Dr. Andrea DeBarber obtained her Ph.D. in chemistry in 1997 and subsequent Postdoctoral Fellowships at the NIH and OHSU, further solidified her knowledge of synthetic and analytical chemistry. In 2004 she was recruited to remain at OHSU as Associate Director of the Bioanalytical Shared Resource Facility (BSR). In this role her responsibilities include development and validation of bioanalytical methods for identification and quantification of small molecules in biological matrices. Since 2013 she has overseen the Sterol Analysis Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory at OHSU.

Funding from a variety of sources allowed Dr. DeBarber to develop an independent research program at OHSU, where the focus of her research has been on developing improved diagnostic and screening tests for rare genetic disorders of sterol and bile acid synthesis.Most recently she has worked on developing LC-MS/MS based newborn screening forcerebrotendinous xanthomatosis(CTX), a rare genetic disorder of bile acid synthesis. Left untreated, CTX can cause irreversible neurological damage, developmental and cognitive disability, and premature death. Early identification of this disorder, for example with newborn screening, would be highly significant as the burden of disease if left untreated can be profound, and morbidity and mortality easily prevented through early detection and intervention. Dr. DeBarber also acts as an investigator on a longitudinal CTX research study at that has been collecting samples and seeing affected individuals at OHSU for the last decade (see some OHSU research on the right).

If you or a family member is affected with CTX and would be interested in participating in the CTX research at OHSU please contact Dr. DeBarber at debarber@ohsu.edu or call the Sterol Analysis Laboratory at 503-494-4593 for more information. See also:

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/education/schools/school-of-medicine/departments/basic-science-departments/physpharm/Sterol-lab.cfm