What is the mission of DTSS?

The objectives of the Dermal Toxicology Specialty Section are to provide a forum for the interaction of individuals involved in risk assessment, pharmacokinetics, dermal penetration/ absorption, hypersensitivity and dermal toxicity, regulatory issues, basic skin biology, and other professionals working in the field of dermal research. Members who wish to receive more information on the specialty section should contact George DeGeorge by e-mail.

President’s Message

DTSS President’s Message for 2010

As 2010 draws to a close, it is a good time to look back on the Section’s activities for year. Many of the activities revolve around the annual meeting and we were fortunate enough to have two workshops on the scientific program for the Salt Lake City meeting, one on systems biology approaches to understand cell signaling in dermal and ocular toxicology and a second on percutaneous penetration and risk assessment. These sessions were lively and well-attended. At our reception, we awarded a total of $6,000 for student research, thanks to the generosity of several sponsoring organizations. Two of our members received recognition for excellence in scientific contribution, with best paper awards. We also recognize the 2009 publications by all of our members in our summer newsletter. During the month of August, Carol Sabourin, our newly elected Vice President, attended the SOT leadership meeting held in Virginia. This gathering provided an opportunity for the officers of all the specialty sections, regional chapters, and special interest groups to meet face-to-face with each other, as well as with SOT Council and Staff. Carol is our point of contact for next year’s newsletter; please contact her with your announcements or ideas.

Looking forward to the upcoming year, our Officers meeting and Section reception will be held on Sunday evening because of the special scheduled activities for the 50th anniversary meeting of SOT. We hope to see all of you at the DTSS reception. We will again have 2 excellent workshops on the scientific program, thanks to the efforts of Jeff Yourick, Lauren Mordasky-Markell (2009–2010 student representative), and Michael Borland (2008–2009 student representative). Your ideas for scientific program proposals for the annual meeting are always welcome and Jeff Yourick is the point of contact for the 2012 meeting, which seems like a long ways away, but time flies.

Thanks to the continued support of our sponsors, we will again offer the full complement of awards that were given in 2010 for the upcoming 2011 annual meeting. We encourage you to participate with nominations for these awards. The chances are actually quite good. Cindy Ryan is the point of contact.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the DTSS would not exist without the continued support of our members. In these times of tightening budgets, attendance at the annual meeting may mean that another activity is sacrificed. Presentation of your original research at our poster session represents the culmination of not only securing funds to do the research, but also the successful completion of a project. By no means do we take this for granted.

On behalf of your 2010 officers and representatives:

President: William G. Reifenrath
Vice President: Jeff Yourick
Secretary-Treasurer: Carol Sabourin
Senior Councilor: Jens Mortensen
Junior Councilor: Cynthia Ryan
Past President: Carol Auletta
Postdoctoral Representative: Dae Joon Kim
Student Representatives: Lauren Mordasky Markell

Best Regards,
William G. Reifenrath
DTSS President