Blogs

The Korean Toxicologists Association in America (KTAA) has been in existence since the 1980s and became an SOT Special Interest Group in 2006. The mission of KTAA is (1) to promote collaboration in toxicological research and relevant issues among the Korean community, (2) to provide networking opportunities among professionals with Korean heritage who are engaged in toxicological science and related fields, and (3) to recognize the accomplishments of and promote career development opportunities for toxicologists with Korean heritage.

KTAA is composed of a membership that includes volunteers who lead the group and receives monetary contributions from generous supporters, such as Detroit R&D and Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT). In addition, KTAA is very fortunate to have received a large contribution from Dr. Young Soo Choi (US FDA, retired) to establish an SOT Endowment Fund in her name to sponsor an annual scholarship award for graduate students or students intending to enter graduate school in the field of toxicology.

If you haven't already, we encourage you to join KTAA to take part in its various resources, including award opportunities, the KTAA newsletter, and special events/webinars, as well as to expand your network of outstanding colleagues in the field. KTAA also has been considering how to change the way we support our membership. If you have ideas or suggestions, please pass them on to us. As you know, all of us on the executive team are volunteers and would appreciate any input and/or helping hands.

Lastly, we would like to note that in addition to the pandemic, we have had social and racial conflicts in the US that shined a spotlight on institutional racism and bias that exists across the world. There is no doubt that every one of us (regardless of ethnicity or race) has the responsibility to be aware of others’ biases and prejudices (conscious and unconscious), but more importantly, we need to be aware of our own conscious and unconscious biases and prejudices. Together, we will move forward and raise awareness.

Upcoming KTAA Webinar: Stay Tuned

This year, two outstanding trainees (a graduate student and a postdoctoral fellow) received the KTAA Best Presentation by Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Trainee Award, supported by KIT, and the KTAA Young Soo Choi Student Scholarship Award for the 2022 SOT Annual Meeting. We would like to provide an opportunity for KIT awardees to present their work with KTAA members virtually. This webinar will be open not only to SOT KTAA members but also to Korea-SOT (KSOT), other SOT Special Interest Groups, and SOT graduate student and postdoctoral members. The tentative date is June 9, 2022, at 8:00 pm (US ET).