Ph.D., Biology, Oregon State University, 1978

MA., Biology, California State University Humbolt, 1970

BA., Biology, University of California, Davis, 1967

Retired from USDA (ST15) after 40 years of government service

Involvement of foodborne fungal toxins in human and animal diseases

Torres, O., Matute, J., Gelineau-van Waes, J., Maddox, J.R., Gregory, S.G., Ashley-Koch, A.E., Showker, J.L., Voss, K.A., and *Riley, R.T. (2015) Human health implications from co-exposure to aflatoxins and fumonisins in maize-based foods in the Latin America: Guatemala a case study. World Mycotoxin Journal 8 (2):143-159.

*Riley, R.T. and Miller, J.D. (2015). The Statement That Some Ochratoxins Are  “. . .classified as human carcinogens” Is Not Accurate. Toxicological Sciences 143:2

*Riley, R.T., Showker, J.L., Lee, C.M., Zipperer, C.E., Mitchell, T.R., Voss, K.A., Zitomer, N.C., Torres, O., Matute, J., Gregory, S.G., Ashley-Koch, A.E., Maddox, J.R., Gardner, N., Gelineau-van Waes, J.B. (2015). A blood spot method for detecting fumonisin-induced changes in putative sphingolipid biomarkers in LM/Bc mice and humans. Food Additives and Contaminants Part A, 32(6): 934-949.

*Riley, R.T., Torres, O., Matute, J., Gregory, S.G., Ashley-Koch, A.E., Showker, J.L., Mitchell, T., Voss, K.A.,  Maddox, J.R. and Gelineau-van Waes, J.B. (2015) Evidence for fumonisin inhibition of ceramide synthase in humans living in high exposure communities in Guatemala. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research 59:2209-2224.

IARC Working Group Report (2016) Mycotoxin control in low and middle income countries (Wild, C.P.; Miller, J.D., Groopman, J.D. Eds.) (Riley, R.T., member of Working Group) IARC Working Group Report No. 9. IARC Press, Lyon France, 54 pp. (Monograph)

Mitchell, N.J., Riley, R.T., Egner, P., Groopman, J.D. and Wu, F. (2016) Chronic aflatoxin exposure in children living in Bhaktapur, Nepal: Extension of the MAL-ED study. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.  2016: 1-6.

Gardner, N.M., Riley, R.T., Showker, J.L., Voss, K.A., Sachs, A.J., Maddox, J.R., and Gelineau-van Waes, J.B. (2016) Elevated sphingoid base-1-phosphates and decreased histone deacetylase activity after fumonisin B1 treatment in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 298:58-65.

Gardner, N.M., Riley, R.T., Showker, Voss, K.A., J.L., Sachs, A.J., Maddox, J.R., and Gelineau-van Waes, J.B. (2016) Elevated nuclear and cytoplasmic FTY720-phosphate in mouse embryonic fibroblasts suggests the potential for dual mechanisms in FTY720-induced neural tube defects. Toxicological Sciences 150:161-168.

Qian, G., Lili, L., Shuhan, L., Xue, K.S., Mitchell, N.J., Su, J., Gelderblom, W.C., Riley, R.T., Phillips, T.D., and Wang, J.S. (2016) Sequential dietary exposure to aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1 in F344 rats increases preneoplastic changes indicative of a synergistic interaction. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 95: 188-195.

Voss, K.A., Ryu, D., Jackson, L.S., Riley, R.T., and Gelineau-van Waes, J. (2017) Reduction of Fumonisin Toxicity by Extrusion and Nixtamalization (Alkaline Cooking). Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 65:7088-7096.

Voss, K.A., Riley, R.T., Gardner, N.M., and  Gelineau-van Waes, J. (2017) Fumonisins. In “Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology” Ramesh Gupta, Ed, pp. 925-943. Academic Press (book chapter)

WHO (2017) World Health Organization. Evaluation of Certain Food Additives and Contaminants. Eighty third Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. WHO Technical report Series, no. 1002, pp 182. (R.T. Riley Member of the Secretariat issuing the report)

Eaton, D. L., Beima, K. M., Bammler, T. K., Riley, R. T., and Voss, K. A. (2018) Hepatotoxic Mycotoxins. In: McQueen, C. A., Comprehensive Toxicology, Third Edition. Vol. 2, pp. 483–521. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd.

Safety evaluation of certain contaminants in food: prepared by the eighty-third meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Geneva: World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2018 (WHO Food Additives Series, No. 74; FAO JECFA Monographs 19 bis). Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (R.T. Riley member Secretariat, WHO Expert).

Doerge, D.R., Shephard, G.S., Adegoke, G.O., Benford, D., Bhatnagar, D., Bolger, M., Boon, P.E., Cressey, P., Edwards, S., Hambridge, T., Miller, J.D., Mitchell, N.J., Riley, R.T. and Wheeler, M.W. (2018). Aflatoxins (addendum). World Food Additives 74: 7-279.

Riley, R.T., Edwards, S.G., Aidoo, K., Alexander, J., Bolger, M., Boon, P.E., Cressey, P., Doerge, D.R., Edler, L., Miller, J.D., and Zang, Y. (2018).Fumonisin (addendum). World Food Additives 74: 415-573.

Riley, R.T.,  Hambridge, T., Alexander, J., Boon, P.E., Doerge, D.R., Edwards,S., Miller, J.D., Shephard, G.S. and Zhang, Y. (2018). Co-exposure of fumonisins with aflatoxins. World Food Additives 74: 879-968.

Chen, C., Riley, R.T., and Wu, F. (2018). Dietary Fumonisin and Growth Impairment in Children and Animals: A Review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 17(6): 1448-1464.

Chen C, Mitchell NJ, Gratz J, Houpt ER, Gong Y, Egner P, Groopman JD, Riley RT, Showker JL, Svensen E, Mduma ER, Patil CL, Wu F. (2018). Exposure to Aflatoxin and Fumonisin in Children at Risk for Growth Impairment in Rural Tanzania. Environment International. 115:29-37.

Xue, K.S., Qian, G., Lin, S., Su, J.,Tang, L., Gelderblom, W.C.,Riley, R.T., Phillips, T.D., Wang, J.S. (2018) Modulation of Pre-Neoplastic Biomarkers Induced by Sequential Aflatoxin B1 and Fumonisin B1 Exposure in F344 Rats Treated with UPSN Clay. Food and Chemical Toxicology 114:316-324

*Riley, R.T. and *Merrill, A.H. Jr. (2019) Ceramide synthase inhibition by fumonisins: a perfect storm of perturbed sphingolipid metabolism, signaling and disease. J Lipid Res. 60: 2019 May 2. pii: jlr.S093815. doi:

10.1194/jlr.S093815. [Epub ahead of print]

* as corresponding author