Blogs

We are thrilled to shine a spotlight on some of our incredible postdocs in SOT, whose tireless efforts and innovative research are advancing the field and making a significant impact. Your dedication to understanding toxicology is truly commendable. Thank you for your outstanding contributions to the scientific community and for helping to create a better world for all!

Remember, it is never too late to acknowledge someone; you can always share words of praise or thanks on social media and tag SOT for resharing!

Roxanne Bérubé, PhD, Wayne State University

“The Kassotis Lab hugely appreciates everything that Roxanne does to support our lab! She joined our group in September 2021 and quickly became an essential component of the team. From mentoring, juggling diverse projects, and bringing new techniques to our group, it’s evident that she puts incredible care, passion, and effort into her work. As she starts to look to transition into a faculty position, it is hard to imagine filling that hole. We’re all so excited for her next chapter though and so appreciative of all she does to support us!” —Kassotis Lab

Samuel Cochran, PhD, Ohio State University

“Sam is a leader in my research program and amongst the trainees at Ohio State University. Additionally, he holds multiple leadership positions in SOT, which demonstrates his dedication to toxicology. He is also a very talented teacher and scientific writer. We have learned so much from Sam, and we are so excited to have him as an integral part of our group.” —Kymberly Gowdy, PhD

Janine Cubello, PhD, University of Rochester

“Janine started serving as the Sustainable Chemicals through Contemporary Toxicology (SCCT) Specialty Section Postdoctoral Representative in May, and her initiative and advocacy for the SOT postdoc community has already tangibly affected SCCT efforts. In fact, our upcoming career webinar on October 7th was Janine’s idea! She saw the value in highlighting careers in sustainable chemistry and toxicology and giving postdocs and grad students a chance to explore these career paths. Janine’s engagement and thoughtful contributions to SCCT are much appreciated. Thank you, Janine, for your hard work and leadership!” —SCCT Executive Committee

Russell Hunter, PhD, West Virginia University

“Thank you, Russell, for all the time, dedication, and effort that you put into your work and the students in the lab. We’re all very lucky and thankful to have lured you away from New Mexico. Thanks for always keeping us flush with jokes and fun facts!” —Lizzie Bowdridge, PhD

Dongkeun Lee, PhD, ScD, University of Iowa

“Your expertise, patience, and willingness to share your knowledge have been invaluable in my growth as a researcher. You've not only been an incredible mentor but also a role model, demonstrating the kind of dedication and passion that I aspire to in my own career. With your help and navigation, I also understood our lab culture better. Thank you, Dongkeun, for being such an integral part of my academic journey.” —Milica Pavlović, MPharm

Adam Pearson, PhD, NIEHS

“Adam has pioneered novel human 3D tissue models (i.e., tubuloids and tissue-chip) for renal proximal tubule to predict chemical-induced nephrotoxicity and PFAS renal re-uptake and bioaccumulation. Adam also leads a liver transcriptomic screening project as part of the Botanical Safety Consortium to establish innovative approaches to link human outcomes from natural products to liver injury and botanical-drug interactions. I truly thank Adam for his leadership as we emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic, and I’m excited to continue our collaborations as he advances to the next chapter of his scientific journey.” —Stephen Ferguson, PhD

Sumira Phatak, PhD, University of New Mexico

“Having a chance to work with you was a truly enriching experience! You’ve been a constant source of encouragement, always available to help me through the difficult situations that academia often presents. Your willingness to go above and beyond for your mentee has made a profound impact on my growth as a researcher and as a person. I am incredibly grateful for your unwavering support, and I feel so fortunate to have you as my mentor Sumira!” —Milica Pavlović, MPharm

Adam Schuller, PhD, Colorado State University

“Adam has exemplified excellence and leadership for our lab amid a very difficult season. Our research lab suddenly had to relocate over the summer, and he has taken the reigns in keeping the science going and the morale up. He advocates for every lab member. He takes folks out to lunch when they need it most and even brought an entire charcuterie spread to the lab meeting one day. Of greatest value, he enabled our research to keep going, even when resources were scarce and we didn’t have a cell culture hood to call our own. He has the highest bar for scientific integrity and practices excellence at every junction. He keeps us on our scientific toes in all ways and has been indispensable to the Tjalkens Lab since joining. Thank you for all you do, Adam!” —Tenley French, MS

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