Office of Program Operations

Helen Cunny, Ph.D., D.A.B.T.
Helen Cunny, Ph.D., D.A.B.T.
Toxicologist
Tel 984-287-3123
[email protected]
P.O. Box 12233
Mail Drop K2-06
Durham, NC 27709

Much of the work carried out by DTT is in support of the National Toxicology Program (NTP), an interagency partnership of the Food and Drug Administration, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and NIEHS.

Visit the NTP Website

Helen Cunny, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., is a board certified toxicologist and serves as a project officer in the Office of Project Operations for the Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT) at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Cunny provides expertise to the NTP in the conduct of long and short-term toxicity studies designed to provide information on the potential hazardous effects of environmental chemicals for use in human health risk assessments.

As a Project Officer, Cunny is involved in the design, conduct, interpretation, and reporting of NTP research and testing activities. Studies are conducted in rodents using various routes of exposure and a multidisciplinary approach. Throughout her career, she has been especially interested in the testing of reproductive and developmental toxicants. She has also been an invited participant on numerous national and international reproductive and developmental toxicology committees including the International Life Sciences Institute workgroup for reproductive and developmental toxicology.

Cunny received her B.S. in biology from Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, and her Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas. From 1984 through 1988, she worked at the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research in the Division of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology. In 1988, she took a position as a toxicologist at Rhone-Poulenc, an international chemical company. In this corporate toxicologist position, Cunny designed toxicology testing regimens for new and existing products, performed human health risk assessments, and advised product development divisions within the company. These activities involved ascertaining the safety or relative risks of a wide variety of materials including agricultural products, veterinary drugs, industrial chemicals and genetically modified products.

Cunny was the lead toxicologist on a variety of new product development teams and was responsible for developing toxicology profiles used for regulatory risk assessments of these products. She currently holds an adjunct appointment at North Carolina State University in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology.

Selected Publications

  1. Surh, I, DB Rao, MF Cesta, CD Hébert, JF Mann, H Cunny, GE Kissling, D Malarkey and RS Chhabra. Species and gender differences in the carcinogenic activity of trimethylolpropane triacrylate in rats and mice. Food and Chemical Toxicol., 66:254-261 (2014). [Abstract Surh, I, DB Rao, MF Cesta, CD Hébert, JF Mann, H Cunny, GE Kissling, D Malarkey and RS Chhabra. Species and gender differences in the carcinogenic activity of trimethylolpropane triacrylate in rats and mice. Food and Chemical Toxicol., 66:254-261 (2014).]
  2. Dunnick, JK, A Brix, H Cunny, M Vallant and KR Shockley. Characterization of polybrominated diphenyl ether toxicity in Wistar Han rats and use of liver microarray data for predicting disease susceptibilities. Toxicol Pathol., 40(1):93-106 (2012). [Abstract Dunnick, JK, A Brix, H Cunny, M Vallant and KR Shockley. Characterization of polybrominated diphenyl ether toxicity in Wistar Han rats and use of liver microarray data for predicting disease susceptibilities. Toxicol Pathol., 40(1):93-106 (2012).]
  3. Ronis, MJJ and HC Cunny. Developmental Effects on Xenobiotic Metabolism. In Molecular and Biochemical Toxicology, E. Hodgson, ed., (2008).
  4. Cunny, HC. Toxicity Testing. In A Textbook of Modern Toxicology, E. Hodgson, ed., 2nd edition (2004).
  5. Ronis, MJJ and HC Cunny. Physiological (Endogenous) Factors Affecting the Metabolism of Xenobiotics. In Introduction to Biochemical Toxicology, E. Hodgson, ed., 2nd Edition (1999), 3rd Edition (2001).
  6. Bates, HK, GA Kebede and HC Cunny. Developmental Neurotoxicology Test Methodology. In Handbook of Developmental Toxicology, R. Hood, ed., CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL (1997).
  7. Cunny, HC, BA Mayes, KA Roxica, JA Trutter and JP Van Miller. Subchronic Toxicity (90-Day) Study with para-Nonylphenol in Rats, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharm., 26:172-178 (1997). [Abstract Cunny, HC, BA Mayes, KA Roxica, JA Trutter and JP Van Miller. Subchronic Toxicity (90-Day) Study with para-Nonylphenol in Rats, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharm., 26:172-178 (1997).]
  8. Mattson, JL, JM Charles, BL Yano, HC Cunny, RD Wilson and JS Bus. Single-Dose and Chronic Dietary Neurotoxicity Screening Studies on 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid in Rats. Fundamental and Appl. Toxicol., 40:111-119 (1997). [Abstract Mattson, JL, JM Charles, BL Yano, HC Cunny, RD Wilson and JS Bus. Single-Dose and Chronic Dietary Neurotoxicity Screening Studies on 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid in Rats. Fundamental and Appl. Toxicol., 40:111-119 (1997).]
  9. Charles, JM, DM Bond, TK Jefferies, BL Yano, WT Stott, KA Johnson, HC Cunny, RD Wilson and JS Bus. Chronic Dietary Toxicity/Oncogenicity Studies on 2,4-Dichloro-phenoxyacetic Acid in Rodents. Fundamental and Appl. Toxicol., 33:166-172 (1996). [Abstract Charles, JM, DM Bond, TK Jefferies, BL Yano, WT Stott, KA Johnson, HC Cunny, RD Wilson and JS Bus. Chronic Dietary Toxicity/Oncogenicity Studies on 2,4-Dichloro-phenoxyacetic Acid in Rodents. Fundamental and Appl. Toxicol., 33:166-172 (1996).]
  10. Leakey, JEA, HC Cunny, J. Bazare, P. Webb, J. Lipscomb, W. Slikker, R. Feuers, P. Duffy and RW Hart. Effects of Aging and Caloric Restriction on Hepatic Drug metabolizing Enzymes in the Fischer 344 Rat. I: The Cytochrome P-450 Dependent Monooxygenase System. Mech. Aging Develop., 48:145-155 (1989). [Abstract Leakey, JEA, HC Cunny, J. Bazare, P. Webb, J. Lipscomb, W. Slikker, R. Feuers, P. Duffy and RW Hart. Effects of Aging and Caloric Restriction on Hepatic Drug metabolizing Enzymes in the Fischer 344 Rat. I: The Cytochrome P-450 Dependent Monooxygenase System. Mech. Aging Develop., 48:145-155 (1989).]
  11. Leakey, JEA, HC Cunny, J. Bazare, P. Webb, J. Lipscomb, W. Slikker, R. Feuers, P. Duffy and RW Hart. Effects of Aging and Caloric Restriction on Hepatic Drug metabolizing Enzymes in the Fischer 344 Rat. II: Effects on Conjugating Enzymes. Mech. Aging Develop., 48:157-166 (1989). [Abstract Leakey, JEA, HC Cunny, J. Bazare, P. Webb, J. Lipscomb, W. Slikker, R. Feuers, P. Duffy and RW Hart. Effects of Aging and Caloric Restriction on Hepatic Drug metabolizing Enzymes in the Fischer 344 Rat. II: Effects on Conjugating Enzymes. Mech. Aging Develop., 48:157-166 (1989).]
  12. Bailey, J, HC Cunny and W. Slikker. Transplacental pharmacokinetics and fetal distribution of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the rhesus monkey. Tox. Appl. Pharm., 90:315 321 (1987).
  13. Wenger, GR, JM McDonald and HC Cunny. Stereoselective behavioral effects of the isomers of pentobarbital and secobarbital in the pigeon. J. Pharm. Exp. Ther., 237(2): 445-449 (1986). [Abstract Wenger, GR, JM McDonald and HC Cunny. Stereoselective behavioral effects of the isomers of pentobarbital and secobarbital in the pigeon. J. Pharm. Exp. Ther., 237(2): 445-449 (1986).]