Marc “Nasty” Nascarella
Marc Nascarella
University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences PhD candidate Marc Nascarella.
Marc’s undergraduate days were filled with activity, but his academic aspirations always came first. He was selected by the New England Board of Higher Education as an environmental intern in 1998, an experience that set the tone for the quality of his senior capstone research project, Stream Hydrology Survey in the Upper Dog River Subcatchments. Marc was also known around campus for his role as an NU rugby player, a passion that persisted after graduation with frequent appearances in alumni rugby games.
… an undergraduate education taught by engaging professors who enthusiastically demonstrate a commitment to teaching and helping students learn … this makes Norwich a truly remarkable experience.
~ Marc Nascarella
After graduating in 1999, Marc earned a Master’s degree in the Toxicology Program, in the Environmental Health Sciences Department at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) in 2002, where he was researching the physiological response following a developmental exposure to low-levels of lead, cadmium, or gamma-radiation. Marc’s work experience includes employment as a managing editor for the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Forensics, a research assistant at Texas Tech University, and a lead (Pb) toxicologist in the Environmental Toxicology Program for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Currently Marc is in a PhD program at the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences where he is studying the dose-response relationship of anticancer agents evaluated on a variety of genetically unique cells.
During the short time since graduation, Marc’s research has earned awards and recognition from the Society of Toxicology, the Society of Risk Analysis, Delta Omega (the Honor Society for Graduate Studies in Public Health), and the Entomological Society of America - Southwestern Branch. His publications include authorship or co-authorship on eight peer-reviewed journal articles, a book chapter, and two trade-journal publications in addition to more than a dozen presentations made at professional meetings.
Once he completes his PhD, Marc’s next goal is to find employment where he can keep working as a toxicologist. In his words, “My current research interest is to explore the dose-response relationship following exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of toxicants; I am particularly interested in toxicants that stimulate cells at low concentrations and cause inhibition at higher concentrations, a relationship called ‘hormesis’.”
