Dr. Thomas Burbacher, PhD is a Core Staff Scientist and Head of the Division of Reproductive and Developmental Sciences. He is also the Director of the Infant Primate Research Laboratory (IPRL) and manages the Seattle Breeding Colony. Dr. Burbacher is a member of the Primate Center’s Executive Steering Committee, Resource Allocation Committee and Animal Allocation Committee. As Division Head and Director of the IPRL, Dr. Burbacher has the primary responsibility to work with the Director of the Primate Center and the Head of the Division of Primate Resources to ensure appropriate animals models are available to investigators and standardized research protocols are implemented and shared. Dr. Burbacher consults and collaborates on a number of projects conducted in the IPRL. Contributions range from discussions with investigators regarding their research project needs, to providing investigators with appropriate animal models and/or protocols for their research, to acting as a co-Investigator on grants.
Dr. Burbacher is Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington (UW) where he teaches classes in basic Environmental and Occupational Health and Children’s Environmental Health. He is also the Deputy Director of the UW Pacific Northwest Center for the National Children’s Study and the Head of the Developmental Toxicology Research Emphasis Area at the Center on Human Development and Disability. Dr. Burbacher has conducted research in the area of Developmental Neurotoxicology utilizing nonhuman primate models for several decades. His research includes landmark studies on the developmental effects of methylmercury, thimerosal and methanol at the Infant Primate Research Laboratory. He has served on several advisory panels reviewing regulations of environmental chemicals, drugs and medical devices including the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration and the National Academy of Sciences as well as panels for the State of Washington.
Dr. Burbacher can be contacted at iprl@u.washington.edu