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Email

Richard.Finnell@bcm.edu

Positions

Professor

Center for Precision Environmental Health
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Houston, Texas United States

Professor

Molecular and Cellular Biology
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Houston, Texas United States

Professor

Medicine
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Houston, TX

Professor

Molecular and Human Genetics
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Houston, TX United States

Clinical Professor

Dell Research Institute
Dell Medical School
Austin, TX

Faculty Senator

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Houston, Texas United States

Addresses

Neurosensory Building (Office)

One Baylor Plaza
Neurosensory Bldg, BCM 946
Houston77030-3411
United States
richard.finnell@bcm.edu

Education

PhD from University of Oregon Medical School

Portland, Oregon United States

Medical Genetics

Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Zurich

Zurich, Zurich Switzerland

Embryology

Certifications

Ph.D. Medical Genetics

American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics

Lifetime certification

Professional Interests

• Neural and cardiovascular developmental defects, and complex human birth defects
• Mentorships

Selected Publications

• Kim J, Lei Y, Guo J, Kim SE, Wlodarczyk BJ, Cabrera RM, Lin YL, Nilsson TK, Zhang T, Ren A, Wang L, Yuan Z, Zheng YF, Wang HY, Finnell RH. "." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2018 May 1;115(18):4690-469. Pubmed PMID:
• Finnell RH "." Science. 1981;211:483-483. Pubmed PMID:
• Buehler, B.A., D. Delimont, M. van Waes and R.H. Finnell. "." New England Journal of Medicine. 1990;322(22):1567-1572. Pubmed PMID:
• Lu H-C, Tan Q, Rousseaux MWC, Kim J-Y, Wan Y-W, Yeh S-Y, Patel JM, Liu X, Lee Y, Fryer JD, Han J, Finnell RH,. et al. "." Nature Genetics. 2017;49:527-536. Pubmed PMID:

Projects

Folic Acid, Parental Mutation Rates and Risk for Neural Tube Defects

NIH (08/2015 - 07/2020)

Finnell Birth Defects Laboratory, BCM

The project involves testing the hypothesis that folic acid protects embryos from developing neural tube defects by suppressing the spontaneous mutation rate. The studies are conducted in both human and mouse samples.

Intervention Strategies for Non-Folic Acid Responsive Neural Tube Defects

NIH (02/2015 - 01/2021)

Finnell Birth Defects Laboratory, BCM

This research program is focused on mitochondrial one carbon metabolism and folate transport as it relates to neural tube closure. The work includes characterization of a new mouse knockout Slc25a32 created in the laboratory, and a knockout for Mthfd1l.

Risk Genes and Environmental Interactions

NIH (07/2011 - 06/2021)

Finnell Laboratory BCM and Weill Cornell Medical College

This is a program project grant where my laboratory works on relationships between one carbon metabolism and reactive oxidative stress. We utilize metabolic and genomic approaches as well. Focus on mouse experiments on GPR161 mutants.

Epigenetic Studies of Folate Transport and Neural Tube Defects

March of Dimes (07/2016 - 06/2019)

Finnell Birth Defects Laboratory BCM and Mt. Sinai Medical Center

Utilizing our Folr1 knockout mouse and the Mthfd1l knockout mouse developing in the Appling laboratory we hope to better understand how epigenetic signals can interact with folate transport to compromise neural tube closure. We will also perform targeted DNA re-sequencing of selected candidate genes in a NTD cohort with appropriate controls.

Genomic Signature of Risk for Anti-epileptic Drug Compromised Pregnancies

(08/2015 - present)

Finnell Birth Defects Laboratory, BCM

Infants exposed in utero to the commonly prescribed drugs for controlling seizures in mothers with epilepsy have 3X the risk of being born with a significant structural or developmental defect. We have collected DNA samples from mothers and affected children which we will perform whole genome sequencing to try to develop a risk signature for selected drug exposures and adverse outcomes.

Memberships

American Society for Human Genetics

Member

Languages

French, German