Professor Gray earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1998) and a Ph.D. in Pathobiology (2003) from Pennsylvania State University. He was a postdoctoral fellow at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School where he did research on the oxidative stress and toxicology of redox cycling chemicals such as the toxic herbicide paraquat. In 2006, he joined the faculty of the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University in the Pharmacology & Toxicology department, where his research program focused on designing medical countermeasures against chemical warfare agents including the vesicant sulfur mustard. Dr. Gray joined the USCGA in 2008.  

Dr. Gray maintains an active research lab that investigates the mechanism of action of vesicants that may act as potential chemical weapons. He is an active member of theUNDNJ-Rutgers University CounterACT Center of Excellence, a research group focused on the development of drugs to treat mustard gas exposure. He also studies the mechanism of insulin secretion from beta cells, and is an Adjunct Assistant Scientist at the Biocurrents Research Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.  

Cadet research is an important part of Dr. Gray’s research program. Cadet scientists are encouraged to perform research and participate in national and regional meetings. For the past three years, Prof Gray's students have won awards to attend the Society of Toxicology Annual meeting. The latest award winner was 1/c Rebecca Follmer. Prof Gray currently mentors research projects on mustard gas and vesicant stability, insulin secretion from beta cells, and corrosion of Coast Guard cutters. 

• Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D. Pathobiology, 2003
• Pennsylvania State University, B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1998

• General Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Microbiology
• Toxicology

• Heart, E., M. Palo, T. Womack, P. J. Smith, and J. P. Gray. The level of menadione redox-cycling in pancreatic beta-cells is proportional to the glucose concentration: role of NADH and consequences for insulin secretion. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 258(2): 216-225. 2012. [abstract]
• Gray, J. P., T. Eisen, G. W. Cline, P. J. Smith, and E. Heart. Plasma membrane electron transport in pancreatic beta-cells is mediated in part by NQO1. Am J Physiol Endicrinol Metab. 301(1): E113-E121. 2011. [abstract]
• Fussell, K. C., R. G. Udasin, J. P. Gray, V. Mishin, P. J. Smith, D. E. Heck, and J. D. Laskin. Redox cycling and enhanced oxygen utilization contribute to diquat-induced oxidative stress and cytotoxicity in Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase. Free Radic Biol Med. 50(7): 874-882. 2011. [abstract]
• Gray, J. P., V. Mishin, D. E. Heck, D. L. Laskin, and J. D. Laskin. Inhibition of NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase by the model sulfur mustard vesicant 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide is associated with increased production of reactive oxygen species. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 247(2): 76-82. 2010. [abstract]
• Gray, J. P.,and E. Heart. Usurping the mitochondrial supremacy: extramitochondrial sources of reactive oxygen intermediates and their role in beta cell metabolism and insulin secretion. Toxicol Mech Methods 20 (4): 167-174. [abstract]
• Wang, Y., J. P. Gray, V. Mishin, D. E. Heck, D. L. Laskin, and J. D. Laskin. Distinct roles of cytochrome P450 reductase in mitomycin c redox cycling and cytotoxicity. Mol Cancer Ther. 9(6): 1852-1863. 2010. [abstract]
• Vetrano, A. M., D. L. Laskin, F. Archer, K. Syed, J. P. Gray, J. D. Laskin, N. Nwebube, and B. Weinberger. Inflammatory effects of phthalates in neonatal neutrophils. Pediatr Res. 68(2): 134-139. 2010. [abstract]
• Jan, Y. H., D. E. Heck, J. P. Gray, H. Zheng, R. P. Casillas, D. L. Laskin, and J. D. Laskin. Selective targeting of selenocysteine in thioredoxin reductase by the half mustard 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide in lung epithelial cells. Chem Res Toxicol. 23(6): 1045-1053. [abstract]
• Mishin, V., J. P. Gray, D. E. Heck, D. L. Laskin, and J. D. Laskin. Application of the Amplex red/horseradish peroxidase assay to measure hydrogen peroxide generation by recombinant microsomal enzymes. Free Radic Biol Med. 48 (11): 1485-1491. 2010. [abstract]
• Gardner, C. R., J. P. Gray, L. B. Joseph, J. Cervelli, N. Bremer, Y. Kim, V. Mishin, J. D. Laskin, and D. L. Laskin. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 245 (1): 36-46. 2010. [abstract]
• Shakarjian, M. P., D. E. Heck, J. P. Gray, P. J. Sinko, M. K. Gordon, R. P. Casillas, N. D. Heindel, D. R. Gerecke, D. L. Laskin, and J. D. Laskin. Mechanisms mediating the vesicant actions of sulfur mustard after cutaneous exposure. Toxicol Sci 114(1): 5-19. 2009. [abstract]
• Peyot, M. L., J. P. Gray, J. Lamontagne, P. J. Smith, G. G. Holz, S. R. Madiraju, M. Prentki, and E. Heart. Glucagon-like peptide-1 induced signaling and insulin secretino do not drive fuel and energy metabolism in primary rodent pancreatic beta cells. PLoS One 4(7): e6221. 2009. [abstract]
• Gerecke, D. R., J. P. Gray, M. P. Shakarjian, and R. P. Casillas. Dermal Toxicity of Sulfur Mustard. Handbook of Toxicology of Chemical Warfare Agents. R. C. Gupta. New York, Elsevier: 611-632. 2009.
• Heart, E., G. W. Cline, L. P. Collins, R. L. Pongratz, J. P. Gray, and P. J. Smith. Role for malic enzyme, pyruvate carboyxlation and mitochondrial malate import in the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Am J Physiol Endicrinol Metab 296(6): E1354-E1362. 2009. [abstract]
• Black, A. T., J. P. Gray, M. P. Shakarjian, D. L. Laskin, D. E. Heck, and J. D. Laskin. Increased oxidative stress and antioxidant expression in mouse keratinocytes following exposure to paraquat. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 231(3): 384-392. 2008. [abstract]
• Black, A. T., J. P. Gray, M. P. Shakarjian, V. Mishin, D. L. Laskin, D. E. Heck, and J. D. Laskin. UVB light upregulates prostaglandin synthases and prostaglandin receptors in mouse keratinocytes. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 232(1): 14-24. 2008. [abstract]
• Wang, Y., J. P. Gray, V. Mishin, D. E. Heck, D. L. Laskin, and J. D. Laskin. Role of cytochrome P450 reductase in nitrofurantoin-induced redox cycling and cytotoxicity. Free Radic Biol Med 44 (6): 1169-1179. 2008. [abstract]
• Black, A. T., J. P. Gray, M. P. Shakarjian, D. L. Laskin, D. E. Heck, and J. D. Laskin. Distinct effects of ultraviolet B light on antioxidant expression in undifferentiated and differentiated mouse keratinocytes. Carcinogenesis 29 (1): 219-225. 2007. [abstract]
• Gray, J. P., Heck, D. E., Mishin, V., Smith, P. J., Hong, J. Y., Thiruchelvam, M., Cory-Slechta, D. A., Laskin, D. L., and Laskin, J. D. Paraquat increases cyanide-insensitive respiration in murine lung epithelial cells by activating an NAD(P)H:Paraquat Oxidoreductase: Identification of the enzyme as thioredoxin reductase. J Biol Chem 282 (11): 7939-7949. 2007. [abstract]
• Hofmann, P. A., M. Israel, Y. Koseki, J. Laskin, J. Gray, A. Janik, T. W. Sweatman, L. Lothstein. N-Benzyladriamycin-14-valerate (AD 198): A non-cardiotoxic anthracycline that is cardioprotective through PKC-eta activation. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 323 (2): 658-664. 2007. [abstract]

• Society of Toxicology
• American College of Toxicology
• Corporation Member of the Marine Biological Laboratory
• American Association for Cancer Research
• Inflammation Research Association
• Boston-Ithaca Islet Club (a diabetes focus group)