam, M.P., Slikker, Jr., W., and Sandberg, J.A. Transplacental pharmacokinetics and fetal distribution of 2’,3’-didehydro-3’-deoxythymidine (d4T) and its metabolites in late-term rhesus macaques. Teratology. 62:93-99, 2000.

• Patterson, T.A., Schmued, L.C., Sandberg, J.A. and Slikker, W. Temporal development of 2',3'-dideoxyinosine-(DDI) induced peripheral myelinopathy. Neurotoxicology and Teratology. 22:429-434, 2000.

• Poirier, M., Patterson, T.A., Slikker, W. and Olivero, O. Incorporation of 3'-azido-3'deoxythymidine (AZT) into fetal DNA, and fetal tissue distribution of drug, after infusion of pregnant late-term rhesus macaques with a human-equivalent AZT dose. Journal of Acquired Deficiency Syndromes, 22:477-483, 1999.

• Schmued, L.C. and Slikker, W. Black-gold: A simple, high resolution histochemical label for normal and pathological myelin in brain tissue sections. Brain Research, 837(1-2):289-297, 1999.

• Schmued, L., Slikker Jr., W., Clausing, P. and Bowyer, J.F. d-Fenfluramine produces neuronal degeneration in localized regions of the cortex, thalamus, and cerebellum of the rat. Toxicol. Sci. 48:100-106,1999.

• Slikker, W. Risk assessment and neurotoxicology: Neurotoxicology in current protocols in toxicology. Current Protocols in Toxicology, (In Press).

• Slikker, W., Jr., Beck, B.D., Cory-Slechta, D.A., Paule, M.G., Anger, W.K., and Bellinger, David.: Cognitive tests: interpretation for neurotoxicity. Accepted, Toxicol. Sci., 2000.

• Slikker, W., Youdim, M., Palmer, E., Hall, E., Williams, C. and Trembly, B. The future of neuroprotection. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, (Eds. B. Trembly and W. Slikker, Jr.), pp 529-533, 1999.

• Stewart, C.W. and Slikker, W. Hyperthermia-enhanced serotonin (5-HT) depletion resulting from d-Fenfluarmine (d-Fen) exposure does not evoke a glial-cell response in the central nervous system of rats. Brain Research, 839:279-282,1999.

• Wang, G.J., Schmued, L.C., Andrews, A.M, Scallet, A.C., Slikker, W., Jr., and Binienda, Z. Systemic administration of domoic acid-induced spinal cord lesions in neonatal rats. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 23:31-39,2000

• Yu, X., Imam, S. Z., Newport, G. D., Slikker, W. Jr. and Ali, S. F. Ibogaine blocked methamphetamine-induced and induction of heat shock protein in mice. Brain Res., 823:213-216, 1999.