Dr. Joshua Edwards is a Professor at Midwestern University (Downers Grove, IL, USA). He graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in 1996. Then, he obtained his M.S. Degree and Ph.D. from the University of S. Dakota and Michigan State University in 1999 and 2004, respectively. His research focuses on how the environmental toxicant cadmium alters pancreatic islet function in the development of diabetes mellitus. Determining which factor(s) is/are responsible for the effect on pancreatic islets is the primary focus of his lab. They use a variety of experimental models to examine the effects of cadmium on insulin release including; pancreatic beta-cell line (MIN6) and primary pancreatic islets maintained in culture.