Blogs

GIFT Award Internship Begins

By Kimberly Zaccaria posted 3 days ago

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The SOT Education and Experiential Opportunities Committee encourages outstanding doctoral students to pursue an internship in toxicology that advances their professional and scientific development. To assist with this pursuit, Graduate Intern Fellowship in Toxicology (GIFT) Award re cipients receive up to $3,000 each to supplement available funds . Internships must last for at least six consecutive weeks between May and August 2025.  GIFT Awards are made possible via the SOT Endowment James Bond-Michele Medinsky Graduate Student Development Fund. This week, Landon Butler , a current student at Oklahoma State University ...

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Expand Your Mentoring Repertoire with the CIMER Advancing Mentorship Program

By Vicki Sutherland posted 3 days ago

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The SOT Career Advancement, Mentoring, and Networking (CAM A N) Committee has among its charges sharing mentoring resources with the SOT community . One group that provides extensive mentoring curricula and support and assessment resources, as well as training , is t he Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) , based at the University of Wisconsin. The Center offer s CIMER ’ s Advancing Mentorship Program (CAMP) for individuals actively mentoring graduate students, postdocs, and/or junior STEM faculty. Participants engage in evidence-based curricula ...

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2025 Annual Meeting Report: Finding Work-Life-Self Balance

By Grace Kuan posted 3 days ago

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In a Tiny Tox Talk titled “ The Active Practice of Work-Life-Self Balance , ” Kelly Salinas and Kimberly Zaccaria from SRC, Inc. discussed the active practice of achieving and maintaining balance between work, personal life, and oneself.   Work- L ife balance may be one of the most important things someone can consider in making career decisions. In a 2003 Gallup survey presented during this Tiny Tox Talk, 62% of respondents indicated “greater work-life balance and better personal well - being” as the most important attribute that employees want in their next job.    Kelly and Kimberly discussed how there ...

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2025 Annual Meeting Report: NAMs Hit the Bullseye in DART Assessments

By Rebecca Somach posted 3 days ago

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In 2007 , the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine created a report titled “Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy . ” The report advocates for developing in vitro , ex vivo , or in silico technologies to reduce animal testing while still providing adequate toxicity evaluation. Since then , there has been a push to develop new technologies to achieve this reality. New a pproach m ethodologies ( NAMs ) have become an exciting newer area of toxicology that has really taken off. Their popularity isn’t surprising — NAMs take less time to generate data ...

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2025 Annual Meeting Report: N-Nitrosamines in Water and in Drugs: Mechanistic Insight into Early Age Susceptibility and Human Cancer Risk

By Margaret Whittaker posted 3 days ago

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Potential human cancer risk posed by N-nitrosamine s has been recognized for decades based on positive cancer studies in almost 40 animal species. Despite th e widespread recognition of potential cancer risk from this class of chemical s , there is limited mechanistic insight into cellular responses and sequelae associated with nitrosamine exposure. A 2025 S ymposium Session titled “ N-Nitrosamines in Water and in Drugs: Occurrence, Detection, Biological Effects, and Regulation ” highlighted research designed to investigate molecular and cellular responses to nitrosamine exposure .      Work from the Massachusetts ...

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2025 Annual Meeting Report: Navigating the Safety Landscape of Emerging Consumer Products

By Colleen McLoughlin posted 3 days ago

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As innovation in consumer products accelerates, so do the challenges in ensuring their safety. With rapidly emerging innovations in cosmetics, medical devices, electronics, and beyond, toxicologists must adapt existing safety evaluation frameworks to keep pace with new products and ones that blur traditional category lines. At the 2025 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo , the Continuing Education course “ Roadmap for Safety Evaluation of Emerging Consumer Products: Application and Adaptation of Existing Practices ” provided a deep dive into these challenges and opportunities.   Bridging Traditional and Emerging Risk Assessment Approaches ...

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A Courtesy for Members with Paused EHP Reviews

By Jeffrey Peters posted 11 days ago

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Toxicological Sciences  ( ToxSci ) has learned of the pause in publication of  Environmental Health Perspectives  ( EHP ).  EHP  is a top - tier journal with a robust peer - review process. Given the pause, we would like to offer our colleagues who had manuscripts pending with  EHP  an opportunity to continue the review process, rather than starting over.   If you have a manuscript that fits within the  broad scope  of  ToxSci   that was pending revision or decision after as least one round of peer review at  EHP , please consider  submitting to  ToxSci . ...

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Mehendale Welcome Award Accepting Applications to Support International Graduate Students

By Kimberly Zaccaria posted 11 days ago

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The SOT Education and Experiential Opportunities Committee (E E OC ) encourages newly enrolled graduate students to apply for the Mehendale Welcome Awar d . This award is made possible by the Rekha and Harihara Mehendale Welcome Award Fund for International Graduate Students , an E ndowment F und established with SOT. The goal of the Mehendale Welcome Award is to financially assist newly enrolled international graduate students while they are adjusting to a new country (e.g., US). Recipients should be enrolled in a biomedical scientific research program, with preference to those enrolled in a toxicology program ...

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Undergraduate Educator’s Survey and Webinar

By Tracie Baker posted 11 days ago

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The SOT Education and Experiential Opportunities Committee (EEOC) is seeking feedbac k from u ndergraduate educators. Your feedback wi ll guide EEOC as it evaluates existing and determines new programming for educators. We appreciate you r insights and feedback.   Use the link or QR code to take the survey by June 9! EEOC also invite s undergraduate educators to view a webinar presented by Eva Oberdörster , PhD . This webinar is titled “ Embracing Our Student’s Technologies: From AI to Specs ” and explore s the implementation of Specifications Grading (Specs Grading) ...

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2025 Annual Meeting Report: Novel and Current Risk Management Approaches to Reduce the Presence of Nonessential Heavy Metals in Food

By Jossie Garthoff posted 11 days ago

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During the 2025 Informational Session “ Nonessential Heavy Metals in Food: How Low Should We Go? ,” speakers Brinda Mahadevan, Wallace Hayes, B renna Flannery , and P eter Pressman shared their insights about the ubiquitous presence of h eavy m etals in our environment impacting our food chain, covering the related health considerations along with exciting new and current risk management approaches to reduce dietary exposure .   H umans require varying amounts of essential metals, such as m anganese , m agnesium, i ron, c opper, c hromium, m olybdenum, z inc, and c obalt ...

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2025 Annual Meeting Report: How Networking Is Like a Dance

By Grace Kuan posted 11 days ago

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Networking doesn’t have to feel like fighting a dinosaur with a broken plastic fork (a nalogy attributed to unknown Reddit user ) .    In an engaging Tiny Tox Talk titled “ Toxicology Tango: Dance Your Way to Networking Success, ” Ishita Virmani from the Medizinische Universität Innsbruck in Austria discussed strategies and how to avoid common pitfalls while networking.   As a toxicologist, networking enthusiast, and ballroom dancer in my spare time, I was drawn to this Tiny Tox Talk. A statement my dance coaches have often made during lessons came to mind as I reflected on this talk — “ It takes ...

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2025 Annual Meeting Report: NAMS for Today’s and Tomorrow’s Toxicologists

By Margaret Whittaker posted 11 days ago

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A commonly cited definition of sustainability is traced to the United Nation’s Brundtland Commission, which defined sustainability in 1987 as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Society’s understanding of chemical impacts has grown since the Brundtland Commission’s Our Common Future report , and as a result, the role of a toxicologist has expanded to consider the impacts of chemicals upon humans and the ecosystem at large .     A 2025 W orkshop Session titled “ Integrating New Approach Methodologies to Inform Sustainable Chemical ...

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ToxSci May 2025 Issue Available

By James Luyendyk posted 17 days ago

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The May 2025 issue of Toxicological Sciences includes a Contemporary Review that emphasizes that cadmium exposure may be an overlooked risk factor for osteoporosis, while an In-Depth Review explores the pivotal role of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling in placental development and function. A Forum article evaluates the influence of different platforms on PBPK workflow, parameters selection, and output results. Additionally, two Research Briefs are featured: One explores chronic exposure to naphthalene vapor, while the other explores exposure to perfluorohexane sulfonate. Finally, two #ToxSpotlight articles are featured: One enables ...

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Science On Demand: A Roundup of SOT Webinar Recordings Released January 1–March 31, 2025

By Matthew Campen posted 17 days ago

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Many of the webinars hosted by SOT Regional Chapters, Special Interest Groups, and Specialty Sections—collectively known as the SOT Component Groups—are recorded and posted exclusively for member access only in ToXchange . Select videos also are made available to the public through the SOT Video Library . In this blog, you will find a listing of all the recent webinar recordings that have been added to ToXchange and/or the  SOT Video Library .     Guide to High Throughput Toxicokinetic (HTTK) Parameters Watch Webinar Hosted by: SOT Risk Assessment and Exposure Specialty Sections ...

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Around the World of Toxicology: May 2025 Partner Activities Update

By Matthew Campen posted 17 days ago

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Each month, SOT provides an update on activities and events of importance to the toxicology community through the release of the “Around the World of Toxicology” blog. To submit an event, opportunity, or information for consideration for inclusion in the monthly “Around the World of Toxicology” blog, complete the special submission form for “Around the World of Toxicology” items . Please note that only activities by societies and professional associations (i.e., nonprofits) will be considered. If you are an organization or company seeking to promote an event, please submit your activity to the SOT “ Calendar of Events .”   ...

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A Heartfelt Thank You from Outgoing President Laurie C. Haws

By Laurie Haws posted 17 days ago

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As my term as President of the Society comes to a close , I want to express my deepest gratitude for the honor of serving this extraordinary community. Over the past year, it has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals, brilliant scientists, and passionate advocates for scientific advancement. I am especially grateful to the members of SOT Council, our many volunteers, and all the staff at AIM, whose tireless efforts and unwavering support made everything possible. Your commitment has inspire d me and gives me great confidence in the future of our S ociety .   I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished ...

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SOT Statement on the Use of Animals in Research and New Approach Methodologies

By Cynthia Rider posted 17 days ago

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This statement, developed by the 2024–2025 SOT Presidential Chain, is in response to recent announcements by the US Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health regarding efforts to reduce or eliminate animal testing methods.   Toxicologists lead research efforts aimed at understanding the potential health and environmental effects of biological agents, chemicals, and compounds. The insights gained form the foundation for determining how drugs, chemicals, and consumer products can be used safely. To assess safety, scientists use a range of methods and prioritize those most predictive of human, animal, ...

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2025 Annual Meeting Report: When Smoke Gets in Your Brain: Wildfires and the Lung-Brain Axis

By Meaghan Loy posted 17 days ago

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Wildfire season isn’t waiting for summer anymore. By mid-March 2025—just days before th e 2025 Hot Topic S ession “ Impacts and Implications of Wildfire Smoke on the Lung-Brain Axis ” —9,988 wildfires had already burned more than 300,000 acres across the US. From Los Angeles in January to the Carolinas and Oklahoma in February and March, the data is changing week to week , but the trend is clear: more fires, more smoke, more exposure.   During this session , researchers dove into the emerging science behind how wildfire smoke affects not only our lungs and hearts but also our brains and reproductive systems. The session ...

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2025 Annual Meeting Report: Transparency and AI and PECO Criteria, Oh My! Insights from the Systematic Review Roundtable Session

By Kel DeShong posted 17 days ago

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During the 2025 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo , the R oundtable S e ssion “ Is It Time to Right-Size Systematic Review? ” posed a timely question to regulatory toxicologists .  Although federal workforce travel restrictions led to speaker substitutions , the panel still delivered a thought-provoking series of talks that elicited eager discussion from the audience .      The C hair of the session, Heather Lynch, MPH, DABT (Integral Consulting) , first gave an overview of our current challenges in systematic review, including ( 1) lack of standard approaches ; ( 2) resource- and time-intensive ...

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2025 Annual Meeting Report: ToxMSDT at SOT: From Alligator Lessons to Everglades Exploration

By Colleen McLoughlin posted 17 days ago

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The SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo is always a highlight, and this year, the Toxicology Mentoring Skills Development ( ToxMSDT ) program started with a fantastic opening dinner. John Wise , PhD, delivered a phenomenal presentation, weaving together toxicology, environmental science, and adventure in a way that captivated everyone. I even walked away with an unexpected skill—I now know how to catch an alligator! (Not that I plan on putting this knowledge to use anytime soon, but still, it’s a fun fact to have in my back pocket.)   Beyond the conference halls, we had the opportunity to experience Florida’s ecosystem firsthand with ...

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