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Summer/Fall Issue 2008

News in This Issue

President's Message

President Kenneth S. Ramos

In my first message I highlighted several areas of priority as we activate our Strategic Plan over the next year and use it as a roadmap to: 1) Reaffirm and emphasize our core values; 2) Strengthen scientific and professional competitiveness; 3) Promote new partnerships; and 4) Define the frontiers of 21st century science.

This message focuses on the second of these priorities and what it means to me as a member of the Society working to strengthen our scientific and professional competitiveness. The Strategic Plan calls for concerted efforts to create a safer and healthier world by advancing the science of toxicology. This is best exemplified by our efforts to engage in various aspects of the practice of toxicology; for instance, the discovery of the inner workings of biological systems that define the nature, the extent and severity of toxicity; elucidation of the connections that exist between toxicity and disease in humans; and, perhaps most importantly, the application of this knowledge to hazard assessment, to environmental regulation, to pharmaceutical safety assessment; and to the discovery of novel treatments and modalities that can improve the quality of life of those impacted by toxicities. The accessibility of our scientific and professional expertise to society is essential for us to continue to position toxicology as one of the central basic and applied sciences for advancement of the biomedical enterprise in the U.S. and beyond.

An issue of special interest to our members, within this context, is the response of the scientific and non-scientific communities to the 2007 National Research Council (NRC) report from the National Academy of Sciences on Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy. This report summarizes the recommendations of a panel of experts convened to provide a vision and strategy for advancing the practice of toxicity testing and human health assessment for environmental contaminants. In general terms, the expectation is that data acquired using genomics and computational methodologies will in the not so distant future make it possible to predict pathways of toxicity that reflect mechanisms or modes of toxicity. Two important and notable factors guiding the recommendations are the differences that exist between human and animal biology that may alter the nature of a particular toxic response and the need to find “better ways” to define human risk to drugs and chemicals. One need only to review the executive summary to appreciate the importance of the messages contained within it as to the future of toxicology as well as the divergence of opinions that will likely emerge as the report is discussed and distilled by the scientific community, government officials, and the public.

The NRC report was introduced to the membership at the 2008 Annual Meeting in Seattle and a follow-up session designed for discussion and deliberation of it has been scheduled for the 2009 Annual Meeting in Baltimore. Is the Society interested in and ready to present an evaluation of this report? Do SOT members believe that alternative methods have evolved to the point where they can replace the animal models used today in toxicity testing? How do we as a community of scientists contribute to future developments in this area of debate? Of particular interest to me is that these topics have so penetrated the scientific enterprise of this country that many professionals not directly involved in toxicology are now deeply immersed in this debate. I challenge you to consider these issues and to contact me with your ideas of how the Society should lend its expertise and weigh in on this issue affecting the way we do business today and the safety and health of our world in the years to come.

Since we last communicated, several meetings have been held to further align SOT activities with the Strategic Plan. On May 28, 2008, SOT Council and Staff held an Operational Strategy Session to align the highest priorities for the Society with resource allocations. On July 24–25, 2008, the foundation and spirit of the Society, the Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, and Special Interest Groups, held its Leadership Meeting to align their activities and programs with areas identified as most important to increasing the impact and future vitality of toxicology. On August 20, 2008, a meeting of Society leaders was held to brainstorm about issues important to the future of toxicology and SOT. On August 20–21, 2008, a Committee and Task Force Leadership Meeting was held in Washington to align a large constituency with the overarching goals of the Society. These sessions provided outstanding opportunities for knowledge exchange and helped to solidify vehicles for strengthening and improving internal and external communications of relevance to our discipline and our scientific and professional competitiveness.

On a different note, I want to congratulate the Scientific Program Committee for the development of an outstanding scientific program that will feature some of the most significant scientific advances in the field and emphasizes discoveries and seminal contributions in all areas of toxicology. Five themes were identified this year for programmatic development to feature discoveries in the areas of:

• Biomarkers
• Epigenetics
• Inflammation and Disease
• Nanotechnology (repeated from 2008)
• Neurodegenerative Disease

I look forward to receiving your recommendations on future themes for the SOT Annual Meeting, as well as your thoughts on the view that animal testing can be replaced in the near term. Contact me via SOT Headquarters. As in all facets of life, the achievement of our goals calls for the utmost determination and focus on desired outcomes.

Kenneth S. Ramos,
2008–2009 SOT President

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Reminder—SOT Awards Deadline: October 9

You know who the rising and established stars are in Toxicology. You should nominate them for an SOT Award. SOT presents several prestigious awards to members and non-members. Information regarding the individual awards and the application requirements is available on the SOT Web site. Do you know a candidate who is deserving of an SOT award but has not been nominated? Award recipients are honored at the special Awards Ceremony at the SOT Annual Meeting, receive a plaque and a generous stipend, and are listed in the annual Membership Directory and on the SOT Web site. The on-line awards nominating process only takes a few minutes to complete. Whether recognizing career achievements or contributions in specific areas, we need you to make nominations.

Please note that most SOT student awards require that the applicant is a student member or has completed an application for membership, so research mentors should encourage students to apply immediately.

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Two New SOT Awards Announced

As part of the implementation of the Society’s revised strategic plan, two new science awards have been established.

Leading Edge in Basic Science Award

The Leading Edge Award will recognize a scientist who has made a recent (within the last 5 years) seminal scientific research contribution/advance to understanding fundamental mechanisms of toxicity. The recipient will be a respected basic scientist whose research findings are likely to have a pervasive impact on the field of toxicology. The scientist may be an SOT member or non-member, a toxicologist or a scientist who may or may not identify him or herself with the discipline of toxicology but whose research finding(s), nevertheless, are likely to impact the discipline in a major way.

Translational Impact Award

The Translational Impact Award will recognize a scientist whose recent (last 10 years) clinical, environmental health, and/or translational research has improved human and/or public health in an area of toxicologic concern. Scientists who are leaders in multidisciplinary team efforts that have contributed to alleviating toxicity-related health problems are particularly attractive candidates. The scientist might have any background (clinicians, basic scientists, epidemiologists, engineers, etc.) but their research findings have had clinical, public health, or translational impact to improve the health of individuals exposed to toxic agents.

Those honored with these awards will be recognized at the SOT Awards Ceremony March 15 and will receive a plaque and cash stipend. As with the scientists who receive the Distinguished Toxicology Scholar and the Merit Awards, the recipients will be invited to present a special lecture at the SOT Annual Meeting. They may also write a review for Toxicological Sciences that relates to the research for which the award was given.

The applications include a letter of nomination and a seconding letter from Full members of the Society, as well as the nominee’s curriculum vitae. The letters should provide specific detail of how the scientific contributions of the nominee relate to the criteria for the award. Award nomination deadline is October 9, 2008.

Access the on-line Award Nomination.

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Kenneth Olden Leaves NIEHS to Head NY-Based School of Public Health

Kenneth Olden

After serving as National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Director Emeritus and Principle Investigator, Kenneth Olden is leaving to help establish a new School of Public Health on the Hunter College campus of the City University of New York (CUNY). It will be the first such program with an urban focus.

The NIEHS announcement of Dr. Olden’s new position noted that "Public health, community-based participatory research, children’s health and environmental justice were strongly emphasized during Dr. Olden’s tenure as NIEHS director from 1991 to 2005." After retiring as director, he continued to pursue his interests in public health while also serving as a principal investigator in the Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis Metastasis Group.

Dr. Olden has been a member of the Society of Toxicology since 1996. He served on the Science Strategy Committee from 2005–2007, which helped to develop SOT Strategic Plan 2008–2011, and on the Awards Committee from 2006–2008. In 2004, he received the SOT Public Communications Award in recognition of his major contribution to broadening the awareness of the general public on toxicological issues. While at NIEHS, he participated in open discussions with SOT Annual Meeting attendees at the yearly "Meet the Directors" session. His knowledge and candor were welcomed and appreciated by scientists at all stages of their careers.

He received his Ph.D. from Temple University in 1970 and completed postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining NIEHS, he held leadership positions at the National Cancer Institute and the Howard University Cancer Center.

Now, Dr. Olden will be focused on opening the School of Public Health at Hunter College by 2010. It is anticipated that the school will offer graduate degree programs and possibly selected undergraduate degree programs with an urban focus in the five core areas of public health—biostatistics, epidemiology, social and behavioral sciences, health care administration and policy, and environmental and occupational health.

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SOT Members are Encouraged to Seek Grant Application Review Through New SIEE SEP

SOT leaders and members worked diligently over a number of years to realize the breakthrough of the establishment of the new Systemic Injury by Environmental Exposure (SIEE) Special Emphasis Panel (SEP) as part of the Digestive Disease Integrated Review Group. This SEP establishes a temporary review body populated by toxicologists to evaluate toxicology grant applications.

For this SIEE to be considered for conversion to a standing Study Section, toxicologists need to request their qualifying grants be assigned to this new SEP. The description of the SEP is available on the Web site and is easily located using the search function on the CSR Web site.

This SIEE SEP reviews applications related to the pharmacological and toxicological mechanisms whereby xenobiotics (including toxicants, alcohol, drugs, biopharmaceuticals, phytochemicals, and other non-drug chemicals) affect distinct organ systems, other than the digestive and nervous systems. Specifically, SIEE reviews applications related to the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, hematopoietic, renal, respiratory/pulmonary, immune, endocrine, and reproductive systems. Other areas included are skin, oral, dental, and craniofacial tissues, pregnancy and development. Applications addressing the effects of xenobiotics at the multi-organ level may also be considered.

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SOT Members Can Officially Join the Ocular Toxicology Specialty Section

The Ocular Toxicology Specialty Section (OTSS) was approved by SOT Council in July 2008 and will be available for SOT members to officially join in conjunction with the payment of 2009 dues. This is the newest of the 22 Specialty Sections that provide a forum for networking with peers who share an interest in your area of toxicology. These disciplinary groups may propose sessions for the Annual Meeting, exchange information via newsletters, present awards, host meetings, and participate in other scientific activities. You must be a member of SOT to join a Specialty Section. The membership dues are $15 for each group, and students and postdoctoral fellows may join their first Specialty Section at no cost.

Toxicologic research and development related to the eye generally fall into two categories: testing of agents for ocular irritation and toxicity, and testing of therapeutics for disease treatment/management. Traditionally, ocular irritation and toxicity assessment has fallen under the purview of the Dermal Specialty Section while testing of therapeutics may have fallen under the purview of the Neurotoxicology, Drug Discovery, or Regulatory and Safety Evaluation Specialty Sections. While ocular irritation research remains important, the progression of drug development for ocular diseases, particularly macular degeneration, has resulted in an increase in testing of ocular therapies. The primary goal of this new Specialty Section is to bring together researchers in academia, government, industry, and the private sector to share and optimize research testing strategies. The input of the charter members will significantly impact determining the best focus of the OTSS. Learn more about SOT Specialty Sections.

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Launch of Mentor Match: New SOT On-Line Mentoring System

NEW SOT Member Benefit!!!!!!!

The Society of Toxicology (SOT) Career Resource and Development (CRAD) Committee is pleased to announce the launch of the on-line Mentor Match program as a new benefit of membership in the Society.

The CRAD Committee has developed a career mentoring site for toxicologists at any stage in their career. The objective of this program is to provide a service that matches mentees with potential mentors from the SOT membership to provide advice on career path selection, professional development, and life/work balance issues. Mentor Match is open to ALL SOT members. Some members may serve as mentors but might also be a mentee as they consider moving into a different specialty or area of employment. SOT recognizes the importance of mentoring in the scientific and professional development of its members.

Mentor Match is accessible from the SOT Web site navigation, under Career Resources. The CRAD Committee requests and strongly encourages members to share their professional knowledge and experience by serving as mentors for other (this is for everyone) toxicologists. Individuals searching for potential mentors are encouraged to register now to help harvest the system with potential matches. For more information, contact Kristy Rand at (703) 438-3115, ext 1429.

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International Collaboration Facilitated

by Michael Denison, 2007 AstraZeneca Traveling Lectureship Award Winner

Michael Denison

Dr. Michael Denison, a Professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology at the University of California, Davis, is the recipient of the 2007 AstraZeneca Traveling Lectureship Award. The following offers an overview of the opportunities provided to him by receiving this award.

The AstraZeneca Traveling Lectureship Award I received was significant in that the funding provided me with the ability to visit numerous European universities and research institutes in order to exchange information and explore potential research collaborations. Without this award, it would literally have taken me years to be able to accomplish what could be done in a matter of weeks. Trying to schedule meetings with specific scientific experts and leading research institutions within a relatively short window of time takes considerable planning and coordination of schedules, and it is simply not possible to incorporate these visits along with other international travel, such as to meetings and conferences. Because this award is not prescriptive, beyond providing funding for North American scientists to further collaborations with international scientists, many aspects of toxicology and its applications can be supported through this funding mechanism.

My research interests are in the area of receptor-mediated mechanisms of action of environmental toxicants, specifically those related to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and other aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists, and their toxic and biological effects, and the development of AhR-based bioassay systems for these widespread toxicants. This award allowed me to meet with European scientists at both universities and research institutes working in this area and to benefit from their perspectives. The European approach to research typically includes a greater emphasis on translational aspects of the research than that in the U.S., frequently to address or inform public understanding as well as regulatory issues or concerns. The research translation aspects of U.S. grants and programs, although, are becoming more important aspects. Because of public pressures, European scientists and regulators appear to be more open to the development and application of new technologies for chemical screening and testing. The lectures, discussions, and visits held at these institutions also provided me with the opportunity to present our most recent findings to well-established European scientists working in these areas, and to receive feedback from them.

From June 9–28, 2008, I traveled to the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. In the United Kingdom, meetings with David R. Bell, Department of Molecular Toxicology at the University of Nottingham, were focused on the AhR mediated molecular mechanisms of action of dioxin and related chemicals. In Germany, discussions and the presentation during the visit with Dr. Dieter Schrenk and his colleagues in the Food Chemistry and Environmental Toxicology Department at the University of Kaiserslautern were directed toward the role of receptors in biological and toxic action of environmental chemicals and the impact of naturally occurring chemicals (receptor ligands) found in food.

The visit to the laboratories of Drs. Ranier Malisch and Johannes Haedrich at the Community Reference Lab for Dioxins and PCBs in the State Institute for Chemical and Veterinary Analysis of Food, Freiburg, predominantly focused on discussions and presentations on novel biological methods for detection of dioxins and related chemicals in foods. This laboratory has been assigned the task of evaluating existing dioxin bioassay methods for adoption of the optimal assays for use by the member states of the European Union.

In the Netherlands, presentations, interactions, and discussions with Dr. Martin van den Berg and his colleagues at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) and World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Research on Environmental Health Risk Assessment, Utrecht University, covered research in the areas of receptor-mediated molecular mechanisms of toxic action of environmental and natural chemicals and the development and application of recombinant bioassay systems for detection and characterization of endocrine disruptor chemicals.

The visit to the laboratory of Dr. Albertinka Murk in the Department of Toxicology at the Agricultural University Wageningen, had a decidedly greater focus on the application of receptor-based bioassays for detection of endocrine disruptor chemicals in the real world environmental samples and in wildlife.

I plan to deliver a lecture at the AstraZeneca’s Alderley Park Facility in the United Kingdom this fall. My lecture will focus on the molecular mechanisms of AhR action and will emphasize our recent results on the structural diversity of AhR ligands, characteristics of AhR ligands that produce toxicity, and our chemical screening studies that have revealed that a large number of current drugs are AhR agonists. This is particularly important for drug development since activation of the AhR pathway is currently viewed as a significantly negative aspect and typically is sufficient to eliminate the chemical from further development. I also will address our results on the structural homology modeling studies we have carried out on the AhR ligand binding domain and its implications in receptor function and ligand binding specificity.

Because of the resources provided by this award, I was able to visit researchers at six institutions during this trip. As a direct result of my visits, we have not only established collaborative research projects with scientists at three of these institutions but also are awaiting the review of a collaborative European Union research grant that we submitted with the University of Utrecht. In addition, we have exchanged research reagents, materials, results, and information with four of the institutions that I visited and are discussing the possibilities of exchange of students and postdocs for collaborative research projects.

I was very pleased to receive this award and appreciated the honor. It was something that has certainly enhanced our current international collaborations.

Access more information about this and other SOT awards.

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SOT Formed Audit Committee

SOT has established an Audit Committee to oversee its financial and business practices. The Audit Committee arose from a recommendation of the Finance Committee as a means of complying with provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that deal with corporate governance. Although Sarbanes-Oxley does not explicitly require non-profit organizations to have this additional layer of oversight, many accounting firms are recommending to their non-profit clients that the law could be interpreted as extending to non-profits. Therefore, in the spirit of good governance, SOT has seated an Audit Committee.

The Committee has a number of responsibilities, including:

1. Annual review of a committee charter, including committee objectives, steps to accomplish the objectives, deliverables, and frequency to achieve the deliverables.
2. Review all policies related to the financial processes and statements/reports of SOT that include, but are not limited to, income, disbursement, and investments of funds. The committee may recommend changes to these processes based on this review.
3. Annually engage an independent audit firm, receive and review the audit report of SOT finances conducted by the independent financial auditing firm.
4. Audit accounting procedures and controls for risk management against policies used by SOT to record income and disbursements.
5. Audit the controls for maintaining financial data including computerized systems, systems for archiving financial data, and routine back-up procedures for protecting the integrity of the data.

Although there is some overlap between the Audit Committee and the Finance Committee, most of the roles are distinct. The principal functions of the Finance Committee are to set financial policy, oversee how funds are collected and used, and advise Council on important financial decisions. The principal function of the Audit Committee is to make sure that the policies are followed.

The Audit Committee will consist of three members of the Society. The chair will be a past-Treasurer of SOT. At least one member of the committee will meet the criteria of being considered “Financial Expert.” At least one member should come from the general membership, a person who has management and/or financial and/or auditing experience. The charter members of the Audit Committee are Jim Bus (Chair), Jeff Charles, and George Daston. SOT President Kenneth S. Ramos is the Council Liaison and Shawn Lamb, SOT Executive Director, is the staff liaison.

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Generous Giving Grows SOT Endowment Fund

by Roger O. McClellan, Chair, SOT Endowment

The generosity of SOT members and others interested in advancing the science of toxicology has resulted in the continued growth of the SOT Endowment Fund. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, the Endowment Fund received contributions of $230,276 from 225 individuals or organizations. During its inaugural year, the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, the Endowment Fund received total contributions of $87,451. In the current fiscal year, which started July 1, 2008, Contributions of over $29,000 have already been received. The contributions to date of over $347,000 exceed the most optimistic expectations made when the Endowment Fund was initiated in early 2007. A major stimulus to gifting to the Endowment Fund has been the availability of SOT Matching Funds so that each dollar contributed by a donor has been matched with a dollar of SOT Funds. The SOT Council approved the use of up to $500,000 as 50th SOT Anniversary Matching Funds so just over $150,000 remains available to match your contributions to the Endowment Fund.

The number of individual Funds within the Endowment has also grown during the past year. The Endowment now includes four General Purpose Funds and 19 Specific Purpose Funds providing donors a wide range of gifting options. The SOT Endowment Fund Board recently approved, and the SOT Council ratified, the creation of seven new Funds.

Perry J. Gehring

One of the new Funds, the Perry J. Gehring Diversity Student Award, traces its origins to generous gifts in early 2007 from Barbara Gehring, the wife of the late Perry J. Gehring, and her children and Joe and Teri LeBeau who desired to honor the memory of Perry J. Gehring. The donors requested that proceeds from the Gehring Fund be used for student awards to advance risk assessment and biological modeling and promote diversity in toxicology. To accomplish these objectives, three separate Funds have been created, the Perry J. Gehring Biological Modeling Student Award Fund, the Perry J. Gehring Risk Assessment Student Award Fund and, now, the Perry J. Gehring Diversity Student Award. Proceeds from the Perry J. Gehring Diversity Student Award Fund will be used to fund one or more awards to be given to students from an ethnic group underrepresented in toxicology (African American, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander) to assist the award recipients in their participation in the Annual Meeting of the Society of Toxicology. The award recipient(s) will be selected based on merit by the Committee on Diversity Initiatives. The late Perry J. Gehring was a major figure in modern toxicology in the late 1900s. He was a leader in the Society of Toxicology, serving as the 1980–1981 President. He was an outstanding scientific manager and builder of scientific organizations. The award will serve to memorialize the legacy of Perry J. Gehring and perpetuate his long-standing interest in assisting disadvantaged individuals to become successful scientists.

Harihara Mehendale	Dharm V. Singh

The Harihara Mehendale Association of Scientists of Indian Origin Student Award was created with an initial generous gift from Harihara and Rekha Mehendale. The Fund is aligned with the Association of Scientists of Indian Origin Special Interest Group (ASIO SIG). This is the second Fund aligned with the ASIO SIG. In early 2008, the Dharm V. Singh ASIO Student Award Fund was created with an initial generous gift from Dharm V. Singh. Proceeds from the Harihara Mehendale ASIO SIG Student Award Fund will be given to encourage graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, who are individuals of Indian origin, to pursue advanced studies in the field of toxicology. Dr. Mehendale has had an outstanding career as a toxicologist and is well known for his role in teaching and mentoring students. Numerous individuals with varied backgrounds, including many individuals of Indian origin, have been introduced to toxicology and advanced in the field under his guidance.

Robert J. Rubin

The Robert J. Rubin Student Travel Award Fund has been established with an initial generous gift from Mark R. Montgomery, one of Professor Rubin’s doctoral students at Johns Hopkins University. It is hoped that the fund will attract additional gifts in the future, especially from other students who benefited from Professor Rubin’s tutelage. The Robert J. Rubin Student Travel Fund proceeds will be used to provide travel awards to one or more graduate students to participate in the SOT Annual Meeting. Recipients of the Rubin Award will be selected by a committee jointly appointed by the leadership of the Mechanisms Specialty Section (SS) and the Risk Assessment SS. The award recipient(s) will be selected based on the scientific quality of the abstract of a presentation that applies mechanistic toxicology to risk assessment. Robert J. Rubin, Professor Emeritus, Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, had a distinguished career in toxicology and an important role in the education of many toxicologists and environmental health scientists. The Robert J. Rubin Student Travel Award will serve to recognize Dr. Rubin’s pioneering role in developing the toxicology graduate program at Johns Hopkins University, his outstanding contributions to applying mechanistic toxicology to risk assessment, and, especially, his strong commitment to facilitating the attendance of students at professional meetings such as those of the Society of Toxicology.

Frank C. Lu	Jean Lu

The Jean Lu Student Scholarship Fund has been created with an initial generous gift from Frank C. Lu in memory of his recently deceased wife, Jean Lu. Proceeds from the Jean Lu Student Scholarship Fund will be used to provide a scholarship for graduate training in toxicology to a Chinese student. The Jean Lu Scholarship Fund recipient will be selected by a committee appointed by the American Association of Chinese in Toxicology (AACT), a SIG of SOT. The scholarship will serve to memorialize the commitment of Jean Lu and her husband, Frank C. Lu, to the training of individuals in the medical sciences. Jean Lu, who was born in China and educated as a medical technologist, passed away in 2008. Frank C. Lu was a founding Member of the SOT and had a distinguished career in toxicology with notable contributions to food safety and authorship of one of the early texts in toxicology used around the world. Dr. Lu made a generous contribution a number of years ago that created the Frank C. Lu Food Safety Student Award. He has continued his generosity with a gift to establish the Jean Lu Fund.

The Health and Environmental Sciences Institute Immunotoxicology Young Investigator Student Award Fund is intended to advance the education and training of young investigators in the field of Immunotoxicology by providing travel stipends to meritorious applicants to assist in their participation in the SOT Annual Meeting. The awardee(s) will be selected by the SOT’s Immunotoxicology SS from applications based on the scientific quality of the applicant’s abstract for a presentation to be given at the SOT Annual Meeting. The Fund was initiated with a generous gift from the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI)—Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI). The HESI Immunotoxicology Committee has recognized the importance of encouraging the education and training of young scientists in the field of immunotoxicology. This committee encouraged the HESI to provide a gift to the SOT Endowment Fund as a means of continuing in perpetuity support for young investigators in immunotoxicology.

All of the funds described above have initial assets of over $25,000 as a result of the generous gifts of the donors and the 50th SOT Anniversary Matching Funds. Thus, these funds are all designated as Permanently Restricted Net Asset Funds and will be continued in perpetuity. Two other funds described below are currently designated as Temporarily Restricted Net Asset Funds because they have initial assets of less than $25,000. When the funds achieve an asset level of $25,000, they will be reclassified as Permanently Restricted Net Asset Funds.

The Young Soo Choi Student Scholarship Award Fund has been created with an initial generous gift from Young Soo Choi. Proceeds from the Young Soo Choi Student Scholarship Fund will be used to provide a scholarship for graduate training in toxicology to a Korean student. The Choi Scholarship Fund recipient will be selected by a committee appointed by the Korean Toxicologists Association in America (KTAA), an SOT SIG. Young Soo Choi, who was born in Korea and received her graduate education in the United States, had a distinguished career as a Toxicologist/Expert Pharmacologist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In creating the new fund, Young Soo Choi wants to assist other individuals to receive graduate training as she did when she came to the United States. Young Soo Choi has indicated a willingness for the fund to be left open to receive contributions from other donors. The goal for the Choi Scholarship Fund is to soon achieve assets of $25,000 or more from contributions and matching funds and be designated as a Permanently Restricted Net Asset Fund so it will be continued in perpetuity. The first scholarship from the fund will not be given until the fund has assets in excess of $25,000.

The Angelo Furgiuele Young Investigator Technology Award is being initiated with an initial generous gift from Angelo and Christine Furgiuele. Proceeds from the fund will be used for an award to be presented to a young investigator in the field of reproductive and developmental toxicology to purchase technological enhancements such as computer hardware, software, or analytical equipment that will facilitate the conduct of research by the award recipient. The award recipient shall be a young investigator working in a non-profit institution, such as a college or university. The award recipient will be selected by the Reproductive and Developmental SS from among applicants based on the anticipated impact of the technology to be acquired on the applicant’s research activities and the advancement of understanding reproductive and developmental effects. The first award from the fund will not be made until $25,000 in total assets has been credited to the fund. Angelo and Christine Furgiuele recognize that the availability of modest funds to purchase key technology for a young investigator in a non-profit institution can significantly increase the potential for the investigator achieving a successful research outcome. Thus, they have initiated this fund as a means of facilitating research in Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, an area that was of interest to Dr. Furgiuele as a young scientist.

The SOT Endowment Fund Board is pleased to acknowledge the generosity of the SOT members and other individuals and organizations that have helped the SOT Endowment Fund. The Board is especially pleased with the diverse nature of the four General Purpose Funds and 19 Specific Purpose Funds that have been created. The diverse nature of these funds is a reflection of the wide range of interests of donors. It is not surprising that most of the funds focus on supporting students who represent the future of the field of toxicology. It is noteworthy that many of the SOT Endowment Funds are linked to the Society’s SS and SIG organizations, grass-roots elements of the SOT.

Prospective donors are encouraged to consider each of the 19 Specific Purpose Funds as a potential template for an SOT Endowment Fund they might wish to personally initiate in the future. A number of funds have been created by individuals and bear the names of the donors. Other funds have been created by a donor to honor or memorialize another individual. The new HESI Immunotoxicology Young Investigator Award Fund represents the first fund created as a result of an organizational gift. It is hoped that in the future other organizations, including corporations, will recognize the value of creating similar specific purpose funds that will aid in advancing the science of toxicology.

The continued growth of the SOT Endowment Fund builds on three principles: (1) individual and organizational donors to the SOT Endowment Fund share with the SOT a commitment to advancing the science of toxicology; (2) the financial generosity of the individual and organizational donors will be appropriately acknowledged; and (3) the donors have entrusted to the SOT the responsibility for ensuring that their contributions are used wisely and in a manner consistent with the intended purpose of their gift.

The continued generosity of SOT members and other donors along with the availability of the 50th SOT Anniversary Match provide the opportunity for the SOT Endowment Fund to soon realize the $1 million level of gifts and matching funds. Please consider making a gift to one of the existing SOT Endowment Funds. It is easy to make your gift by downloading a Donor Contribution Form. Complete the form and return it by mail or fax to SOT Headquarters. If you are interested in exploring the potential for creating a new SOT Endowment Fund, please contact the SOT Endowment Fund Chair, Roger O. McClellan at (505) 296-7083.

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Applications Solicited for the Best Postdoctoral Publication Award

The Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) is recognizing the contributions of SOT postdocs toward the advancement of toxicology through the Best Postdoctoral Publication award. The third set of awards will be given at the 2009 Annual Meeting. The three 2008 recipients were Joshua Gray of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Christie Sayes, DuPont Haskell Laboratory for Health and Environment, and Khristy Thompson, Elizabethtown College, who were presented with a plaque and $100 award at the Postdoctoral Luncheon in Seattle on March 18.

Applications for the 2009 awards will be accepted until October 9, 2008. Eligible papers were published or in press between June 1, 2007, and May 31, 2008, authored by an SOT member or person who has applied for membership who conducted the research during postdoctoral training. The application criteria and process can be accessed on the SOT Web site. The review process follows NIH conflict-of-interest policy and involves both PDA and external reviewers. The PDA would like to encourage all eligible SOT members to apply and mentors to nominate your postdocs for this distinguished award.

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SOT Communications Committee Sets Strategy in Motion

Members of SOT’s newly formed Communications Committee met in late June to talk about the implementation of a communications strategy for SOT, which advocates for the value of toxicology for key external audiences in an effort to help SOT and its members achieve one of the Society’s five strategic priorities. As SOT President Kenneth S. Ramos explained in a recent Communiqué article, “The plan is being used to chart our path toward and to guide our efforts in the areas of scientific achievement, advocacy for the value of toxicology, the future of the professional services to our members, and stability of the organization.” Dr. Ramos went on to say, “As the major Society in the world organized to advance the science of toxicology, we face multiple challenges. Of particular concern to me are the reduced financial resources now available to carry out our mandate, the shrinking pool of students attracted to science careers, the increased emphasis on what pulls the scientific community apart rather than what brings us together. Our ability to overcome these and other challenges demand that we continue to build on our reputation for value and to create nimble structures poised to tackle the challenges of an every changing landscape.”

Given the broad mandate of the newly formed committee, which folds in activities undertaken by the former World Wide Web, K–12 Education, Regulatory Affairs and Legislative Assistance, and Animals in Research Committees, the communications strategy will take some time to fully implement in a comprehensive manner, according to Communications Committee Chair Joan Tarloff. “Our intent is to be strategic and meet our objectives in a measured way for the first year. We have a lot of ground to cover and our planning and implementation needs to be targeted and measurable. Our goal, after all, is to be viewed as the reliable source of information on the science of toxicology. We want to play a more proactive role in defining issues for policymakers and the public to communicate the benefit of toxicology to the general public. To meet these goals requires that we plan carefully, implement strategically, and measure our successes all along the way,” she said.

Preliminary plans for the first year include:

• Focus group session with representatives from a key target audience;
• Design and development of a public Web site;
• Special K–12 event during the 2009 SOT Annual Meeting in Baltimore;
• SOT participation in two Congressional briefings; and
• Branding and revision of printed and electronic promotional material.

As part of the strategy, SOT’s Communications Committee is actively seeking articles and fact sheets from the Specialty Sections, Special Interest Groups, and Regional Chapters to populate an SOT public section on the SOT Web site, which the Committee hopes to launch in time for the 2009 Annual Meeting in Baltimore. The Committee is seeking concisely written fact sheets and articles that address issues that are of concern to the public. All materials are due to SOT headquarters by the end of October. For additional information, please contact Martha Linduaer at SOT Headquarters (703) 438-3115 ext. 1640.

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Funding Opportunities Available on the SOT Web Site

The SOT Web site includes information on funding and grants available in the United States and in other countries. A newly posted funding opportunity is available from the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council of the Americas Foundation. The Foundation has created several prizes to encourage innovation and to reward those individuals and organizations that have promoted research into the area of excipient research and technology. Deadline is September 30, 2008.

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NIH Provides Loan Repayment Program to Help Increase Pipeline of Research Scientists Addressing the Nation's Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is now accepting applications for its extramural Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs), and is letting applicants know through it awareness-raising campaign slogan that "You do the research. NIH will repay your student loans." Each year, some 1,600 research scientists benefit from the more than $70 million NIH invests in their careers through the extramural LRPs. On average, approximately 40 percent of all new LRP applications are funded.

The LRPs repay up to $35,000 of educational loan debt annually for individuals who commit to conducting at least two years of qualified biomedical or behavioral research at a nonprofit institution of their choice. The annual application cycle started September 1 and will continue until December 1, 2008, for the five extramural LRPs: Clinical Research, Pediatric Research, Health Disparities Research, Contraception and Infertility Research, and Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds.

Visit NIH Loan Repayment Programs for more details and to apply.

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CCT Workshop Focuses on Hemangiosarcoma in Rodents: September 24 Abstract Submission Deadline

A Contemporary Concepts in Toxicology (CCT) Workshop, “Hemangiosarcoma in Rodents: Mode-of-Action Evaluation and Human Relevance,” will be held December 4–5, 2008, at the Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel, Arlington, Virginia. The abstract submission deadline is September 24, 2008. This workshop is sponsored by the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) and SOT. This event will provide a unique opportunity for scientific exchange among experts from government, academia, and multiple industry sectors. Visit the Hemangiosarcoma CCT Meeting section for additional information.

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SOT Sponsorship of Non-SOT Meetings—Upcoming Events

To achieve the Society’s objective of increasing the number of scientists in other disciplines who recognize the value of toxicological sciences, as well as expand opportunities for members to exchange information about toxicology, SOT provides sponsorship money to toxicology-related meetings sponsored by other not-for-profit organizations. The upcoming meetings are listed below. Access more information about this funding opportunity.

• 25th International Neurotoxicology Conference, Environmental Etiologies of Neurological Disorders: Scientific, Translational and Policy Implications, October 12–16, 2008, Hyatt Regency, Rochester, New York. For further information visit the Web site.
• The American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners 2008 Continuing Education Program, “Pain Management: Current Perspectives in Pain Recognition and Treatment,” November 8, 2008 (preceeding 2008 National AALAS Meeting), Indianapolis, Indiana. For further information, view the Flyer.
• Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, Creating a Humane and Efficient Approach to Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing, November 12–14, 2008, Reston, Virginia. For more information visit the Web site.
• The Society of Toxicologic Pathology (STP) 2009 Annual Meeting, June 21–25, 2009, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C. For further information visit the Web site.
• The Teratology Society 2009 Annual Meeting, June 27–July 2, 2009, The Westin Rio Mar Beach, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. For further information visit the Web site.

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News of Note from Other Societies

This section features information from the societies of which SOT is a member.

IUTOX Administered AstraZeneca and SOT Fellowships Available to Attend 2009 SOT Annual Meeting

The International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX) announced the availability of four (4) fellowship awards sponsored by AstraZeneca and five (5) fellowships sponsored by the Society of Toxicology to attend the 2009 SOT Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on March 15–19, 2009. The awardees may be either junior or senior scientists from a country where toxicology is underrepresented and have an active research program or currently be active in the field of toxicology. Awards submissions must be received no later than October 10, 2008. For more information, visit the IUTOX Web site and the IUTOX Newsletter.

NABR Files Comments on USDA Proposed Rule Requiring 8-Week Weaning Period before Transporting AWA Covered Species

The National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) has officially filed comments on USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) proposed rule to amend the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations by adding minimum age requirements for the transport of all covered animals in commerce. The NABR “strongly urges the USDA to withdraw this proposal.”

The submission states that: “To adopt the same standards for the majority of animals used in research is not in keeping with the long established and accepted practices of veterinary experts who work in this field. Other federal agencies have recognized that regulations or standards based on uniform age requirements are not always appropriate.” For more information, visit the NABR Web site.

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The Top Five Most-Frequently Cited ToxSci Articles: As of September 1, 2008

Each issue of the Communiqué will highlight the top five articles among the 50 most-cited articles in Toxicological Sciences for the month in which the newsletter is disseminated. Most-cited rankings are calculated at the beginning of the month and count citations from articles in HighWire-hosted journals.

1.	Akiko Enomoto, Ken Itoh, Eiko Nagayoshi, Junko Haruta, Toyoe Kimura, Tania O’Connor, Takanori Harada, Masayuki Yamamoto
		High Sensitivity of Nrf2 Knockout Mice to Acetaminophen Hepatotoxicity Associated with Decreased Expression of ARE-Regulated Drug Metabolizing Enzymes and Antioxidant Genes
		Toxicol Sci Jan 01, 2001; 59: 169–177. (In Systems Toxicology)
2.	Eve Mylchreest, Russell C. Cattley, Paul M. D. Foster
		Male Reproductive Tract Malformations in Rats Following Gestational and Lactational Exposure to Di(n-butyl) Phthalate: An Antiandrogenic Mechanism?
		Toxicol Sci May 01, 1998; 43: 47–60. (In Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology)
3.	Louise G. Parks, Joe S. Ostby, Christy R. Lambright, Barbara D. Abbott, Gary R. Klinefelter, Norman J. Barlow, L. Earl Gray
		The Plasticizer Diethylhexyl Phthalate Induces Malformations by Decreasing Fetal Testosterone Synthesis during Sexual Differentiation in the Male Rat
		Toxicol Sci Dec 01, 2000; 58: 339–349. (In Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology)
4.	Hisham K. Hamadeh, Pierre R. Bushel, Supriya Jayadev, Karla Martin, Olimpia DiSorbo, Stella Sieber, Lee Bennett, Raymond Tennant, Raymond Stoll, J. Carl Barrett, Kerry Blanchard, Richard S. Paules, Cynthia A. Afshari
		Gene Expression Analysis Reveals Chemical-Specific Profiles
		Toxicol Sci Jun 01, 2002; 67: 219–231. (In Molecular and Genetic Toxicology)
5.	L. Earl Gray, Joseph Ostby, Johnathan Furr, Matthew Price, D. N. Rao Veeramachaneni, Louise Parks
		Perinatal Exposure to the Phthalates DEHP, BBP, and DINP, but Not DEP, DMP, or DOTP, Alters Sexual Differentiation of the Male Rat
		Toxicol Sci Dec 01, 2000; 58: 350–365. (In Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology)

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Anne Wolven-Garrett Donates 25th Anniversary Proclamation for Display at SOT Headquarters

March 6, 1986 SOT Day in New Orleans

Anne Wolven-Garrett, the Chair of the 25th SOT Anniversary Committee, has given to SOT Headquarters the Proclamation commemorating Society of Toxicology Day, which was presented to her by then New Orleans Mayor Ernest N. Morial. That proclamation states that “the Mayor of New Orleans has proclaimed this day, March 6, 1986, the Society of Toxicology Day in New Orleans.”

In preparation for the 25th Anniversary Celebration, Ms. Wolven-Garrett asked the office of the mayor for a welcome proclamation. Both she and then SOT President Emil Pfitzer received beautifully framed documents. “It was a wonderful celebration,” said Ms. Wolven-Garrett. “As we move toward the 50th Anniversary of the Society in 2011, I think the SOT should concentrate on communicating the importance of Toxicology to students who have an interest in science and health, to legislators and regulators whose decisions on human and environmental health should be based on science, and to the public who benefit from this discipline.”

Ms. Wolven-Garrett has been a member of the Society since 1970 and has been involved in a wide range of activities, demonstrating her commitment and leadership. In additional to her affiliations with the Southeastern Regional Chapter, she has been a member of several Specialty Sections and committees (Membership, Regulatory Affairs, and Finance), and served as the Society’s Historian and a member of the 40th Anniversary Task Force.

“There are many leadership opportunities in the Society,” she added. “Members should welcome the chance to forward the goals of our great organization.” Moreover, she is enthusiastic about the new mission statement of the SOT: “Creating a Safer and Healthier World by Advancing the Science of Toxicology.” According to her, that is what toxicologists are trained to do.

48th Annual Meeting

Important Deadlines

Abstract Submission—October 3, 2008
Award Nomination—October 9, 2008
Early Bird Registration—January 30, 2009
Housing Reservation—February 6, 2009
Standard Registration—February 20, 2009
Cancellations—February 20, 2009

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Increase Your Participation by Volunteering to Help with SOT Activities

There are many avenues to increase your involvement in the Society by volunteering to help with programs and activities that are of particular interest to you using the Volunteer Form. You can offer your assistance at the 2009 Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland (March 15–19, 2009). For example, you could host an undergraduate student, serve as a toxicology expert during an informal graduate student lunch, promote the Society’s programs and activities at the SOT Resource Pavilion, or serve as a greeter. Moreover, you might be asked to serve on an SOT Committee or Task Force, or work on a project as an ad hoc member since leadership uses these volunteer submissions to review the names of those who want to serve SOT. Learn more about any of the SOT Committees and Task Forces.

If you volunteered last year, know that not every volunteer can be placed where they request. However, please submit a Volunteer Form this year to reaffirm your interest.

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2009 Call for Platform and Poster Chairpersons and Category List

Each year, with assistance from the SOT Specialty Sections and Special Interest Groups, we recruit and select the excellent sessions included in the scientific program for our Annual Meeting. 

As you know, we have begun accepting abstract submissions for platform and poster presentations. At this time we would like to send a special call to our membership to identify chairpersons for these exciting sessions. 

Listed below are the categories in which authors can submit their abstracts.  During the Scientific Program Committee’s review, these broad session topics are broken down into sub-topics related to these categories.  Please consider volunteering to serve as a chairperson for an SOT poster or platform session.  As per SOT policy, there will be two chairpersons per session.  Each chairperson must be an SOT member, and the Co-Chair can be a non-member. 

Please visit the 2009 SOT Annual Meeting Web site to review the Session Chairperson Guidelines.  You may also contact Nichelle Sankey at SOT Headquarters for more information.  In your e-mail, please note which categories are of interest to you.

Also, remember to share your important research findings by submitting an abstract. The deadline to submit an abstract is October 3, 2008 at 11:59 PM (Eastern Daylight Time).

Category List

The categories listed below are used by the Scientific Program Committee to group abstracts focusing on similar subjects as well as for session programming.

Alternatives to Mammalian Models Animal Models Apoptosis Bioinformatics/Computational Toxicology Biological Modeling Biomarkers/Biomonitoring Biotransformation/ Cytochrome P450 Carcinogenesis Cardiovascular System Chemical & Biological Weapons Children's Health/Juvenile Toxicity Developmental Basis of Disease Disposition/ Pharmacokinetics Ecotoxicology Endocrine System Epidemiology/Exposure Assessment Epigenetics

Food Safety/Nutrition Gene Regulation Genetic Polymorphisms Genotoxicity/DNA Repair Hypersensitivity Immunotoxicity Inflammation & Disease Inhalants & Cardiopulmonary Kidney Liver Metals Mixtures Nanotechnology Natural Products Nervous System Neurodegenerative Disease Neurotoxicity, Developmental

Neurotoxicity, Metals Neurotoxicity, Pesticides 'Omics Oxidative Injury and Redox Biology Persistent Organic Chemicals (POPs) Pesticides Pharmaceuticals Receptors Regulation/Policy Reproductive System Risk Assessment Safety Assessment— Non-Pharmaceutical Safety Assessment— Pharmaceutical Signal Transduction Skin Stem Cell Biology and Toxicology Teratology

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The SOT Strategic Plan in Action: Thematic Programming

Currently, plans are underway to finalize the Strategic Priorities (Goals) and Strategic Objectives (Key Metrics) identified by the various SOT committees. Each of the SOT committees will report their findings to the SOT Council of their specific plans including what each committee plans to accomplish as part of its action plan, the progress made to date, a workable timeline of committee activities, and a general statement of how the committee will measure progress toward goals.

All of these measures help ensure that our Society is on a progressive track to remain the preeminent Society dedicated to advancing health through understanding toxicology.

Understanding these priorities enables the Society provide to our Annual Meeting attendees the opportunity to exchange the most recent advances in toxicological sciences through the scientific program. In 2009, the Annual Meeting sessions will highlight 5 scientific themes of topical interest:

• Biomarkers
• Epigenetics
• Inflammation and Disease
• Nanotechnology
• Neurodegenerative Disease

The use of this thematic approach for our Annual Meeting will afford attendees the opportunity to benefit from depth of analysis and reflection on timely topics of relevance to toxicologists and will help position meeting participants to effectively develop strategies for active involvement in these areas.

A specific goal as part of the development of a thematic approach is to actively recruit abstract submissions that will be highlighted in featured platform and poster sessions at the Annual Meeting and that will illustrate the core contributions of toxicology to these areas.

We hope you will present your most recent significant research results at the 2009 SOT Annual Meeting in Baltimore. Additional details on the sessions highlighted under these themes can be found on the Scientific Sessions section of the 2009 Annual Meeting Web site.

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Why Use the Annual Meeting Housing Bureau? It Benefits You and the Society—Now and In the Future!

SOT is committed to assisting you to prepare for the SOT Annual Meeting, and you are encouraged to rely on the services available to you, such as the SOT Housing Bureau reservation system. Below are some of the near-term and long-term reasons to use this system as you plan for the 2009 SOT Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.

Near-Term:

• Ease and convenience of obtaining a room at discounted rate at many premier hotel chains
• Assistance from SOT Meetings Department if you have any difficulties with your room reservation, such as the hotel overbooking or misplacing your reservation

Long-Term:

• Did you know that your choice of hotel for the SOT Annual Meeting has a direct impact on the Society's Strategic Plans? Although we understand that making your reservation outside the SOT block can sometimes be more economical, it decreases the money available to the Society to carry out its long-term goals and may cause the Society to have to pay attrition fees for unutilized rooms.
• If you do not use the Housing Bureau, the Society does not have a reliable usage database to help assess future needs. This information is an important factor in selecting locations that can successfully accommodate meeting attendees.

So, mark your calendars now for the Baltimore Meeting—March 15–19, 2009, select your housing early, and assure that you receive the benefits of first-rate accommodations and convenience realized by using the Housing Bureau.

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ToxExpo™ Exhibit Space Limited—Act Now!

Each year the number of exhibitors at ToxExpo™ continues to grow, and this year is no exception. The ToxExpo™ Exhibit Hall is almost at capacity, and you are encouraged to act soon so you can participate in the 48th Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, March 15–19, 2009. ToxExpo™ is the largest event of its kind, consistently attracting toxicology’s leading scientists, executives, and decision-makers. The SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo™ 2008 drew a record 6,800 attendees to Seattle, and the Baltimore show is shaping up to be even more successful. Attendees know that ToxExpo™ provides them the opportunity to see the latest cutting-edge technology and services available, as well as attend dynamic sessions on new and emerging scientific developments. To become an exhibitor, please visit the ToxExpo™ Web site to secure your booth space TODAY!

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Demonstrate Your Commitment to SOT's Vision—Become a 2009 Annual Meeting Sponsor

The SOT Annual Meeting is the largest scientific meeting of toxicologists in the world, with more than 6,800 attendees. Your sponsorship of this important event will afford your organization maximum visibility in its support of SOT’s vision of “creating a safer and healthier world by advancing the science of toxicology.”

Acknowledgement of group sponsors by their level of sponsorship will be displayed at prominent locations at the SOT Annual Meeting. Moreover, sponsors will be listed in communications related to the meeting such as the Preliminary Program, final Program, the pre- and post-meeting newsletters, ToxExpo™ Directory, and the 2009 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo™ Web sites. The deadline for inclusion in the Preliminary Program is November 1.

Four levels of sponsorship are offered for companies and non-profit organizations, with the higher levels providing greater visibility for your organization. You can choose from the following:

• Diamond (over $10,000)
• Platinum ($5,000–$9,999)
• Gold ($2,500–$4,999)
• Silver ($1,000–$2,499)

If you are interested in SOT Sponsorship, contact Marcia Lawson at SOT Headquarters (703) 438-3115, ext. 1446.

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SOT Undergraduate Education Program Will Recognize 20th Anniversary in Baltimore

SOT is proud of its record as a leader in working for diversity in science and the discipline of toxicology. The upcoming meeting in Baltimore will provide the setting for the 20th special program designed for undergraduates from groups that are underrepresented in the sciences, and the Committee on Diversity Initiatives is planning a special celebration.

2008 recognition of Myrtle Davis (center), Marion Ehrich, and Vicente Santa Cruz

In 1989, Faye Calhoun of NIH and the SOT Education Committee, with Mary Jo Vidicnik as Chair, organized a program for students in the Atlanta area for the 1989 SOT Annual Meeting. A similar program was held in Miami in 1990. Marion Ehrich stepped forward to write a proposal to submit to the NIH Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) program, and since with 1991 Annual Meeting in Dallas, SOT has received NIH funding to provide student travel support to almost every subsequent meeting. This is an incredible funding record! The program was managed first by the Education Committee, and then by the Subcommittee for Diversity Initiatives when it was created in 1995, and which became the Committee on Diversity Initiatives (CDI) in 2005. Numerous SOT toxicologists as either members of these bodies or as ad hoc assistants, have served as organizers, speakers, host mentors, and peer mentors through all these years. Their enthusiastic support and dedication has been vital to the positive impact of the program. Special recognition goes to Marion Ehrich, Myrtle Davis, and José Manautou who have generously served as the Principal Investigators on the NIH-MARC grants. The important support of SOT with funding and staff resources throughout these years made the program possible. Among other supporters are Pfizer, Covance, Johnson & Johnson, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, and Procter & Gamble.

The best measure of the outcome of these efforts is that many of those who participated as undergraduates are now on the membership roles of SOT. Of special note, Vanessa Silva and Adrian Nanez, alums of the program, are currently serving on the Committee for Diversity Initiatives.

Watch for more information about the special activities that CDI is planning for Baltimore.

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Baltimore 2009: Paracelsus Explores Port Discovery

SOT will invite the larger community to participate in the premier toxicology meeting by visiting Port Discovery Children’s Museum in Baltimore on Sunday, March 15. Tentative plans are in development for toxicologists to enrich the museum exhibits with hands-on science activities and other interactive stations where elementary-age children and their families can be engaged in the process of science and learn more about toxicology.

Maureen Gwinn is the Chair for this activity, part of the SOT Communications Committee objectives in their inaugural year. Dr. Gwinn is using experience from science discovery events she has organized for Girl Scout troops the past two years. She will be assisted by a task force of volunteers from the National Capital Area Regional Chapter and other SOT members. Volunteers should contact Betty Eidemiller.

Consider bringing your family to the SOT Annual Meeting for this event. Port Discovery was ranked fourth in the top ten children’s museums in the United States by Child Museum in 2002 and has hosted over 2.4 million area residents and those visiting Baltimore. Port Discovery is near the Inner Harbor and the Convention Center. We anticipate that reduced rate tickets will be available for our participants.

This activity continues the SOT Paracelsus tradition of reaching out to the larger community in the cities hosting the SOT Annual Meeting. Through the years, SOT has organized a series of 10 teacher workshops to encourage the use of toxicology-related curriculum materials, provided public lectures, hosted another museum event, and conducted programs for students as part of increasing the impact of toxicology and creating a safer and healthier world.

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Call for Materials for New Toxicology History Room at 2009 SOT Conference in Baltimore

by Phil Wexler and Steven G. Gilbert, History Room Coordinators

For the first time ever, the 2009 SOT Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, will feature a Toxicology History Room (THR). The exhibit will showcase documents and other printed matter, artifacts, memorabilia, and digital displays that highlight the historical importance and societal impact of toxicology, and the history of SOT. The goal of the history room is to stimulate the interest of the SOT membership and other meeting attendees in the scientific discipline of toxicology, according to the lead coordinators, Steven G. Gilbert and Phil Wexler. The exhibit would serve as a model for the SOT 50th Anniversary celebration in 2011.

SOT is collaborating with several Baltimore-Washington institutions, such as the National Library of Medicine and the National Museum of Health and Science to construct displays based partially upon facsimiles of their holdings, and Drs. Wexler and Gilbert are trying to arrange for a guest speaker or two to speak on topics related to toxicology history. A THR Task Force, spearheaded by SOT members Steve G. Gilbert and Phil Wexler is being assembled.

One component of the THR will consist of materials provided by the SOT membership. Drs. Wexler and Gilbert are asking SOT members to see if any SOT members have any items of potential historical relevance, be they 19th-century medication vials for questionable nostrums, labels for containers of long banned pesticides, lead based paint, public health posters encouraging or decrying smoking, letters or photos or sketches of prominent researchers, obsolete analytical instrumentation parts (small, please), or other items of historical interest. They are particularly interested in historical material related to the founding of SOT, such as pictures, memorabilia, or related documents. Please contact Phil Wexler or Steve G. Gilbert with a description and, if possible, photo of the item, and indicate whether you would be willing to donate this for permanent use, or just loan it to the 2009 THR. Materials need not be limited to those originating in the U.S.

Members will be asked to evaluate the THR to help assess its usefulness, impact, future direction, and general interest. This activity aligns closely with a number of elements of SOT's strategic plan, particularly related to communications. Wexler and Gilbert envision the THR as not only of interest to SOT members but also as a way to engage students and the general public. Consideration will also be given to developing a history section on SOT's Web site, to make historical information more widely available on a permanent basis. The THR in Baltimore will be SOT's first step in focusing on the rich and fascinating history of toxicology through the ages.

Please help make the THR a success by contributing materials and ideas. SOT Members are asked to submit ideas for materials to the coordinators by October 15.

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SOT Facilitates and Promotes Ancillary Events at Annual Meeting

The SOT Annual Meeting is the premiere meeting place for toxicologists throughout the world and provides an ideal venue for groups planning to hold ancillary events. These ancillary functions may be hosted by SOT Affiliates, exhibitors, or organizations affiliated with SOT. Hospitality suites and ancillary meeting spaces book fast. Forms should be returned as soon as possible to ensure that information about your event will be published in the SOT Program. All requests for hospitality suites and ancillary meetings must be approved by SOT Headquarters. To reserve a meeting room, please complete an Ancillary Meeting Space Request Form.

Without SOT approval, the hotels are not permitted to book meeting space. Please note that hospitality functions or ancillary meetings may NOT be scheduled during the following SOT events:

	Sun., March 15	Mon., March 16	Tues., March 17	Wed., March 18	Thurs., March 19
8:15 AM–12:00 NOON	CE Courses
1:15 PM–5:00 PM	CE Courses
5:00 PM–7:30 PM	Awards Ceremony & Welcome Reception
8:00 AM–9:30 AM		Plenary Lecture
9:30 AM–12:15 PM		Scientific Sessions
1:30 PM–4:15 PM		Scientific Sessions	Scientific Sessions	Scientific Sessions	Scientific Sessions
9:00 AM–11:45 AM			Scientific Sessions	Scientific Sessions	Scientific Sessions
4:30 PM–6:00 PM			Annual Business Meeting

Once the function has been approved, SOT will send confirmation that your information was received. Your request will be forwarded to the hotel of your choice, and the hotel will contact you for your meeting requirements.

Regular Features

Member News

Help Us Get the Word Out

The June Issue of Science Careers on-line features an insightful article about career opportunities in the toxicology field entitled “Opportunities Abound in Toxicology.” The article charts the course of an undergraduate student through graduate school to her career as a toxicologist in a laboratory in Richland, Washington. The author points out that during this student’s five years out of school, she “toured several major subfields of toxicology.”

The Science piece highlights a series of statistics about the workforce in the United States and abroad and explores future opportunities for a workforce that is facing an aging population and potential workforce shortages. He goes on to describe some of the training efforts being made in the United States and concludes his article by discussing the ways that students can enter the field of toxicology.

We need to send this valuable information out to university toxicology departments everywhere and we need to share this information with career resource Web sites. As SOT President Kenneth S. Ramos explains, “As the major Society in the world organized to advance the science of toxicology, we face multiple challenges. Our ability to overcome these and other challenges demands that we continue to build on our reputation for value.”

Please take the time to send this to someone who might help SOT. We’re on a mission to build for the future of toxicology.

Dedicated Volunteers Spearheaded Development of High-Quality CE Courses at Annual Meeting

The Continuing Education (CE) Committee would like to extend its appreciation and thanks to everyone who participated in the 2008 Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington this year. Registration for our courses exceeded 2,649 for the 12 courses that were offered!

The high number of registrants reflected the interesting and varied course offerings, and the hard work and efforts put in by the Speakers, Course Chairs, and CE Committee Course Liaisons. The CE Committee would like to thank the Course Chairs and the Speakers, who generously contributed their time in organizing the courses and preparing presentations and course handouts.

Special thanks goes to our dedicated graduate students, listed below, whose participation and assistance were important in helping to keep the courses running smoothly, and SOT Staff members who quietly took care of the myriad details involved in planning and executing this program.

The high-quality educational courses that are presented at the Annual Meetings come directly from our members. The CE Committee appreciates new and interesting ideas for courses from them.

Thanks again to everyone who helped make this year's program a success.

2008 CE Student Volunteers

Kelly Brant	Christina Hickey
Kylee Eblin	Marissa Papaccioli
Heather Floyd	Rick Salisbury
Enrique Fuentes-Mattei	Gi Soo Kang
Aaron Fullerton	Melanie Weed
Patricia Gillespie	Kristina Wolf
Mitzi Glover	Zhaobao Yin

Education Committee Encourages You to Join in Promoting Toxicology

Submitted by SOT Education Committee Chair Steve Gilbert

Undergraduates shown participating in 2008 SOT Annual Meeting

In many ways, toxicology represents the intersection of science and policy as we address issues of human and environmental health. The SOT Education Committee is working to develop new approaches to reach out to the public to provide greater access to scientific information on the health effects of chemicals. As an elected committee, we are mandated to serve SOT members by concerning “itself with ways in which the Society can advance and promulgate education in toxicology.” The new SOT Strategic Plan has a section “Build for the Future of Toxicology” which encompasses many of the priorities of the Education Committee, which is soliciting input and suggestions regarding toxicology education.

Understanding the principles of toxicology could not be more important as society grapples with our use of and exposure to chemicals and drugs. A recent article in Science on-line “Opportunities Abound in Toxicology” (by Brian Vastag, June 20, 2008) provided an excellent description of the many areas that require toxicologists. The Education Committee supports a number of activities to encourage education.

The Toxicology Scholars Program has funds available for toxicologists to visit undergraduate institutions to expand awareness of toxicology and promote toxicology careers through interaction of toxicologists with undergraduate students. Proposal deadlines are January 1, May 1, and September 1. This program, also supported by the Committee on Diversity Initiatives, was started in 2006 and has reached out to a wide range of undergraduates at colleges and universities. A full list is available on the Web site. We encourage you to visit a local school to talk with undergraduates and faculty about toxicology. There is also an Introduction to Toxicology slide set available to facilitate a basic talk on toxicology.

The Education Committee is encouraging activities to promote communication among faculty teaching undergraduate toxicology. We have established an SOT Forum topic for Undergraduate Faculty and created a post. We welcome the participation of anyone involved in undergraduate toxicology instruction. Please log in to the SOT Web site and select the “Forum” menu link from the left to see the message. Please take advantage of this mechanism to share information, questions, and resources with other undergraduate toxicology faculty.

To foster interest in toxicology and encourage participation by undergraduate students, the Pfizer Undergraduate Travel Award provides funding to attend the SOT meeting. Undergraduate students who have submitted abstracts for presentation at the meeting can apply for this award. Up to five awardees each year receive travel support, registration for the Undergraduate Program, and special recognition from Pfizer. Please encourage undergraduates to visit the Resources For Undergraduate Section to submit abstracts and apply for this award.

SOT, in collaboration with the National Library of Medicine (NLM), is developing a series of modules called ToxLearn. The first module is completed and the next two are in production. We encourage you to review and take advantage of this material.

A new initiative, in the early stages of development, is establishing a Toxicology History Room that would showcase the history of SOT as well as historical highlights of toxicology from ancient to modern times. We welcome your input and ideas as we work to expand toxicology education.

(See Call for Materials for New Toxicology History Room article)

SOT Seeks Hosts for the 20th Undergraduate Student Program

Do you want to help recruit excellent students to research careers in toxicology and be part of a special celebration?

Mentors help build for the future of toxicology

If you answer yes, we have opportunities for you at the 2009 Annual Meeting in Baltimore. You can serve as a Host for a group of undergraduate students and their advisors. This is a very extraordinary year! The Committee for Diversity Initiatives (CDI) is planning special activities for the 2009 Undergraduate Program as we celebrate the twenty years of sustained SOT activity to promote training and diversity in toxicology. About 45 undergraduate students will be selected to attend the program, some from groups that are underrepresented in the sciences and others from institutions that receive low levels of federal science funding. The success of this activity depends not only on the excellent speakers, but also the Hosts and graduate student Peer Mentors who participate with the students. The Hosts and Peer Mentors arrive Saturday, March 14, 2009, and meet their groups during the evening reception. Each group includes one or more toxicologist Host(s), a Peer Mentor (who is in graduate school), an advisor from an undergraduate institution, and four or five students. During the two-day program, the groups will investigate the field of toxicology, interact with poster presenters, learn about toxicology as a career, and explore options for graduate school. Hosts meet at various times with students from Saturday evening through 1:00 PM Monday to put the students at ease, discuss what a career as a scientist is like, answer questions, help students find the rooms for their sessions, review posters, and visit the exhibit hall and scientific sessions together. This is a rewarding opportunity to mentor students. To volunteer as a host or peer mentor, please contact CDI member Adrian Nanez or Betty Eidemiller at SOT Headquarters.

Update from the Student Advisory Council: Ways for Graduate Students to Become More Involved in SOT

It has been one year since the reorganization of the Student Advisory Committee into the Student Advisory Council (SAC), an oversight body for both the Regional Chapter Graduate Committee (RC-GC) and the Specialty Section Graduate Committee (SS-GC). The current members of the SAC are Thomas Kannanayakal, President, Kristina DeSmet, Secretary-Treasurer, Erica Sparkenbaugh, Melanie Weed, Sheppard Martin, and Daniel Hochman.

To date, the SAC has been very successful in its attempts to create better lines of communication between the two committees to promote student involvement at the national and regional level of SOT. Upcoming projects for the SAC include the update of the Specialty Section Communication, the fall SOTudent newsletter, which will be released in early October, and a revised Student Planner for the national SOT meeting. Keep your eyes open for these three publications.

The SAC partners with other committees within SOT to promote student involvement. There are many options for graduate students to become active members of SOT. The first way would be to become a member of a Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, and/or Special Interest Group. Student members may join one Regional Chapter, Specialty Section, and Special Interest Group for free. Membership in these groups provides a great way to network within your geographical area, professional interest, or with scientists who have a common ethnicity, country of origin, or gender. Another way to get involved is by volunteering. There are many programs at the national SOT Annual Meeting where graduate student volunteers are needed. Some of these include the Sunday Continuing Education courses, K-12 activities, undergraduate programs, and the SOT Resource Pavilion.

The SOT on-line mentoring program, Mentor Match, is now open to all SOT members and should be of particular interest and importance to graduate students. This is a great way to network and receive advice from professionals about careers in toxicology.

Finally, do not forget that the deadline for abstracts for the national SOT Annual Meeting in Baltimore is October 3, 2008, and the deadline for student awards is October 9, 2008.
If you are not currently a member of SOT, complete your application now to be eligible for student awards and the reduced registration for the Annual Meeting.

Roger O. McClellan Receives WSU's Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award

Roger O. McClellan

Roger O. McClellan, SOT Past President and Chair, Endowment Fund Board, was selected as the 2008 recipient of Washington State University’s (WSU) Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award. WSU President Elson S. Floyd stated that Dr. McClellan’s extraordinary career in aerosol science and inhalation toxicology has been recognized not only through the honors and awards received, but also by colleagues worldwide, international organizations and federal agencies, scientific institutes and societies. "We admire and value your exceptional research accomplishments, outstanding leadership, vision, and personal commitment to the public good,” noted Dr. Floyd. “We are proud to list you as one of the University’s most respected graduates."

William Greenlee Elected Fellow of AAAS

William Greenlee, President of The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, and SOT Past President, was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2007. The AAAS Council elected 471 members as Fellows of AAAS and these individuals were recognized for their contributions to science and technology at the Fellows Forum during the 2008 AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston. The new Fellows received a certificate and a blue and gold rosette as a symbol of their distinguished accomplishments.

SOT Members Receive ATS Designation

Seven SOT Members were certified as Fellows of The Academy of Toxicological Sciences in the Spring of 2008.  The new Fellows include Daniel Acosta, Matthew Bogdanffy, Scott Burchiel, Ramesh Gupta, John Lipscomb, Peter Valberg, and Raymond York.

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In Memoriam

In Memoriam Kazuo Sazuki

 

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Watching Washington

Presidential Candidates McCain and Obama Respond to Questions Proposed by Scientific Community

A large and diverse number of scientific organizations agreed on and posed 14 high-priority questions to Presidential nominees Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. Their answers to those questions, in a side-by-side format, can be read by going to the Science Debate 2008 Web site.

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Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, and Special Interest Groups

SOT Speakers Bureau Available For Regional Chapter Presentations

The Speakers Bureau is comprised of SOT members, who are found to have made a particularly outstanding presentation during a Continuing Education Course. The Speakers are nominated by the Continuing Education Committee (CE)—based upon course evaluations– and they have agreed to participate in the Bureau for two years.

The purpose of the Speakers Bureau is to recognize those presenters and to provide SOT members with a list of specialized and talented individuals, who are willing to speak at SOT Regional Chapter Meetings.

The CE Committee encourages Regional Chapters to request a presenter from the 2008 Speakers’ Bureau list to highlight their meetings with the presence of these dynamic Speakers.

The funding to cover the speaker's costs is provided by SOT, but because they are limited, they are allocated as requests are received. So, it is important to put your request in early. Please contact Marcia Lawson for more information and to submit your request.

Regional Chapter Meetings List Helps Publicize Your Meetings

In an effort to help Regional Chapters promote their meetings, we would like to re-introduce the Regional Chapter Meetings listing.

This Web listing, accessible through the SOT Meetings page, can display RC meeting information for SOT Members and Non-Members. Simply send your meeting information to Allison Branco Maxwell for posting or for any additional assistance to publicize your Regional Chapter event.

TRAC 08 OVSOT Student Abstract Competition Held

The Ohio Valley Regional Chapter of the SOT (OVSOT) sponsored a student abstract competition for the poster session held at the 2008 Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference (TRAC 08) April 14–17, 2008, at the Cincinnati Marriott North, West Chester, Ohio. The winner was Rick Salisbury, who received a check at the poster session that covered the registration fee for the conference. Mr. Salisbury is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology at Wright State University under the guidance of Courtney Sulentic.

South Central Chapter Engages in Activities Geared to the Next Generation of Scientists

The activities described below were held in 2007 and this chapter has received funding for outreach activities in 2008.

SOT Special Awards Presented at Regional & State Science Fairs
The South Central Regional Chapter presented Special SOT Awards at regional and state science fairs in three states—Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. The Chapter recruited members from various regions across the three states to coordinate poster judging and award presentations. These members were provided with two checks, one for $100 (for first place winners) and one for $50 (for second place winners), as well as two plaques, for the respective award winners. Also included were packets for each student that contained a congratulatory letter from then SCC President Tammy Dugas, as well as the SOT membership and career brochures.

The SCC coordinators either judged posters at area science fairs themselves or recruited volunteers. The judging utilized the usual criteria, but included only those with an emphasis on toxicological science. In some cases the information packets and awards were provided to science fair staff for presentation at an awards ceremony held later in the week. In other cases, the coordinators were in attendance to present the awards themselves. The chapter received affirmation that these awards were taken seriously by the students. A letter was received by SCC President Tammy Dugas thanking the Chapter for the SOT Special Award. The student emphasized in the letter that the award encouraged him to continue research in the area.

Kristie Willet with Donna Franklin of the University of Mississippi

Undergraduate Program for the Annual South Central Chapter Meeting
The South Central Chapter requested and received funds from the SOT Council Subcommittee on Regional Chapter Funding to cover travel costs of undergraduate students from this region to attend the 2007 South Central Chapter meeting at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. In previous years, few to no undergraduate students attended the chapter meeting, as they were limited by both the availability of funds and lack of participation of their mentors from their respective institutions. Six students from five universities presented posters at the Chapter meeting. The posters were judged by two SCC members, and one award in the amount of $100 was presented to the winner of this competition. Similar activities are planned for 2008 as financial resources have been approved by the SOT subcommittee.

Mixtures Specialty Section Teleseminar was Spectacular Success

The SOT Mixtures Specialty Section held a teleseminar on June 13, 2008, titled, “Progress made by the European NoMiracle Project: NOvel Methods for Integrated Risk Assessment of CumuLative Stressors in Europe.” NoMiracle is a European scientific effort to develop and harmonize mixture ecological and human risk assessment tools for exposure to multiple stressors (chemical mixtures). The content in the seminar was of potential interest to toxicologists and risk assessors involved in risk assessment for chemical mixtures both at the level of human health and ecosystem.

This teleseminar was organized by Mixtures SS member Sami Haddad, who is a professor at the University of Québec in Montreal. The presentation was delivered from the United Kingdom by David Spurgeon from NERC, Center for Ecology and Hydrology.

A total of 65 locations phoned in and approximately 100 participants were on the call. View the PowerPoint presentation prepared by Dr. Spurgeon posted on the Mixtures SS Web site.

Funds are available from the Society of Toxicology for six teleseminars a year, on a first-come, first-served basis. Specialty Sections are encouraged to apply.

Association of Scientists of Indian Origin Special Interest Group Forwards Its Key Objectives

Submitted by Brinda Mahadevan, ASIO-SOT-SIG member

Introduction

In 2006, SOT Council considered a proposal to support the organizing efforts of SOT members of Indian origin in establishing a new Special Interest Group (SIG). The Association of Scientists of Indian Origin (ASIO) officially came into existence in 2007, under the leadership of Madhu Soni, as an SOT SIG that promotes fellowship among scientists of Indian origin living in North America. ASIO now acts as a scientific and educational group that establishes open channels of communication among all scientists. It honors and recognizes senior scientists who have made an impact in science as well as provides awards to outstanding postdoctoral fellows and graduate students for their research. The mission of ASIO SOT SIG is to enhance collegiality, fellowship, networking, and professional development of all associated with and engaged in the active learning and practice of toxicology. The members meet every year at the SOT Annual Meeting and/or otherwise keep in contact with each other through networking and newsletters in order to facilitate and augment professional development individually and collectively.

News update on ASIO as an SOT SIG

• ASIO as a recognized SOT SIG now consists of a group of individuals involved in creating a self-sustained SIG with a diversified financial base that complements with the work of SOT.
• Recently, a dedicated ASIO SOT Web site was created and we encourage you to visit to gain more information on the activities of the SIG.
• ASIO SOT Endowment Funds were instituted with contributions from Dr. Dharm V. Singh, Dr. Harihara M. Mehendale, and generous contributions from several members of the ASIO with a matching contribution from SOT. ASIO is the front runner among the SIG in instituting these Endowment Funds. The proceedings from these endowments will be used for providing travel awards to graduate students/postdoctoral fellows to attend the SOT Annual Meeting.

If you would like to contribute, visit the SOT Endowment Section dedicated to the ASIO Funds. Your contribution is tax deductible and may also be matched by the SOT.

• A proposal titled “A Quarter of a Century (1984–2009) Since the Bhopal Disaster: Lessons Learned (chaired by Brinda Mahadevan, Schering-Plough Research Institute and Madhu Soni, Soni & Associates Inc.), sponsored by ASIO has been accepted for a historical highlight session at the 2009 SOT Annual Meeting in Baltimore.
• ASIO is seeking to increase the student and postdoctoral members of this SIG, as it is committed to provide forums for networking, education, and recognition of achievement to its members. Membership in one SIG is free for students and postdoctoral researchers. We therefore request you join ASIO or renew your membership.

RC-SS-SIG Leadership Meeting Promotes Synergistic Planning and Opportunities for Collaboration

Representatives from the leadership of the Regional Chapters (RC), Specialty Sections (SS), and Special Interest Groups (SIG) met in Reston, Virginia on July 24 and 25. This yearly leadership meeting was initiated in 2005 to provide an opportunity for face-to-face meetings to exchange ideas and concerns that will help move forward the objectives of these groups. The most recent meeting was, in part, dedicated to gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of the SOT Strategic Plan 2008–2011 and how the activities of the RC, SS, and SIG should align with the goals of the Society.

The attendees received an overview of SOT’s Strategic Plan from SOT President Kenneth S. Ramos. He encouraged these officers to select one or two elements of the plan to champion and to develop activities directed to specific areas of interest (e.g., advocating the value of toxicology, building for the future of toxicology). SOT Vice President and Chairperson of the Scientific Program Committee Cheryl Lyn Walker updated the participants on the activities of this committee and engaged in a discussion of the Thematic Approach to programming. The attendees provided unanimous support for this approach that facilitates the presentation of the “impact of toxicology on human health and disease prevention.”

SOT Council Liaisons to the respective groups, Kim Boekelheide (SS), Lawrence R. Curtis (RC), and William Slikker, Jr. (SIG) thanked the attendees for their dedication and commitment to the Society and highlighted funding and outreach mechanisms that would help maximize their efforts. Janice Chambers, member of SOT Communications Committee, provided an update on this newly formed committee and encouraged these officials to develop articles for the SOT Web site appropriate for the media as well as students interested in the sciences, regulators and legislators, and the general public.

“The Role of RC-SS-SIGs in Implementing the Strategic Plan—Ahead of the Curve” was presented to the attendees by SOT Vice President-elect and Co-Chairperson of the Scientific Program Committee Michael Holsapple. In his remarks, he thanked these groups for their great accomplishments in advancing the science and recognition of the relevance of toxicology to human and environmental health. Moreover, he noted that these groups have been particularly effective at building for the future of toxicology by providing awards and leadership opportunities for the next generation of toxicologists—two high priority areas highlighted in the Society’s Strategic Plan. Dr. Holsapple’s remarks also served as an introduction to the breakout sessions held on the evening of July 24 and the morning of the 25.

Participants from these groups expressed their agreement that the high priority initiatives the Society should address include the following:

• Global outreach and international participation;
• Mutually beneficial strategic alliances and partnerships;
• Human health and disease prevention focus—emphasizing relevance of toxicology;
• Cross communication and collaboration between and among all groups represented; and
• Professional development and mentoring opportunities.

Regional Chapter representatives included Annabelle F. Javier (Allegheny-Erie), Hartmut Jaeschke (Central States), Bhagavatula Moorthy (Gulf Coast), Brad L. Upham (Michigan), Judy T. Zelikoff (Mid-Atlantic), Walter C. Prozialeck (Midwest), Vasilis Vasiliou (Mountain West), Suzanne Compton Fitzpatrick (National Capital), Jessica E. Sutherland (Northeast), Stephen M. DiZio (Northern California), Laura E. Solem (Northland), Amy L. Roe (Ohio Valley), Robert L. Tanguay (Pacific Northwest), Kristine L. Willett (South Central), and Hasam S. Younis (Southern California).

Specialty Section representatives included Robert S. DeWoskin (Biological Modeling), Charlene McQueen and Barbara Shane (Carcinogenesis), Kathleen Gabrielson (Comparison and Veterinary), George DeGeorge and William Gerald Reifenrath (Dermal), Mara Seeley (Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues), Craig Llewellyn (Food Safety), Jeanine L. Bussiere (Immunotoxicology), John W. Davis, II and Kyle L. Kolaja (Drug Discovery Toxicology), Lois D. Lehman-McKeeman and José E. Manautou (Mechanisms), Michael F. Hughes (Metals), Janice E. Chambers (Mixtures), Christopher A. Reilly (Molecular Biology), David B. Warheit (Nanotoxicology), Stephen M. Lasley and Susan L. Schantz (Neurotoxicology), Angela J. Harris and Eileen P. Hayes (Occupational and Public Health), Margaret C. Willis (Ocular Toxicology), Frank D. Sistare (Regulatory and Safety Evaluation), Alan Hoberman and Mark E. Hurtt (Reproductive and Developmental), Elaine Faustman (Risk Assessment), and Charles W. Qualls, Jr. (Toxicologic and Exploratory Pathology).

Special Interest Group representatives included Jean Yang (American Association of Chinese in Toxicology), Gopala Krishna (Association of Scientists of Indian Origin), Braulio D. Jimenez-Velez (Hispanic Organization for Toxicologists), Woon-Gye Chung (Korean Toxicologists Association in America), Bernard K. Gadagbui (Toxicologists of African Origin), and Stacie L. Wild (Women in Toxicology).

A number of volunteers have offered to help structure the Presidents and Officers Meetings held in conjunction with the SOT Annual Meeting as well as the RC-SS-SIG Leadership Meeting to be held in the summer of 2009.

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Career Resource and Development Services:

Job Bank: Career Resource and Development Service On-Line

Mentor Match: The SOT Members' On-Line Mentoring Program