Blogs

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President’s Message: Preparing SOT for Societal and Scientific Opportunities and Challenges

By Dori Germolec posted 10 days ago
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As I contemplate the May 11 expiration of the US Public Health Emergency for COVID-19, I also reflect on the state of SOT following a global pandemic that took millions of lives and reshaped how we interact and exchange ideas. We were fortunate to have strong leadership that navigated the challenging landscape of the past three years, and we have discovered many things about ourselves and our Society. We had to learn completely new ways to communicate during the pandemic—remember when we thought zooming was driving too fast or in my case something that my rabbits did? Coming back to in-person meetings, we’ve had to relearn the critical skills of small talk ...
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Seeking Authors for Topics including PCBs, Ethanol, and Neurotoxicology for Online Undergraduate Learning Materials

By Mindy Reynolds posted 10 days ago
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We are renewing the call for toxicologists to contribute to the development of online learning resources in five specific topics in basic toxicology for undergraduates as part of the Toxicology Mentoring and Skills Development Training ( ToxMSDT ) program. The ToxMSDT program is funded by a National Institutes of Health grant to the University of California Davis and five other partner institutions, including SOT. SOT is leading the e-learning tools development project. We are seeking individuals interested in creating new modules to support already existing ToxMSDT modules , as well as case studies that will correlate with specific ToxMSDT toxicology modules. ...
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ToxSci May 2023 Issue Available

By Laurie Haws posted 10 days ago
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The May 2023 issue of Toxicological Sciences includes ToxSpotlight articles on profiling mechanisms that drive acute oral toxicity in mammals and its prediction via machine learning and how vinyl chloride enhances high-fat diet-induced proteome alterations in the mouse pancreas related to metabolic dysfunction. ToxSpotlight Article: “ Profiling Mechanisms That Drive Acute Oral Toxicity in Mammals and Its Prediction Via Machine Learning ” (free to read; topic category: computational toxicology and databases) ToxSpotlight Article: “ Vinyl Chloride Enhances High-Fat Diet-Induced Proteome Alterations in the Mouse Pancreas Related to Metabolic Dysfunction ...
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SOT Postdoctoral Assembly at the 20th National Postdoctoral Association Annual Conference

By Katelyn Dunigan Russell posted 17 days ago
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Katelyn Dunigan Russell exploring the city during a break with fellow postdocs at the 20th NPA Annual Conference The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) Annual Conference is the largest national meeting and networking event dedicated to postdoctoral scholars, and the 20th Annual Conference was held at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 21–April 22. As the 2021–2023 SOT Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) Executive Board Secretary, I attended on behalf of SOT. There were over 400 attendees at this year’s NPA conference. The attendees comprised of postdoctoral scholars, administrators, faculty, and representatives from disciplinary ...
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Opportunities Available to Serve on a CDC Advisory Committee, a NASEM Consensus Study, and a NASEM Forum

By James Luyendyk posted 17 days ago
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Experts are being sought by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) for service on a committee, study, and forum. CDC Advisory Committee to the Director Experts in public health, global health, health disparities, biomedical research, or other fields related to the US CDC mission are being sought to fill vacancies on the US CDC Advisory Committee to the Director. Nominations or self-nominations should be submitted by June 5. View the Federal Register announcement for more information >> NASEM Consensus Study Experts NASEM is looking for 16 ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: Finding Creative Ways to Communicate Science

By Lauren Walker posted 17 days ago
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The pandemic years revealed the detrimental consequences of weakened public science literacy on mainstream science and public health initiatives. From uninformed opinion pieces to deliberately misleading messaging campaigns, we’re currently in a communication crisis that challenges our ability to build healthy and safe communities. Fortunately, the 2023 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo Continuing Education (CE) course “Put Your Science Where Your Mouth Is: Practice Makes Progress in Effective Science Communication” was well-positioned to equip attendees with the skills needed to prepare their messages, build a personal science communicator brand, and give effective ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: Databases, Databases, and More Databases: An Exploration of Chemical Evaluation Tools

By Margaret Whittaker posted 17 days ago
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Pop Quiz: What are the first images that come to mind when you hear the words “ICE,” “toolbox,” or “dashboard”? If you answered something akin to Michigan roads in March, a rusty toolchest in your garage, and/or your grandfather’s El Camino, then you definitely need to sign up for the SOT Continuing Education (CE) course “Tools Supporting Open Chemical Evaluations.” Presented during the 2023 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, this CE course was devoted to showcasing the application of leading freely accessible online databases and platforms. Shannon Bell of RTI International set the stage for the course by contrasting traditional whole-animal testing methods ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: Challenges and Opportunities with In Vitro–In Vivo Exploration

By Iqra Pervaiz posted 17 days ago
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I attended one of the advanced Continuing Education (CE) courses offered during the SOT 62nd Annual Meeting and ToxExpo in Nashville, Tennessee. The course, “ In Vitro to In Vivo Extrapolation Strategy and Guidance across Organ System Toxicities,” was chaired by Samantha Faber, Takeda Development Center Americas Inc., and Helena Hogberg-Durdock, NIEHS. The course provided an update on current in vitro to in vivo extrapolation strategies used in various research sectors for regulatory considerations. In ongoing and emerging wave of rationally designed nonanimal research methods (NAMs) and promoting the 3Rs (replace, reduce, and refine the use ...
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2024 Scientific Session Proposal Deadline Fast Approaching

By Laurie Haws posted 25 days ago
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Monday, May 15, 11:59 PM (US EDT, UTC -4). This is the deadline to submit your proposal for a Scientific Session or Continuing Education course for the 2024 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, which will take place March 10–14, 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The SOT Scientific Program Committee (SPC) is confident that session developers are currently working with potential endorsing groups, such as Specialty Sections, with the objective of delivering a high-quality proposal. The 2024 Annual Meeting website contains complete information for session proposal development, including the link to the submission site. The recording of an SPC webinar ...
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Around the World of Toxicology: May 2023 Partner Activities Update

By James Luyendyk posted 25 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 this “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 .” Reminders of Previously ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: Mixing It Up: Mixtures of Metals, Receptor-Disrupting Chemicals, PAHs, Microplastics, PFAS, and Air Pollution Have Noticeable Effects

By Maria Kloboves Cinzori posted 25 days ago
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The following summarizes the presentations given during the Platform Session “Mixtures Toxicology” that was held as part of the 2023 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo. Association between Exposure to Toxic and Essential Metal Mixtures and Gestational Age in the ELGAN Cohort Presenter: Eric Brown Jr., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Nearly 15 million infants in the US are born preterm, which equates to nearly 10% of annual births. Toxic metals are associated with decreased gestational age, while essential metals have a protective effect. Utilizing the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn (ELGAN) cohort, the group set out ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: To Peer Review or Not to Peer Review? Some Tips and Considerations

By Oluchukwu Okoyeocha posted 25 days ago
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Peer reviewing is a part of scientific research that often does not get the attention it deserves. Hence, as part of the SOT Postdoctoral Assembly’s contribution to education and career development during the 2023 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, the Postdoctoral Assembly put together a workshop centered on the peer review process. It was a pleasure to attend and share some highlights of the Workshop Session, “ Peer Reviewing for Scholarly Journals: Best Practices, Tips, and Case Studies ,” as well as some useful resources available for both novice and pro peer reviewers. The session was chaired by Windy Boyd, Senior Science Editor, Environmental Health Perspectives ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: PFAS Toxicity Platform Talks Prove Popular

By Samantha Hall posted 25 days ago
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The Platform Session “Mechanisms of PFAS Toxicity” provided plenty of great science on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to a packed audience during the 2023 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo. Following on the heels of the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) announcement on March 14 of draft drinking water maximum contaminant levels for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), this popular Platform Session was filled with great PFAS science from nine presenters. Daniel Villeneuve, US EPA, opened the session with his talk on the estrogenic activity of PFAS. Four PFAS, which had been previously identified as estrogenic ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: Case Studies and EU and US Programs Tackle Using IVIVE for Risk Assessment

By Jeanne Domoradzki posted 25 days ago
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This blog contains key takeaways from the Symposium Session “Challenges in the Development of In Vitro - In Vivo Extrapolation Models for Next-Generation Risk Assessment” that was presented during the 2023 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo. John Wambaugh and Mathieu Vinken co-chaired the session. Next-Generation risk assessments (NGRA) rely on new approach methods (NAMs), which include human in vitro and in silico approaches for hazard identification and characterization. One key aspect for risk assessment is the derivation of a point of departure (POD), which for NGRA might be derived by in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) from an in ...
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Catch Up on Your Credit Hours with the SOT CEd-Tox Program: 13 New Courses Just Added

By Nathan Cherrington posted 04-27-2023
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Whether you are learning something new, revisiting familiar concepts, or completing your continuing education (CE) credit hour requirements, the SOT CEd-Tox program has what you need. With more than 100 courses available from which to choose across the spectrum of toxicology, your learning experience continues on demand, any time! Courses are available through the all-inclusive Annual Subscription or for purchase à la carte . SOT Student and Postdoc members, as well as undergraduate students, receive free access to ALL CEd-Tox courses! SOT members from select countries also receive free access! ...
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Graduate Student and Postdoc Funding Opportunities: Apply by May 15

By Kathryn Page posted 04-27-2023
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The SOT Education and Career Development Committee invites SOT Student and Postdoc members to submit applications for the Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP) and New Experiences in Toxicology Program (NEXT), respectively, by May 15. For Graduate Students: SOT STEP Program A training supported by STEP Are you interested in adding experiences outside the training available in your graduate program to help prepare for future career opportunities in toxicology? The STEP program provides up to $1,000 in funding support for SOT members who are PhD candidates to pursue special professional development experiences. ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: Breaking Up Is Safe to Do: Analyzing the Toxicity of Targeted Protein Degraders

By Sarah Carratt posted 04-27-2023
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“But wouldn’t sharing your data help you find a cure sooner?” When explaining the nature of scientific publishing to a cancer patient, you realize how difficult it is to rationalize the protection of novelty. The speakers in the “Targeted Protein Degradation Therapeutics: Opportunities and Challenges” Workshop Session should be commended for taking the risk to present confidential, early data. Listening to their strategies for improving safety assessments of targeted protein degraders, I appreciated the novelty of the different approaches. Out of respect for the presenters, who requested their data remain confidential, I’ll share just a few of these strategies ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: Artificial Intelligence in Toxicology: A Hope-Filled Future or Cautionary Tale?

By David Faulkner posted 04-27-2023
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The burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI) has grown rapidly in the last few years, transitioning from the stuff of science fiction fare to freely available tools and websites that have captured the attention of academics and amateurs alike. As the proliferation of AI tools raises questions about the future of several industries, we, as toxicologists, must ask the question, “How could AI be used for risk assessment?” The Symposium Session “AI Buzz or Bliss: Case Studies for Successful Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Predictive Toxicology” during the 2023 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo aimed to tackle that question through talks by ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: Drawing Industry-Academia Interest during the Biomarkers Poster Session

By Gagandeep Kaur posted 04-27-2023
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The “Biomarkers” Poster Session at this year’s SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo was marked by good representation from both industry and academia. The session included 19 posters ranging from validating a new methodology (T2-MRI mapping and lymphocyte genome sensitivity test, to name a few) to quantifying biomarkers and identifying newer biomarkers for organ toxicity (miRNA, cell free DNA, senescence markers, etc.). One of the posters that drew a lot of attention was for abstract #3717, “Hepatocyte Senescence Is Initiated through a Klf6-p21 Mechanism That Mediates the Production of Cxcl14, a Novel Prognostic Biomarker of Acute Liver Failure,” which was awarded ...
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2023 Annual Meeting Report: Myriad Efforts Underway to Develop Weight of Evidence Assessments That Limit or Remove the Use of Animal Assays

By Jeanne Domoradzki posted 04-27-2023
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The following summarizes the presentations given during the Workshop Session “A Roadmap to Modernized Agrochemical Carcinogenicity Assessment” that was held as part of the 2023 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo. Douglas Wolf introduced the session. The rodent cancer bioassay is the current standard approach for assessing human carcinogenic potential for agrochemicals. The length of time, costs, resources, and numbers of animals needed to perform the bioassay have led to the development of alternative approaches to modernize carcinogenicity assessment. Alternative approaches that include weight of evidence (WOE)–based assessment of in vitro , in silico ...
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