Jia-Sheng is the recipient of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) 2018 Translational Impact Award. Dr. Wang received his PhD from Boston University School of Medicine. Currently, Dr. Wang serves as the University of Georgia (UGA) Athletic Association professor in public health and department head of the Department of Environmental Health Science in the College of Public Health. He also is a full faculty 
member of the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program at UGA. Dr. Wang will present the Translational Impact Award Lecture entitled Modulation of Toxic Effects and Human Disease Risks: From Synthetic Drugs to Natural Products on Tuesday, March 13 from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon in room 302 of the convention center.
Dr. Wang is regarded by many as a foremost expert in the world on the measurement of human exposure to mycotoxin, the public health impact from this exposure, and the translation of field-practical technologies for the mitigation of these toxins in humans. Over the past 10 years, Dr. Wang’s translational research has focused on green tea polyphenols and smectite clays. He suggested moving to translational studies in high-risk areas after years of collaboration with Dr. Timothy Phillips, of Texas A&M University, in which they focused on testing the effectiveness of smectite clays as an enterosorbent to specifically bind to aflatoxins in many in vitro models and in many species of animals. Together, they began the first human study to examine tolerance for a dosing protocol and short-term safety of smectite clay. Based on the results, four human intervention studies using smectite clay were conducted to examine efficacies for mitigation of exposure to aflatoxins and fumonisins in adults and children.
Furthermore, his work helping to delineate the molecular epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma has provided major insight into human and animal exposures from aflatoxins, fumonisins, and other hazardous foodborne chemicals. Dr. Wang's work has facilitated the development, application, and translation of critical molecular biomarkers of toxin exposure and effect. His groundbreaking, high-impact, and internationally renowned research on aflatoxin ranks with the very best scientific discoveries for its importance to food safety, food quality, food security, and public health, especially in vulnerable communities. His studies are relevant to 4.5 billion people (and their animals), who live in hot and humid climates and are frequently exposed to aflatoxins from contaminated diets.
Dr. Wang’s leadership, support, and unique insight have helped to achieve a significant translational impact on public health. The technology derived from Dr. Wang’s early work now is being translated to developing countries for sentinel detection of mycotoxins, and he has gained notable recognition internationally among scientists and administrators.