The Society of Toxicology (SOT) 2014 Merit Award Recipient Jay I. Goodman delivered the Merit Award Lecture, Toxicology is Part of the Solution, on Monday, March 24, at the 53rd Annual Meeting of SOT. He invited the audience to take a journey with him over the past decades of his research by reviewing a number of his publications, extending from 1968 to an article accepted a week before the SOT Annual Meeting. According to Dr. Goodman, this journey takes place within the context of the theme that is the integral component of his research and teaching, “toxicology is part of the solution.”
Dr. Goodman described how “toxicological research plays a crucial role in enabling the use of chemicals (e.g., medicines, consumer products, and agricultural chemicals) to enhance the quality of people’s lives and the environment.” He presented the salient aspects of his research in the area of “epigenetics meets toxicology.” He told the hundreds of scientist who attended this lecture that “…my focus is on understanding the role that epigenetic alterations play in chemical carcinogenesis, and testing the hypothesis that susceptibility to carcinogens is related inversely to the capacity to maintain the normal epigenetic status.”
Dr. Goodman is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and a Faculty Member at the Center for Environmental Toxicology, Michigan State University. He has served as a mentor and adviser for many PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom he acknowledged during this Merit Award Lecture. Moreover, he has participated actively on numerous SOT Committees and Task Forces including Awards, Nominating, and Program Committees and has served as the President of the Michigan Regional Chapter, SOT Secretary, and SOT 1999‒2000 President. For additional information, please visit the SOT website.