Employee Spotlight: Jazzlyn Hill

As an EPA contractor, Jazzlyn has been working in the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Public Health and Integrated Toxicology Division (PHITD), Inhalation Toxicology Facilities Branch (ITFB). Her group is using novel methods to analyze various pesticides and other chemicals considered Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These types of chemicals do not dissolve in solvent, so they cannot be tested using the high throughput processes that are generally used to analyze most other chemicals in the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory. To solve this problem, her team has created a specialized exposure machine capable of generating chemicals as vapors/aerosols. It then delivers them to human bronchial cell cultures at air-liquid interface (ALI), meaning the cell cultures are exposed to air, using in-vitro testing methods. After exposure, they analyze how the cells reacted to the chemical and assess what effects the chemical may be having on human airways. This study also supports the agency’s mission to reduce animal testing. Seeing success in their exposures lends evidence to the idea in-vitro studies are a good replacement for animal inhalation exposure studies.

Jazzlyn also participates in STEMbassador, an EPA educational outreach program at Research Triangle Park, NC. This program enables volunteers to interact with the community at various events, showcasing the importance of environmental sustainability. The STEMbassadors also act as mentors to students looking to pursue STEM careers.

Background

Jazzlyn graduated from North Carolina State University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa Honors Societies. Jazzlyn currently lives in Raleigh, NC. She enjoys spending with nearby friends and family, trying new foods, working out in the gym, crafting new DIY projects, and modeling. She might also be obssessed with Rick and Morty. Jazzlyn’s goals include presenting a poster at the Society of Toxicology Conference in 2020, becoming a coauthor on a published research article, and attending graduate school to acquire her Ph.D.