Holger Koch, Dr. rer. nat.

Source: © Volker Wiciok, Lichtblick

Scientific Head of Laboratory, Biomonitoring

Centre of Toxicology

  • Member of the Human Biomonitoring Commission of the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Berlin
  • Co-Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health (IJHEH), Elsevier
  • Editorial board member of Environment International (EI), Elsevier

Education

  • Dr. rer. nat., Occupational Toxicology and Food Chemistry, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen, Germany, 2006
  • Certified Food Chemist, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Erlangen, Germany, 1999
  • MSc., Food Chemistry, Bayerische Julius-Maximilians University Würzburg, 1997
  • Predoctoral Training, State University of New York at Albany (SUNY) and New York State Department of Health

Research

The primary objective of my research is to develop sensitive and specific methods for the determination of well-known or suspected "endocrine disrupting chemicals" in human blood and urine samples of individuals exposed at the workplace or via the environment. Particular focus is on phthalates (e.g. DEHP, DBP, DINP, etc.) and their substitutes (DINCH, terephthalates, adipates), non-persistent pesticides and fungizides (e.g. organophosphorus compounds, pyrethoids, vinclozoline, etc.), UV-filters and solvents by using 2-dimensional high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) as well as metals (e.g. cadmium and manganese) employing atomic absorption spectroscopy or ICP-MS. Particular focus is also on the metabolism and elimination kinetics of these compounds in-vivo. For this purpose, stable isotope labelled compounds are ingested by volunteers or in animal experiments and blood and urine are subsequently analysed for suspected metabolites. Overall aim is to identify appropriate biomarkers of exposure which in turn can be used in larger-scale molecular epidemiological studies to provide additional data for risk assessment in humans, in particular possible susceptible subgroups such as children and persons in reproductive age. Finally, the data can be used to identify causal relationships between exposure and endocrine effects in humans.

Memberships

  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Arbeitsmedizin und Umweltmedizin e.V. (DGAUM)
  • International Society of Exposure Science (ISES)

Selected Publications

View my collection, "My Bibliography" from NCBI

Languages: German, English