Blogs

Regulation and Policy Update: FY2026 and 2027 Budget Recommendations and the NIH Draft Strategic Plan

By James Luyendyk posted 3 days ago
Throughout the year, SOT is approached by like-minded organizations to lend its support to varying issues and recommendations. This blog  contains  a summary of a recent action by SOT related to regulations and public policy. It also contains other policy items and opportunities that may be of interest to SOT members. Call for Members for the European Commission Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) The SCCS is seeking members to serve for the new 2027–2031 term. The SCCS provides independent scientific advice to the European Commission on issues related to the safety of consumer products, ...

Investing in the Future: A Huge Shoutout to Our 2026 Undergraduate Program Volunteers

By Checo Rorie posted 3 days ago
A huge shoutout to the 100+ SOT member volunteers who made the undergraduate activities at the SOT 65th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo a fantastic success! Your dedication to fostering the next generation of toxicologists is truly inspiring. To relive the highlights, be sure to check out the SOT Annual Meeting photo gallery for snapshots of our time together. Students talk with program representatives during the Open Time with Academic Toxicology Program Directors, Internship Sponsors, and SOT Special Interest Groups (SIGs) A Packed Weekend of Learning and Building Connections The energy this year was ...

Strengthening the Pathways to Toxicology: Volunteer Opportunities with ABRCMS and SACNAS

By Checo Rorie posted 3 days ago
As a scientific community, SOT is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for the next generation of toxicologists. Two organizations , ABRCMS and SACNAS , play a pivotal role in supporting students in STEM , including students from underrepresented backgrounds. Every year, these organizations seek the expertise of established scientists to mentor and inspire students and evaluate their work . By volunteering your time, you not only support these students’ professional growth but also help raise the profile of toxicology as a premier career path within these large scientific communities. ...

A Sincere Thank You to the Volunteers!

By Cynthia Rider posted 3 days ago
Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month? Now that is something to celebrate! Doubly amazing, it is also National Poetry Month. So, here is my attempt at a thank you poem to the wonderful volunteers of SOT. I apologize in advance to the poets of SOT. Thank you to the session developers whose passion for knowledge enriches us all. Thank you to the mentors who freely offer a piece of themselves. Thank you to the leaders who decide on the directions. Thank you to the poster judges who so considerately consider. Thank you to the newsletter writers who spread all the news. ...

Melanie Abongwa, Scott S. Auerbach, R. Todd Bunch, Phoebe Stapleton, and Alessandro Venosa Elected to the SOT Awards Committee

By Matthew Campen posted 3 days ago
SOT is pleased to announce that Melanie Abongwa , PhD, MBA; Scott S. Auerbach, PhD, DABT; R. Todd Bunch, PhD; Phoebe Stapleton, PhD, ATC; and Alessandro Venosa, PharmD, PhD, have been elected to serve three - year terms (2026 –2029) Awards Committee. Collectively, they bring experience from industry, academia, and government, along with strong commitments to scientific excellence, service, mentorship, and the advancement of toxicology. Melanie Abongwa Dr. Abongwa is a toxicologist at BlueRock Therapeutics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In her role, she provides scientific and strategic ...

Exploring Alternative Poster Layouts for More Effective Communication

By Samantha Musso posted 3 days ago
Scientific posters may be a staple of academic conferences, but as Barb Kaplan humorously opened, “Posters are the world’s most awkward social experiment.” In her Tiny Tox Talk, “Plan and Prelection: Alternative Layouts and Effective Communication for Posters, ” Dr. Kaplan guided attendees through methods for designing posters that tell a clear story. Let the Story Drive the Layout Dr. Kaplan emphasized that an effective scientific poster integrates strong data with an equally strong oral presentation. Rather than “jumping around , ” she encouraged presenters to build around a clear theme, such as the subject area, ...

Debating the Benefits and Risks of Plastic

By Kate Windsor posted 3 days ago
The yearly SOT/EUROTOX debate was held Monday evening at t he 202 6 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo . This year’s topic , “Do the Societal Benefits of Plastic Outweigh the Risks of Microplastic Contamination?, ” was introduced by Robin Tanguay , Oreg o n State Universit y . Our first contender was Phoebe Stapleton , Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, representing SOT and arguing on the benefits of plastic . Dr. Stapleton was pitted against Raymond Pieters , Universiteit Utrecht, representing EUROTOX and arguing the risks of microplastic . ...

Sex-Specific Oral Health Responses Linked to Vaping

By Matthew Campen posted 3 days ago
This blog is being shared under the SOT Secretary’s name as part of their official duties and should not be interpreted as their personal or professional opinions.    This blog was written by Talia Sager. At the 2026 SOT Poster Session “Tobacco, ENDS, and Smoking-Related Toxicology I,” I spoke with Xiaojia He , PhD, UL Research Institutes’ Chemical Insights , about the Center for Toxicology and Human Heal th ’s latest research, presented in the poster titled “Multi- o mics Profiling Reveals Sex-Specific Oral Health Disruptions Associated with Vaping.” Notably , a blue ribbon was displayed ...

The Value of Networking: Experiences from the NPA 2026 Annual Conference in San Francisco

By Angela Dean posted 10 days ago
Each year, SOT sponsors a member of the SOT Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) Executive Board to attend the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) Annual Conference. This opportunity enables our postdoctoral leadership to gather innovative ideas from peer organizations while showcasing PDA achievements on a national stage. As a first-time postdoctoral representative, I was a bit nervous to attend the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) meeting. I had never attended a meeting that was not focused on presenting data, and I was not sure what to expect from the NPA 2026 Annual C onference. But I was completely blown away by all the opportunities ...

Invitation to attend the STP 45th Annual Symposium

By Matthew Campen posted 10 days ago
This invitation i s being shared as part of a blog exchange between STP and SOT.  Join the Society of Toxicologic Pathology (STP) for the  STP 45th Annual Symposium: The Pulse of Progress: Advancing Knowledge on Cardiovascular Toxicity , taking place  June 21–24, 2026 , at Paradise Point in San Diego, California . This year’s program offers a forward-looking, cross-disciplinary exploration of cutting-edge advances in cardiovascular toxicology, with abundant opportunities for learning, collaboration, and networking. Please visit the  Annual Symposi u m website  for additional information. ...

2027 Session Proposals Welcome—Deadline May 15!

By Robyn Tanguay posted 10 days ago
The SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo in San Diego is nearly a month behind us : another memorable event ! Now , we turn our attention to the 202 7 Annual Meeting and ToxExpo , taking place March 14 – 17 , 202 7 , in San Antonio, Texas. The Proposal Submission Site is open until May 15 , and it’s your chance to contribute to the meeting with your Scientific Session or Continuing Education course ideas. Important Resources As you prepare your submission, be sure to review the 202 7 Annual ...

Natalie M. Johnson Is a 2026–2029 SOT Councilor

By Matthew Campen posted 10 days ago
SOT is pleased to announce that Natalie M. Johnson, PhD, Texas A&M University, has been elected to serve as a 2026–202 9 SOT Councilor. Dr. Johnson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health and Chair of the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program at Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on air pollution exposure and its effects on maternal and infant respiratory dysfunction. She earned her PhD in t oxicology from Texas A&M University, with an emphasis on exposure biomarkers and translational toxicology, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University focused ...

María Carmen Rubio-Armendáriz Is a 2026–2029 SOT Councilor

By Matthew Campen posted 10 days ago
SOT is pleased to announce that María Carmen Rubio-Armendáriz, PhD, Universidad de La Laguna, has been elected to serve as a 2026–202 9 SOT Councilor . Dr. Rubio-Armendáriz is a Professor of t oxicology at Universidad de La Laguna, where she also serves as Director of the Master’s Degree in f ood s afety , q uality, and s ustainability. A significant portion of Dr. Rubio-Armendáriz’s career has been dedicated to university governance and strategic leadership. From 2015 to 2019, she served as Vice-Rector for Internationalization at Universidad de La Laguna, where she developed and ...

Inside the Push Toward Exposure-Led Risk Assessment

By Lucy Sinke posted 10 days ago
This s ession , “Integrating In Vitro Data and PBK Modeling for Exposure-Led Risk Assessment ,” chaired by Nynke Kramer , Wageningen University , The Netherlands, was not centered around the well-trodden “ hazard ” arm of risk assessment, but instead started with the equally critica l “exposure” arm. The four talks brought together speakers from academia and industry representing major companies and European initiatives. Importantly, it examined integration of realistic human exposures with physiologically ...

Science in Action: Responsive Biomonitoring Across California

By Alexandra Del Favero-Campbell posted 10 days ago
S cience as a whole does not always begin in a laboratory. Often, it begins with questions raised by communities: “ Is something in our environment affecting our health? What are we being exposed to, and what does it mean for our families? ” The 2026 SOT Regional Interest Session “Chemical Exposures and At ‑ Risk Populations in California” highlighted how biomonitoring across the state is being used as science in action , or research that is responsive to lived experience and grounded in real ‑ world concerns. A unifying theme across the session was ...

Advancing Approaches for Identifying Potential Thyroid-Disrupting Chemicals

By Matthew Campen posted 10 days ago
This blog is being shared under the SOT Secretary ’s name as part of their official duties and should not be interpreted as their personal or professional opinions.    This blog was written by Talia Sager. At the 2026 SOT Workshop Session “Endocrine Disruption Safety Assessment Approaches for Cosmetics,” Katie Paul Friedman , PhD, UL Research Institutes’ Chemical Insights , presented, “Interpretation of Thyroid-Relevant Bioactivity Data.” Her talk emphasized the importance of understanding and i dentifying chemicals that may disrupt thyroid hormone (TH) function , particularly during early ...

Barbara L. Kaplan Is the 2026–2027 SOT Vice President–Elect

By Matthew Campen posted 17 days ago
SOT is pleased to announce that Barbara L. Kaplan, PhD, Mississippi State University, has been elected to serve as the 2026–2027 SOT Vice President – Elect. Dr. Kaplan earned her BS in e nvironmental t oxicology from the University of California Davis and her PhD in p harmacology and t oxicology from Michigan State University. After conducting postdoctoral research in tumor immunology at the University of Chicago, she returned to Michigan State University as a Research Assistant Professor. She is now a Professor in the Center for Environmental Health Sciences and Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences at Mississippi ...

Gary D. Minsavage Is the 2026–2027 SOT Treasurer-Elect

By Matthew Campen posted 17 days ago
SOT is pleased to announce that Gary D. Minsavage , PhD, DABT, MBA, ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences Inc., has been elected to serve as the 2026–2027 SOT Treasurer-Elect. Dr. Minsavage has been an active member of SOT since 2001. His contributions to the Society include serving in leadership roles within the Risk Assessment Specialty Section, including as President, and currently as a member of the SOT Finance Committee. He also has been involved in R egional C hapters, multiple S pecialty S ections, and the Alternative Revenue Sources Task Force. Dr. Minsavage earned his PhD in t oxicology ...

Global Session at 2026 SOT Spotlights the Promise—and Limits—of AI-Driven Protein Prediction in Modern Toxicology

By Larissa Williams posted 17 days ago
Sometimes the future arrives unexpectedly. For me, it began on an airplane in 2025, while browsing the in-flight movie options and stumbling across The Thinking Game , a documentary following Demis Hassabis and Google DeepMind’s pursuit of artificial general intelligence. At the center of the film was AlphaFold, the AI system that transformed biology by predicting the three-dimensional structures of proteins from their amino acid sequences, a feat that helped crack the decades-old protein - folding problem and opened new frontiers in drug discovery. Just a year later, that same technological leap took center stage at the 2026 SOT Annual ...

Are We Human? Or Are We Integrated?

By Krista Enos posted 17 days ago
Traditional chemical risk assessment approaches have separated the human from the environment, which has allowed toxicologists to focus in on relevant species and data to assess possible exposure levels or hazards with a narrowed scope of concern. However, there is a growing appreciation for the interconnectedness of biology and that humans are not necessarily unique from environmental chemical hazards. Lauren Brown from Applied Risk and Toxicology LLC chaired the “Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: Has the Time Come for Greater Integration of Approaches?” S ymposium S ession. Joseph Shaw from PRECISIONTOX ...