Anthony P. DeCaprio is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University. Dr. DeCaprio also directs the Forensic & Analytical Toxicology Facility (FATF) at FIU, a university recharge facility that provides research support and services to FIU and other investigators in the area of analytical/clinical/forensic toxicology. He also directs the FEPAC-accredited undergraduate Forensic Science Certificate program at FIU. Dr. DeCaprio is a toxicologist with extensive research experience in neurotoxicology and the chemical analysis of drugs, environmental contaminants, and other xenobiotics in human specimens using MS-based techniques. He has published more than 80 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters in addition to editing the book “Toxicologic Biomarkers” and has made over 100 presentations at research conferences. Dr. DeCaprio received a B.S. in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. in Toxicology from Albany Medical College. He previously worked as a Research Scientist with the New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Laboratories and served in academic positions at UAlbany and UMass Amherst. Currently, his research program is concentrated in the area of human exposure assessment with the following specific projects underway: 1) Development and validation of methods for comprehensive mass spectrometric based analysis of xenobiotics (i.e., drugs of abuse, pharmaceuticals, and environmental pollutants) in human specimens and the application of such methods in forensic, clinical, and epidemiological studies 2) Study of covalent interactions of reactive drugs and metabolites with biological proteins and their potential application as longer-term biomarkers of drug exposure, and 3) Development of synthetic antibody technologies for rapid preparation of drug specific probes for immunoassays. In particular, Dr. DeCaprio’s research at FIU has focused on the chemistry and analysis of “novel psychoactive substances”. He has been PI on grants from NIEHS, NCI, NIOSH, ATSDR, and the National Institute of Justice, in addition to developing major collaborations with industry partners.
research interests
Dr. DeCaprio’s areas of research interest include the use of biomonitoring and biomarkers in forensic toxicology and human exposure assessment, methods for ultra-trace analysis of drugs, pollutants, and their metabolites, and investigation of protein adducts as exposure/risk biomarkers and as mediators of the mechanism of toxicity of pollutants and drugs.