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An Exploration of Virtual Meeting Benefits

By Myrtle Davis posted 5 days ago
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Broader Participant Engagement Virtual meetings are accessible to a larger audience and more inclusive by removing barriers associated with travel, such as family responsibilities, financial costs, and visa restrictions. Plus, with eliminated travel and hotel fees, more individuals from your lab/company/institution can participate with less monetary investment. Hello, On-Demand Viewing Can’t attend a presentation live? On-demand video allows you to participate on your timetable. Goodbye, Microphone Hogs Every attendee has the same opportunity and means to submit questions to presenters and panelists, with plenty of time to formulate your query. ...
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Ensure You Receive the CE Credits You Need with SOT Continuing Education Courses as Part of the Virtual 2021 Annual Meeting

By Cheryl Rockwell posted 5 days ago
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SOT Continuing Education (CE) courses are a fantastic way to ensure that you maintain your professional CE credit hours or learn new skills! The 14 CE courses offered as part of the Virtual 2021 Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, March 12; Friday, March 19; and Friday, March 26. These offerings will provide attendees with the opportunity for up to 10 hours of CE course credit in one meeting! With courses covering immunotoxicology, reproductive and developmental toxicology, new approach methodologies and computational toxicology, and organ-on-a-chip—along with many other topics—SOT CE courses are a great opportunity for attendees to gain needed CE hours, ...
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Wei Zheng Receives 2021 SOT Education Award

By Brian Cummings posted 5 days ago
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Wei Zheng, PhD, ATS, has received the 2021 SOT Education Award for his significant contributions to education in toxicology and his training of toxicologists for more than 25 years as a researcher and educator. Wei Zheng, PhD, ATS Dr. Zheng received his PhD in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Arizona in 1991, where he also performed his postdoctoral research. His distinguished teaching career in toxicology began with a tenure-track faculty appointment at Columbia University in 1993, where he developed and taught the keystone courses in the toxicology and environmental health sciences programs. Since joining Purdue University ...
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Barbara A. Wetmore Receives 2021 SOT Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award

By Brian Cummings posted 5 days ago
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Barbara A. Wetmore, PhD, has received the 2021 SOT Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award in recognition of her extensive contributions to the development and application of in vitro methods for toxicokinetics that allow the replacement of experimental animals. Barbara A. Wetmore, PhD Dr. Wetmore received her PhD in toxicology from North Carolina State University in 2000 and performed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Dr. Wetmore has worked to develop methods suitable for addressing the thousands of chemicals in commerce and the environment that do not have sufficient traditional data to allow ...
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Calling All SOT Professionals—Be a Part of the Graduate Student Leadership Committee’s Chat with an Expert Program!

By Esther Omaiye posted 5 days ago
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The Graduate Student Leadership Committee is seeking experts from all career settings (academia, industry, government, etc.) to participate in our virtual Chat with an Expert program during the Virtual 2021 SOT Annual Meeting. Please be sure to take a few minutes and sign up by January 15 . This event provides SOT Graduate Student members with a valuable opportunity to connect, network, and receive mentorship from professionals in SOT. Deciding what career setting to pursue after graduate school is daunting, and as a professional, you will have the opportunity to guide students who are interested in pursuing a career path similar to yours. The virtual ...
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January 2021 ToxSci: Highlights from the Issue

By Myrtle Davis posted 5 days ago
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Volume 179, Issue 1 , of Toxicological Sciences , the Society’s official journal, offers an engaging slate of research in toxicology, from endocrine toxicology and biomarkers to genetic and epigenetic toxicology and mixtures toxicology. The January 2021 edition features a Contemporary Review exploring “ Can We Panelize Seizure? ” alongside two Tox Spotlight articles: “ Identification of Translational microRNA Biomarker Candidates for Ketoconazole-Induced Liver Injury Using Next-Generation Sequencing ” “ Shedding Light on Drug-Induced Liver Injury: Activation of T Cells from Drug Naive Human Donors with Tolvaptan and a Hydroxybutyric Acid Metabolite ...
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Regulation and Policy Update: US EPA Strengthening Transparency Rule and Human Fetal Tissue Research Policy

By George Daston posted 5 days ago
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US EPA Strengthening Transparency Rule Went into Effect on January 6 Last week, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) released a final rule titled “Strengthening Transparency in Pivotal Science Underlying Significant Regulatory Actions and Influential Scientific Information.” When this rule was in draft stages, SOT expressed concern about the language in use and the types of data and research that this rule would exclude from consideration in public health policy-making. Our reservations regarding this rule were first expressed in a letter sent to Chair and Ranking Member of the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology ...
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19th International Workshop on QSAR in Environmental and Health Sciences

By Anthony Ndifor posted 5 days ago
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SOT supports and endorses scientific meetings throughout the year as part of its Non–SOT Meetings Sponsorship program. One such upcoming meeting that may be of interest to SOT members is the 19th International Workshop on QSAR in Environmental and Health Sciences (held virtually), hosted by American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology. Taking place June 7–10, 2021, the conference will include plenary sessions, posters, and discussions focusing on both traditional QSARs and new approach methodologies (NAMs), with the goal of promoting understanding and use of these transformative scientific methods in toxicology and risk assessment applications. ...
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In Memoriam: Jerry Hook

By Suzanne Fitzpatrick posted 5 days ago
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SOT has learned that SOT Emeritus member and Past President Jerry Hook passed away on January 9, 2021. Dr. Hook was widely admired in the toxicology community for his valued contributions to the field. Dr. Hook received his PhD from the University of Iowa Department of Pharmacology in 1966 and enjoyed a prolific career at Michigan State University, GlaxoSmithKline, and Lexin Pharmaceuticals. His primary areas of interest were drug discovery toxicology and renal toxicology. In his retirement, Dr. Hook continued to be an active contributor to the sciences through service on journal editorial boards and consulting with emerging biotech companies. Dr. Hook was ...
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The 2019–2020 Endowment Fund Annual Report Now Available

By Bruce Fowler posted 12 days ago
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The mission of the SOT Endowment Fund, which has been in existence for more than 10 years, is to assist in advancing the science of toxicology by providing financial support for the Society’s programs. We enable this mission through the generous contributions of SOT members and their families and friends. The mission is realized by funding awards and other programs that achieve the Society’s strategic objectives. I am pleased to announce that the 2019–2020 Endowment Fund Annual Report is now available. The report demonstrates the Endowment Fund’s continued growth over the last fiscal year, the important ways students and other colleagues have benefited ...
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Andrew D. Patterson Receives 2021 SOT Achievement Award

By Brian Cummings posted 12 days ago
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A world leader in the field of metabolomics, Andrew D. Patterson, PhD, has been awarded the 2021 SOT Achievement Award for his leadership, vision, service, and dedication to the field of toxicology. Dr. Patterson has established himself as a prestigious investigator at the Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, where he holds multiple positions, including Professor of molecular toxicology and Professor of biochemistry and molecular biology. He is the Tombros Early Career Professor and Huck Endowed Chair, as well as the Penn State Cancer Institute Metabolomics Shared Resource Director. Dr. Patterson received his PhD in genetics in ...
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Calvin Willhite Receives 2021 SOT Arnold J. Lehman Award

By Brian Cummings posted 12 days ago
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Calvin C. Willhite, PhD, has received the 2021 SOT Arnold J. Lehman Award for his exemplary service in advancing the scientific basis of human health risk assessment at the local, national, and international levels. Dr. Willhite received his PhD in pharmacology from Dartmouth Medical School in 1980 and completed a postdoctoral inhalation toxicology fellowship at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He then worked as a research pharmacologist for the US Department of Agriculture, later taking a position with the State of California, where he was responsible for human health risk assessments to support promulgation of California’s drinking water Maximum ...
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Takeaways from a Virtual Undergraduate Internship: Top Three Engaging Activities

By Lauren Aleksunes posted 12 days ago
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Interns received welcome packages at their home prior to the start of the six-week program. Kits for various scientific and networking activities were included. The COVID-19 pandemic will leave its mark on the design and delivery of toxicology training for years to come. The challenges faced by the need for remote learning and social distancing have inspired reflection on existing teaching approaches as well as innovation in how toxicology educators engage the next generation of scientists moving forward. For the summer of 2020, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, like many ...
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In Memoriam: Mark D. Seefeld

By Suzanne Fitzpatrick posted 12 days ago
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SOT has learned that SOT member Mark D. Seefeld, PhD, passed away on December 22, 2020. For more information, please refer to Dr. Seefeld’s obituary
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Congratulations to the 2021 SOT Award Recipients

By Brian Cummings posted 12-17-2020
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The Society is pleased to announce and recognize the 2021 SOT Award recipients for their many accomplishments and their commitment to the field—especially during this chaotic and uncertain year. Through its awards, SOT recognizes more than two dozen scientists, emerging leaders, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students who are advancing the science of toxicology. In addition, the Society provides support to graduate and undergraduate students through student awards and the SOT Endowment Fund awards. The 2021 awardees represent outstanding researchers in academia, industry, and government across the globe and career stages. Among those being honored ...
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Upcoming Component Group Awards: January and February 2021

By George Daston posted 12-17-2020
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In addition to SOT awards, fellowships, and Supported Awards with an October application/nomination deadline, the SOT Regional Chapters, Special Interest Groups, and Specialty Sections confer many awards throughout the year to recognize the achievements of toxicologists, particularly graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Awards with deadlines through February 28, 2021, are listed here. Please consider applying for any of these awards as appropriate, nominating individuals you feel are worthy, and/or informing a qualified student, postdoctoral scholar, or colleague about these awards. For full details and contact information for each award, visit the ...
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When in Rome—SOT Funding Enables Training in Isolating and Culturing Mesenchymal Stem Cells

By Alexa Murray posted 12-17-2020
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I was fortunate to receive the SOT Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP) award. With this award, I traveled to Sapienza Università di Roma in Italy, to the laboratory of Dr. Rita Businaro for what was intended to be a three-month training period focused on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), cells that modulate immune response and tissue repair. Dr. Businaro is an expert in MSCs and intercellular communication between MSCs and macrophages via extracellular vesicles; thus, this was the perfect environment to extend my dissertation research. I first met Dr. Businaro in June 2019 at the Annual Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Research ...
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STEP-ping into the World of Computational Toxicology via SOT Funds

By Niranjana Krishnan posted 12-17-2020
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While my PhD dissertation research taught me how to utilize toxicology and exposure information and conduct risk assessments, I did not learn much about computational techniques, which are becoming increasingly important in a Tox21 world. In particular, I was interested in computational toxicology models, like quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and read-across, that can be used to support risk-based prioritization of chemical inventories and address information gaps in chemical-specific risk assessments. Fortunately, there is a computational toxicology service, ToxNavigation, that provides training in these techniques. With the generous funding ...
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SOT Supports Graduate Student Training in Environmental Mixtures

By Lorraine Vélez Torres posted 12-17-2020
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My name is Lorraine N. Vélez-Torres, and I am currently a PhD candidate in the Microbiology and Medical Zoology Department at the Universidad de Puerto Rico Recinto de Ciencias Médicas. My research project focuses on assessing the effect of Hurricane María on indoor air concentrations of fungal spores among homes affected by different degrees of water damage and evaluating the immunotoxicity potential of Aspergillus species in humans. In Puerto Rico, fungal spores have been found to be triggers of asthma and allergies. However, other aeroallergens that are present in the air, such as pollen, Saharan dust, and pollutants, may contribute together with fungal ...
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Regulation and Policy Update: SOT Signs Letter Urging the US Congress to Complete Appropriations Work

By George Daston posted 12-17-2020
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On December 8, SOT joined more than 170 organizations and institutions as a signatory on a letter addressed to US House of Representatives Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and US Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer . The letter urges the US Congress to complete its work on the fiscal year 2021 appropriations bills to limit the consequences to science and research caused by unpredictable or unavailable funding. The letter states that a failure to complete the appropriations bills will impede the nation’s ability “to address persistent and fundamental challenges such ...
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