James MacKenzie

Research

• Environmental heavy metals and cardiovascular changes in children 
• Effects of PCBs on fish and mussels
• Intracellular protein trafficking to mitochondria

Specialty Areas:

• Molecular and cellular biology
• Physiology
• Human health and disease

Publications

* undergraduate research student, ** graduate research student

• Hill, D. M. Robinson, K. Kannan, K. Heffernan, N. Atallah-Yunes, L. Brann, P. Parsons, C. Palmer, J.A. MacKenzie, J. Goodrich, and K. Bendinskas (2023) Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and lead (Pb) as “cardiovascular disruptors” in 9–11-year-old children living in Syracuse, New York, United States. Environmental Research (in press)
• Gump, B.B., K. Heffernan, L. Brann, D.T. Hill, C. Labrie-Cleary*, V. Jandev, J.A. MacKenzie, N.H. Atallah-Yunes, P.J. Parsons, C.D. Palmer, A.A. Roberts, and K. Bendinskas. (2023) Exposure to Arsenic and subclinical cardiovascular disease in 9–11-year-old children, Syracuse, NY. JAMA Network Open, 6(6):e2321379.
• Gump, B.B, B. Hruska, K. Heffernan, L.S. Brann, M. Voss, C. Labrie-Cleary*, H. Cheng*, J.A. MacKenzie, S. Woolf-King, S. Maisto, K. Bendinskas (2023) Race, cortisol, and subclinical cardiovascular disease in 9–11-year-old children. Health Psychology, 42(9):657-667.
• Hill, D.T., J. V. Jandev, M. Petroni, N. Atallah-Yunes, K. Bendinskas, L. Brann, K. Heffernan, D.A. Larsen, J.A. MacKenzie, C.D. Palmer, P.J. Parsons, B.B. Gump, and M.B. Collins (2023) Airborne levels of cadmium are correlated with urinary cadmium concentrations among young children living in the New York State city of Syracuse, USA. Environmental Research 223: 115450.
• Gump, B.B., K. Heffernan, K. Bendinskas, B. Hruska, J.A. MacKenzie, A. Park, L. Brann, N.H. Atallah-Yunes (2021) Poor Sleep Quality Associated With Greater Left Ventricular Mass in 9-11 year-old Children. Psychosomatic Medicine 83(3): 265
• Hill, D.T., M. Petroni, D.A. Larsen, K. Bendinskas, K. Heffernan, N. Atallah-Yunes, P.J. Parsons, C.D. Palmer, J.A. MacKenzie, M.B. Collins, B.B. Gump (2021) Linking metal (Pb, Hg, Cd) industrial air pollution risk to blood metal levels and cardiovascular functioning and structure among children in Syracuse, NY. Environmental Research 193:110557.
• Gump, B.B., B. Hruska, P.J. Parsons, C.D. Palmer, J.A. MacKenzie, K. Bendinskas, L. Brann (2020) Dietary Contributions to Increased Background Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium in 9-11 Year Old Children: Accounting for Racial Differences.  Environmental Research 185: 109308.
• Gump, B.B., M.J. Dykas, J.A. MacKenzie, A.K. Dumas, B. Hruska, C.K. Ewart, P.J. Parsons, C.D. Palmer, and K. Bendinskas (2017) Background lead and mercury exposures: Psychological and behavioral problems in children. Environmental Research, 158:576-582.
• Blodgett J.**, D. Walter*, J.A. MacKenzie, B.B. Gump and K. Bendinskas. (2017) Both Hair Cortisol and Perceived Stress during Fall Exams Decrease after the Winter Break. Austin Biochem. 2(1): 1007.
• Gump, B.B., E. Gabrikova*, K. Bendinskas, A.K. Dumas, C.D. Palmer, P.J. Parsons, and J.A. MacKenzie (2014) Low-Level Mercury in Children: Associations with Sleep Duration and Cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. Environmental Research, 134:228-232.
• Miura, Y.*, E. Yeager*, J.A. MacKenzie, and K. Bendinskas (2014) Proteomic study of ribosomal proteins from E. coli, S. cerevisiae, B. Taurus, G. gallus, and O. tshawytscha and its application in a teaching laboratory setting. American Journal of Undergraduate Research, 12(1):27-37.
• Wang, F.*, C. Chmil*, F. Pierce*, K. Ganapathy, B. Gump, J.A. MacKenzie, Y. Metchref, and K. Bendinskas (2013) Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography and Human Serum Proteomics.  Chromatography B, Biological Applications, 934: 26-33.
• Gump, B.B.^, J.A. MacKenzie^, A.K. Dumas, C.D. Palmer, P.J. Parsons, Z.M. Segug, Y.S. Mechref, and K.G. Bendinskas (2012) Fish Consumption, Low-Level Mercury, Lipids, and Inflammatory Markers in Children. Environmental Research, 112: 204-211. ^Authors contributed equally to this paper.
• Bendinskas, K., P.S. Sattelberg*, D.J. Crossett*, A. Banyikwa**, D. Dempsey**, and J.A. MacKenzie (2011) Enzymatic Detection of Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) Using Aldo-keto Reductase 7A2. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 56 (3): 783-787.
• Gump, B.B., J.A. MacKenzie, K.G. Bendinskas, R. Morgan, A.K. Dumas, C.D. Palmer and P.J. Parsons. (2011) Low-level Pb and Cardiovascular Responses to Acute Stress in Children: The Role of Cardiac Autonomic Regulation. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 33(2):212-219.
• Birdsall, R.E.**, M.P. Kiley*, Z.M. Segu, C.D. Palmer, M. Madera, B.B. Gump, J.A. MacKenzie, P.J. Parsons, Y. Mechref, M.V. Novotny, and K.G. Bendinskas (2010) Effects of Lead and Mercury on the Blood Proteome of Children. Journal of Proteome Research, 9(9):4443-4453.
• MacKenzie, J.A., K.A. Roosa*, B.B. Gump, A.K. Dumas, and K.G. Bendinskas. (2010) Plasma Prekallikrein Levels are Positively Associated with Circulating Lipid Levels and the Metabolic Syndrome in Children. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 35(4):518-525.
• Nautiyal, M.**, A.J. Sweatt, J.A. MacKenzie, R.M. Payne, S. Szucs, R. Matalon, R. Wallin, and S.M. Hutson (2010) Neuronal localization of the mitochondrial protein NIPSNAP1 in rat nervous system. European Journal of Neuroscience, 32(4):560-569.
• Bosch, W.C., J.L. Hester, V.M. MacEntee, J.A. MacKenzie, T.M. Morey, J.T. Nichols, P.A. Pacitti, B.A. Shaffer, S.P. Weber, and R.R. Young, (2008) Beyond Lip-service: An Operational Definition of "Learning-centered College." Innovative Higher Education, 33(2):83-98.
• MacKenzie, J.A. and R.M. Payne (2007)  Mitochondrial Protein Import and Human Health and Disease.  Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 1772(5):509-523.
• MacKenzie, J.A. and R.M. Payne (2006)  Preparation of Ribosomes Loaded with Truncated Nascent Proteins to Study Ribosome Binding to Mitochondria.  Mitochondrion, 6(2):67-75.
• MacKenzie, J.A. and R.M. Payne (2004)  Ribosomes Specifically Bind to Mammalian Mitochondria via Protease-sensitive Proteins on the Outer Membrane.  Journal of Biological Chemistry, 279(11):9803-9810.
• Del Gaizo, V.B., J.A. MacKenzie, and R.M. Payne (2003) Targeting Proteins to Mitochondria Using TAT.  Molecular Genetics and Metabolism, 80(1-2):170-180.

Education

• Ph.D., Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
• M.S., Biology, Western Carolina University
• B.S., Biology, SUNY Fredonia

Dr. MacKenzie's expanded website