Dr. Richburg's area of expertise is male reproductive cell biology and toxicology. In general, research is focused on revealing the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms by which toxicants found in the environment or drugs can affect male fertility. In particular, his laboratory research is targeted to decipher the critical paracrine signaling pathways that occur between Sertoli cells and various subtypes of germ cells; including the spermatogonial stem cells, that are important for functional spermatogenesis. A new project in the laboratory is also examining the influence that inflammatory cells may play in spermatogenesis; despite the fact that the testis is thought of as an "immune privileged" organ.