2024 SOT Award Recipients

Honorary Membership

J. Timothy Greenamyre, MD, PhD

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

SOT recognizes nonmembers who embody outstanding and sustained achievements in the field of toxicology and/or allied disciplines with Honorary membership.

SOT is pleased to bestow Honorary membership to J. Timothy (Tim) Greenamyre, MD, PhD, in recognition of his paradigm-shifting research, developing the rotenone model of Parkinson’s disease, which provided the first proof-of-concept that systemic mitochondrial impairment could cause highly selective neurodegeneration. In addition to his research that has had profound impacts on the field of neurotoxicology, Dr. Greenamyre’s mentorship and service to the scientific community has helped advance the science and increase the impact of toxicology.

Dr. Greenamyre received his MD and PhD in neuroscience from the University of Michigan in 1986 and has become an internationally recognized researcher into the causes and novel treatments of neurodegenerative diseases. Conducting research as an assistant and associate professor at the University of Rochester and Emory University, Dr. Greenamyre arrived at the University of Pittsburgh in 2005, where he is currently the Love Family Professor and Vice-Chair of Neurology. In addition to his research, he also is the Chief, Movement Disorders Division and Director, Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Dr. Greenamyre’s rotenone model of Parkinson’s disease resulted in a paradigm shift, where prior neurotoxicology studies primarily focused on selective toxicant accumulation in dopaminergic neurons as a primary mechanism of toxicity. The rotenone model showed that a toxin capable of accumulating in virtually all cells could produce selective dopaminergic neurotoxicity due to inherent dopaminergic neurobiology (sensitivity to mitochondrial oxidative stress). Dr. Greenamyre’s work with the rotenone and many other models has resulted in extensive advances in the understanding of the primary biochemical pathways involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases. Moreover, his work has prompted epidemiological studies, which have translationally linked basic and clinical studies resulting in the identification of possible biomarkers of disease/progression and potential new therapeutic pathways.

As a mentor, Dr. Greenamyre has trained many scientists who have gone on to advance the field of neurotoxicology, providing insight to trainees that has in-turn fueled successful research careers in toxicology. As an example, 3 of his trainees have received an NIEHS K99 Grant, covering work important to the field of neurotoxicology, and 6 others have received K08 awards. Dr. Greenamyre was the Editor-in-Chief for Neurobiology of Disease for 17 years and is currently a Reviewing Editor for Science Translational Medicine. His research has been recognized by the Langston Award from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the Jacob Hooisma Keynote Lecture presented to the International Neurotoxicology Association and most recently, by the Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson’s Research. He is a member of the NIEHS National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council (NAEHSC).

Achievement Award

Phoebe Stapleton, PhD

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ

This award recognizes an SOT member who has made significant contributions to toxicology within 15 years of obtaining the highest earned degree.

For her development of innovative and technically challenging research methodologies focused on the effects of environmental exposures to nanomaterials on uterine and placental microvascular functioning, Phoebe Stapleton, PhD, has received the 2024 SOT Achievement Award.

After earning her PhD from the West Virginia University School of Medicine, Dr. Stapleton began her academic career as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at West Virginia University, expanding her research platform toward the study of how air pollution, especially nanoparticles, may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Her exceptionally enthusiastic and insightful approach to her toxicological research has earned her a series prestigious grants and faculty appointments, including an NIEHS K99 Pathway to Independence Award and an Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award, along with appointments as an Assistant Professor (tenure track) and Associate Professor (with tenure) in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Dr. Stapleton is a leader in the field of reproductive toxicology, with a unique focus on xenobiotic exposure to nanoparticles and microplastics during pregnancy and the possible adverse effects on maternal, fetal, and offspring health. As an author, invited speaker, and scientific collaborator, Dr. Stapleton’s research and leadership is highly sought and is evident in her numerous publications, book chapters, invited lectures, and awards. Dr. Stapleton’s scientific observations have greatly expanded the understanding of the reproductive effects of xenobiotic exposure and promises to push the forefront of the field for years to come.

A member of SOT since 2011, Dr. Stapleton has an extensive history of service to the Society. She has served in the Presidential Chain for the Allegheny-Erie Regional Chapter and Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Specialty Section, as well as Councilor for the Women in Toxicology Special Interest Group, the Cardiovascular Specialty Section, and the Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Specialty Section. Dr. Stapleton has received numerous achievement and young investigator awards from different Special Interest Groups and Specialty Sections.

Dr. Stapleton has taken an active role in mentoring the next generation of toxicologists through the Rutgers Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology and Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships. Many of her laboratory’s core members are from backgrounds underrepresented in the sciences, further highlighting her scientific impact and leadership in the field of toxicology.

Arnold J. Lehman Award

Scott S. Auerbach, PhD, DABT

NIEHS/NTP, Research Triangle Park, NC

Named after one of the SOT founders, this award recognizes an SOT member who has made a major contribution to risk assessment and/or the regulation of chemical agents, including pharmaceuticals. The contribution may have resulted from the application of sound scientific principles to regulation and/or from research activities that have significantly influenced the regulatory process.

For exemplifying the team science approach in generating genomics-based data that help inform risk assessment and regulatory decisions that impact public health, Scott Auerbach, PhD, DABT, is the 2024 recipient of the SOT Arnold J. Lehman Award.

Dr. Auerbach’s collaborative work in the omics field has been instrumental in building assurance in its integration with chemical hazard characterization and risk assessment processes. He has led numerous workshops and developed various guidance papers aimed at improving the evaluation of chemical-induced genomic responses, leveraging these data to derive benchmark doses that inform overall chemical risk assessments. To promote the use of genomic technology in toxicological assessment, Dr. Auerbach’s team has made sizable amounts of integrated toxicogenomics data publicly available, much of which has seen extensive reuse by the toxicology community. In addition, he has developed user-friendly, open-source software for genomic data analysis. As a result of extensive collaborations with government and industry organizations over the years, these frameworks are gaining regulatory acceptance and acknowledgement worldwide.

As the application of genomics and other high-throughput technologies has evolved, Dr. Auerbach has been at the forefront of employing a variety of novel analytical approaches. These approaches integrate several data streams—including high-throughput screening, high-throughput transcriptomics, and chemical structure—into the assessment of test articles (individual chemicals and complex mixtures) nominated to the National Toxicology Program (NTP). A notable example was the NTP’s rapid response to the 2014 Elk River Chemical Spill in West Virginia, where Dr. Auerbach led a team of scientists in quickly generating and reporting a diverse set of data that supported advanced chemical risk assessment and reduced uncertainty about the drinking water screening levels set at the time of the spill. More recently, his work has been extensively cited in the formulation of the US EPA’s Transcriptomic Assessment Product (ETAP) to help address chemicals lacking traditional toxicity testing data in a more timely way.

Dr. Auerbach joined SOT as a Graduate Student member in 2002, and since then, his pioneering research projects and applications have garnered numerous awards and recognition through the years, including two Best Published Paper Advancing the Science of Risk Assessment Awards from the SOT Risk Assessment Specialty Section. He also has been the recipient of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Paper of the Year Awards. Dr. Auerbach is an active member of the Risk Assessment and Molecular and Systems Biology Specialty Sections and the North Carolina Regional Chapter.

His commitment to team-first leadership has thoroughly advanced the scientific community while his scientific contributions continue to advance the integration of molecular-based data into chemical regulation and risk assessment.

Distinguished Toxicology Scholar Award

James P. O’Callaghan, PhD

NIOSH, Morgantown, WV

This award recognizes an SOT member who has made substantial and seminal scientific contributions to the understanding of the science of toxicology and is actively involved in toxicological research.

Recognizing an illustrious career of scientific contributions to the field of neurotoxicology and his seminal work in the development of a rodent model of Gulf War Illness, James O’Callaghan, PhD, is presented with the 2024 SOT Distinguished Toxicology Scholar Award.

After receiving his doctorate in neuropharmacology from Emory University, Dr. O’Callaghan has had a notable scientific research career working for the US federal government. For more than 15 years at the US Environmental Protection Agency, his work expanded the growing field of neurotoxicology by focusing on the need to identify potentially neurotoxic compounds that could lead to long-term illness and disease. This includes the identification of the glial fibrillary acidic protein as a biomarker for neurotoxicity and the development of a quantitative assay that could be used with brain tissue to assess neurotoxicity. Beginning in 1997, he assumed a leadership role as Head of the Molecular Neurotoxicology Laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control’s Occupational and Safety Health Institute.

Dr. O’Callaghan’s pioneering research has contributed greatly to the understanding of molecular neurotoxicology and the health effects of a wide range of compounds. In addition to his studies on disparate neurotoxicants, Dr. O’Callaghan’s collaborations have produced influential contributions to the field of neuroscience, including the use of focused microwave fixation in rodent models, contributing to Nobel prize winning research on understanding DARPP-32 signaling in dopaminergic neurons and bringing BAC-TRAP methodology for assessing cell type-specific gene expression into studies of neurotoxicicity.

Throughout his career in the US government, Dr. O’Callaghan was a prodigious publisher and presenter, with more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and as many invited presentations. His research efforts and collaborations have laid the groundwork for our understanding of the underlying cause of Gulf War Illness, producing more than 800 collective citations and 21 publications. It is through his research that the concept of Gulf War Illness as a neuroinflammatory disorder driven by persistent neuroimmune dysfunction, caused by exposures during the 1990–91 Gulf War, has become widely supported by experimental evidence. Furthermore, his animal model of Gulf War Illness is recognized by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program as one of the few acceptable models of the illness and is described in the program’s publication, “The Gulf War Illness Landscape.”

Since joining SOT in 1986, Dr. O’Callaghan has been an active member of the Neurotoxicology Specialty Section. He also served on the SOT Continuing Education Committee from 2010 to 2012.

Education Award

Ilona Jaspers, PhD

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

The Education Award is presented to an individual who is distinguished by the teaching and training of toxicologists and who has made significant contributions to education in the broad field of toxicology.

For her progressive vision and exceptional leadership in the education and development of the next generation of toxicologists, Ilona Jaspers, PhD, is the 2024 recipient of the SOT Education Award.

After receiving her doctorate in environmental health sciences from New York University Medical Center in 1997, Dr. Jaspers began a postdoctoral research fellow position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she has held various professorships and leadership positions since. Dr. Jaspers has been the Director of the Curriculum of Toxicology & Environmental Medicine since 2011 and the Director for the Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology since 2020.

As an educator and mentor, Dr. Jasper’s accomplishments shine. An extensive number of mentees that have matriculated though the Curriculum of Toxicology & Environmental Medicine have gone on to prominent positions in academia, government, and industry. The wide range of career options, training opportunities, and successes of trainees in the program are a testament to the tireless leadership and enthusiasm that Dr. Jaspers brings to the education of trainees.

While the direct impact on the education and career success of her trainees is highly visible, the personal connections, emotional support, and focus on inclusionary science that Dr. Jaspers brings to her students’ education also are recognized. Dr. Jaspers found a way to use sponsored funds to support mental health resources for students within her programs in response to the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Jaspers also is a prodigious organizer of events and activities for her students both at international conferences (such as the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo) and within the university—giving students the soft-skills and networking needed to succeed. Dr. Jaspers also applied for, received, and currently directs a R25 grant (21st Century Environmental Health Scholars) that provides a summer of intensive research training in toxicology and environmental health sciences for individuals from historically black colleges and universities, community colleges, and primarily undergraduate institutions that do not have an extensive research program.

In addition to her teaching and leadership roles, Dr. Jaspers has been an active SOT member since joining in 1996. In addition to her membership in the Inhalation and Respiratory Toxicology Specialty Section, the Women in Toxicology Special Interest Group, and the North Carolina Regional Chapter. Dr. Jaspers also was a member of the SOT Awards Committee in 2020 and 2021, serving as Chair her final year on the Committee.

Because of her exceptional vision and distinction in the full development of the next generation of toxicologists, the Society is pleased to bestow the 2024 Education Award to Dr. Jaspers.

Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award

Menghang Xia, PhD

NIH/NCATS, Bethesda, MD

This award recognizes an SOT member for contributions made to the advancement of toxicological science through the development and application of methods that replace, refine, or reduce the need for experimental animals. This award recognizes outstanding/significant contributions made by SOT members to the scientifically sound and responsible use of animals in research. This award also serves to recognize member contributions to the public awareness of the importance of animals in toxicology research. The achievement recognized may be either a seminal piece of work or a long-term contribution to toxicological science and animal welfare.

For her leadership and management of the federal interagency Tox21 Consortia and her contributions in developing and applying high-throughput screening assays—and the significant efforts have had on the replacement, refinement, and reduction in the use of experimental animals—Menghang Xia, PhD, is awarded the 2024 SOT Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award.

After receiving her PhD in pharmacology from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1993, Dr. Xia pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California San Francisco and then became a Senior Research Pharmacologist at Merck & Co. Inc.

For the past 18 years, Dr. Xia has been the Group Leader of Systems Toxicology at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she is actively involved in leading various Tox21 Federal Collaboration Cross Partner Projects and high-throughput screening assay development. Dr. Xia’s research has generated nearly 250 publications with an h-index of 60 and more than 13,000 total citations to date. Dr. Xia has given numerous scientific presentations at national and international conferences. She also has served as an editorial board member for several scientific journals. Within the NIH, she has mentored nine postdocs, five PhD students, and 27 interns/postbacs/visiting scholars, receiving the NCATS Director’s Mentorship Award and an NIH Director’s Award for her mentoring efforts.

As part of the Tox21 collaboration, Dr. Xia led the successful screening of 10,000 chemicals against more than 100 in vitro high-throughput assays in a robotic platform, which resulted in the generation of very large novel datasets in the public domain that can be used for mapping molecular and cellular events in nuclear receptor signaling, stress response, and developmental toxicity pathways. This truly transformative dataset of more than 100 million data points is widely recognized by numerous manuscripts and presentations, raising awareness of the possibilities of high-throughput screening methods to help replace, refine, and reduce the use of experimental animals.

Dr. Xia joined SOT as a Full member in 2008 and has been an active member of the American Association of Chinese in Toxicology (AACT) and Women in Toxicology Special Interest Groups, the In Vitro and Alternative Methods and Dermal Toxicology Specialty Sections, and the National Capital Area Regional Chapter. Recognizing her role in the Tox21 collaboration and her development of high-throughput screening assays, Dr. Xia was awarded the 2022 AACT WestChina-Frontier PharmaTech Distinguished Chinese Toxicologist Award.

Dr. Xia’s consistent engagement with the scientific community as a speaker and publisher, her leadership in federal collaborations, and her development and validation of high-throughput screening assays represent long-term contributions to toxicological science and animal welfare and are being recognized with the 2024 SOT Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award.

Founders Award (for Outstanding Leadership in Toxicology)

Samuel M. Cohen, MD, PhD, ATS, DABP, IATP

University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE

This award, sponsored by the SOT Endowment Fund, recognizes a Full, Emeritus, or Retired Full member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in fostering the role of toxicological sciences in safety decision-making through the development and/or application of state-of-the-art approaches that elucidate, with a high degree of confidence, the distinctions for humans between safe and unsafe levels of exposures to chemical and physical agents.

For his career-spanning contributions in safety decision-making using state-of-the-art toxicological science approaches, Samuel Monroe Cohen, MD, PhD, ATS, DABP, IATP, is awarded the 2024 SOT Founders Award (for Outstanding Leadership in Toxicology).

Graduating from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1972 with doctorates in Experimental Oncology and Medicine, Dr. Cohen began his residency training in pathology at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1981, he began his association with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, holding a series of senior and distinguished positions that continues to the present time.

As a researcher, Dr. Cohen has made numerous significant contributions to the use of toxicology in safety decision-making. A major example is found in his body of work in the field of carcinogenesis, which has been incorporated into risk assessment. His efforts show that not only is DNA reactivity necessary but also the pivotal role of cell proliferation and spontaneous errors during cell replication as contributors to cancer, resulting in non-linear dose-response and thresholds. This shift in understanding in carcinogenesis has had profound influence in the risk assessment and regulation of chemicals.

In 1995, Dr. Cohen’s research demonstrated the mode of action for sodium saccharin in bladder carcinogenesis in rats and conclusively demonstrated that it is rat-specific. This research was accepted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 1999, and the classification of saccharin as a carcinogen was downgraded from a classification of 2 to 3, which was precedent setting. In addition, sodium saccharin was delisted from the US Congressional-mandated list of carcinogens by the National Toxicology Program in 2000, which also was precedent setting.

Dr. Cohen’s recent research has demonstrated the mode of action for inorganic and organic arsenical carcinogenesis and demonstrated the dose and time course of its effects and the presence of a threshold. Recently, this research was corroborated through a major epidemiology analysis using Bayesian statistics, and it has the potential to have a major impact on environmental and food regulations.

A member of SOT since 1986, Dr. Cohen has participated in numerous SOT Committees and working groups, including the Awards Committee (2012–2014) and the Task Force to Improve the Scientific Basis of Risk Assessment (1999–2002). Dr. Cohen’s remarkable scientific career also was recognized by his receipt of the John Doull Award from the SOT Central States Regional Chapter in 1996, the SOT Arnold J. Lehman Award in 2001, and the SOT Merit Award in 2017.

Dr. Cohen’s exceptional research, insights, and leadership in bringing toxicological sciences to the forefront of safety and decision-making have earned him the 2024 SOT Founders Award (for Outstanding Leadership in Toxicology).

Leading Edge in Basic Science Award

Donna D. Zhang, PhD

Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL

This award recognizes a scientist who, based on research, has made a recent (within the last five years), seminal scientific contribution/advance to understanding fundamental mechanisms of toxicity. The recipient should be a respected basic scientist whose research findings are likely to have a pervasive impact on the field of toxicology.

Donna Zhang, PhD, has been honored with the 2024 SOT Leading Edge in Basic Science Award, recognizing her substantial contributions to NRF2 biology and the understanding of molecular mechanisms by which the environmental contaminant arsenic promotes diseases. She is dedicated to translating this knowledge from bench to bedside, focusing on the development of therapeutics that target NRF2.

Dr. Zhang obtained her doctorate in molecular toxicology from the Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine at New York University in 1997, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the DuPont-Haskell Laboratory. From 1999 to 2005, Dr. Zhang was a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Missouri. She joined the University of Arizona’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in 2005 and was promoted to full Professor by 2013. As Associate Director of the Superfund Research Program from 2019 to 2022, she played a pivotal role in the program’s successful renewal. In 2020, she became the inaugural Musil Family Endowed Chair in Drug Discovery. In January 2024, Dr. Zhang assumed the esteemed Dr. Herbert A. Wertheim Professor position at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, where she continues her work in NRF2 biology and toxicology.

Dr. Zhang’s toxicological research has unraveled the complex interplay between the human body and environmental toxins. Her pioneering work on the cellular NRF2-KEAP1 defense system against environmental insults has made her a leading authority. With over 180 publications, Dr. Zhang’s scholarly impact is evidenced by more than 45,000 citations and an h-index of 78. Her research extends beyond clarifying NRF2’s regulatory mechanisms; it explores its dual roles in diseases such as cancer, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Her seminal work has led to significant advancements in novel therapeutics targeting NRF2.

Dr. Zhang’s research identified KEAP1 as an E3 ubiquitin ligase, a critical regulator that targets NRF2 for ubiquitylation and subsequent degradation. Her insights into KEAP1’s cysteine residues, particularly C151, have been fundamental in understanding their role as sensors of oxidative stress and as switches that regulate the NRF2 pathway in response to environmental insults. She termed this the canonical mechanism of NRF2 activation, central to our comprehension of NRF2’s role in cellular defense. Furthermore, her team has identified and characterized several chemopreventive agents that activate NRF2, showcasing their potential in cancer prevention and the amelioration of diabetic complications.

In 2008, Dr. Zhang uncovered NRF2’s dual role in cancer, demonstrating its contribution to tumor growth and resistance to chemotherapy, and identified brusatol as a potent NRF2 inhibitor. This spurred further research into NRF2’s 'oncogenic' properties. By 2010, her team discovered NRF2’s regulation by the autophagy-related protein p62 through a noncanonical pathway. Her 2013 research illuminated how arsenic prolongs NRF2 activation via this pathway, inadvertently promoting cancer. In 2021, they linked noncanonical NRF2 activation to metabolic diseases, showing how arsenic-induced NRF2 activity can adversely affect glucose metabolism in the liver. Dr. Zhang’s ongoing research focuses on NRF biology, seeking to develop treatments that modulate NRF2 for various diseases and overall health improvement.

Her achievements have been recognized previously by SOT through the SOT Achievement Award in 2012 and the AACT WestChina-Frontier PharmaTech Distinguished Chinese Toxicologist Award from the SOT American Association of Chinese in Toxicology (AACT) Special Interest Group in 2023. An SOT member since 2006, Dr. Zhang is an active member of AACT, the Mechanisms Specialty Section, and the Out Toxicologists and Allies Special Interest Group.

Merit Award

David L. Eaton, PhD, ATS, DABT

University of Washington, Tucson, AZ

This award recognizes an SOT member who has made distinguished contributions to toxicology throughout an entire career in areas such as research, teaching, regulatory activities, consulting, and service to the Society.

David L. Eaton, PhD, ATS, is recognized with the 2024 SOT Merit Award for a career dedicated to the advancement of the science of toxicology and SOT.

After receiving his doctorate in pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Kansas Medical Center in 1978 under the guidance of Dr. Curtis Klaassen, Dr. Eaton quickly began a 40+ year career in academia as a researcher and administrative leader at the University of Washington (UW). As a testament to his educational and research acumen, he was a full tenured Professor by 1990, the Director of the UW’s Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health between 1995 and 2015, UW Associate Vice Provost for Research from 2006–2013 and the Dean and Vice Provost for the UW Graduate School from 2013 to 2018.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Eaton served as the principal investigator on many National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, cumulatively totaling more than $60 million dollars and including multiple R01s, a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Center Grant, NIEHS Superfund Program Grant, and NIEHS R25 Grants. Throughout his academic career, he published 130 peer-reviewed research articles, 75 review articles and book chapters and edited 5 books. His contributions to toxicology education include authoring several important book chapters, including the Principles of Toxicology chapters in Casarett and Doull’s Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons, Rosenstock & Cullen’s Textbook of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, and Maxcy-Rosenau-Last Public Health and Preventive Medicine. He currently serves as editor of the Principles of Toxicology Volume (and principal chapter) in the 15 volume series, Comprehensive Toxicology. During his academic career, Dr. Eaton directly mentored 15 master’s students, 13 doctoral candidates, eight postdoctoral fellows, and numerous undergraduate students.

Dr. Eaton’s laboratory research focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation of cancer due to chemical exposures in our diet and environment. Notably, his work on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and its metabolite AFB-8,9-epoxide, which can form adducts in DNA and ultimately giving rise to mutations that can predispose individuals to cancer, has provided invaluable insights and has had a profound impact on our understanding of human health risks associated with AFB1 exposure. In his later career, Dr. Eaton made strides in the realm of microphysiological systems to revolutionize toxicity testing. His development of a liver-on-a-chip model using human hepatocytes and the elucidation of organ-organ interactions in vitro using human tissues have opened new horizons in toxicology research.

Dr. Eaton is a generous volunteer for scientific and government organizations. In addition to extensive service to the NIH as a grant reviewer and member of the NIEHS Council (2013–2017), Dr. Eaton was a member and Chair of the Board of Scientific Councilors for the National Toxicology Program, 2019–2022. Notably, he has been an elected Councilor for the International Union of Toxicology, served on the Board of Trustees of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences, and Treasurer of the American Board of Toxicology. In addition to notable service to these toxicology societies, Dr. Eaton has extensive volunteer participation in leadership capacities for nongovernmental organizations such the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) and the Health Effects Institute (HEI). Of special note is his participation over the years as Committee Member, Chair, or Review Monitor/Coordinator on two dozen National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) reports. In recognition of his extensive contributions to science and medicine, he was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1995 and then to the National Academy of Medicine in 2011. In 2020 he received the David Rall Medal from National Academy of Medicine in recognition of his outstanding service as Chair of numerous National Academy Committees focused on important environmental and public health sciences issues, such as a review of the US EPA’s risk assessment of dioxins and dioxin-like chemicals, and the public health consequences of e-cigarettes.

Dr. Eaton’s service to SOT is truly exemplary. A full member of the Society since 1983, he is also an active member of the Carcinogenesis and Mechanisms Specialty Sections, serving as President of the Mechanisms Specialty Section (1996–1997). As evidenced by his receipt of the SOT Achievement Award in 1993, an AstraZeneca Traveling Lectureship Award in 1995, the SOT Public Communications Award and the SOT Pacific Northwest Regional Chapter Toxicology Achievement Award in 2014, his accomplishments in the field of toxicology have long been recognized. Having been a member of the SOT Membership Committee, the Audit Committee, the Endowment Fund Board, the Nominating Committee, and numerous other task forces and Committees, Dr. Eaton’s service to the Society has been invaluable. Serving as the elected Secretary of the Society from 1995 to 1998 and as President (2001–2002), Dr. Eaton’s dedication to the science of toxicology as a researcher, volunteer, and leader has been truly exemplary and is recognized by the 2024 SOT Merit Award.

Public Communications Award

Barbara L. F. Kaplan, PhD

Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS

The SOT Public Communications Award is presented to recognize an individual who has made a major contribution to broadening the general public’s awareness of toxicological issues, including public understanding of the role and importance of experimental animals in toxicological science, through any aspect of public communications, over a significant period of time.

Barbara L. F. Kaplan, PhD, is recognized with the 2024 SOT Public Communications Award for her prodigious contributions to the public’s knowledge of toxicology and broad efforts to help train and educate individuals in communication skills that are valuable in translating their research to other scientists and the general public.

Dr. Kaplan received her doctorate in pharmacology and toxicology from Michigan State University in 2001. After completing a postdoc at the University of Chicago, in 2004, she became a Research Assistant Professor at the Michigan State University Center for Integrative Toxicology. Since 2013, she has been an Assistant and Associate Professor (with tenure) at Mississippi State University. Throughout her academic career, Dr. Kaplan has been a constant mentor for students in developing specialized scientific communication skills for oral presentations and for helping developing scientists strengthen their ability to communicate their research.

Dr. Kaplan’s expertise in immunotoxicology and cannabinoids parlays well for communicating about toxicological topics of interest to the general public. She has contributed extensively to general and scientific media outlets about toxicological topics of interest in an engaging and understandable format, informing public understanding of toxicological issues in commonly encountered products.

Mentoring and developing fellow scientists’ public communications skills has been an animating passion of Dr. Kaplan and is recognized by this award. Dr. Kaplan has been a speaker and organizer of many workshops and continuing education courses that highlight the critical role that science communication has in broadening the general public’s understanding of toxicology and help improve toxicologists’ skills in communicating their diverse scientific expertise with a wide range of audiences.

Dr. Kaplan joined SOT in 1997 and has been an active member of the Immunotoxicology Specialty Section and South Central Regional Chapter. In addition to her role as an SOT Councilor (2018–2021), she has been a member of the Career Resource and Development Committee and the Education Committee and is currently an SOT representative to the Scientific Liaison Coalition.

Toxicologist Mentoring Award

Robert Roy, PhD, DABT, ATS

Northland Toxicology Consultants LLC, Chanhassen, MN

This award recognizes an SOT member who has displayed a commitment to mentoring and whose advice and counsel have substantially enhanced the career development of toxicologists.

Robert Roy, PhD, DABT, ATS, is recognized with the 2024 SOT Toxicologist Mentoring Award for his championing of the scientific career development and advancement of those around him.

Dr. Roy retired from the 3M Company, as a Corporate Staff Toxicologist, after 26 years and is now an Adjunct Professor of Toxicology at the University of Minnesota and serves as the Managing Director of Northland Toxicology Consultants LLC. In all his roles, he has encouraged and advanced the careers of those around him. He is generous with his time—always willing to offer a positive word or email—and he has a genuine interest in seeing others succeed. His ability to move the focus off himself and onto others through his mentoring distinguishes Dr. Roy and is echoed by many of his mentees.

Dr. Roy is a longtime instructor for the American College of Toxicology course “Advanced Comprehensive Toxicology” and for the Society for Chemical Hazard Communication, where he teaches numerous courses including “Health Hazard Determination & Risk Assessment” and “Toxicology for Hazard Communication.” As a mentor, Dr. Roy is selfless with this knowledge and network, readily sharing his insights and encouragement with those around him to advance the science of toxicology.

Mentoring is selfless, and Dr. Roy’s commitment to those around him has continued through the years. In advancing the scientific careers of others, many toxicologists would advance into new roles elsewhere, but they would take with them Dr. Roy’s mentorship and encouragement to their new positions—and even continue to receive his advocacy and support.

An SOT member since 1992, Dr. Roy also is a founding member of the SOT Northland Regional Chapter. He was a member of the Continuing Education Committee (2016–2019) and is an active member of the Medical Device and Combination Product, Occupational and Public Health, and Risk Assessment Specialty Sections.

For lifelong dedication to all aspects of mentoring as a role model, cheerleader, teacher, and friend to so many toxicologists, Dr. Roy is presented the 2024 SOT Toxicologist Mentoring Award.

Translational Impact Award

Horst Thiermann, PhD

Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Munich, Germany

This award recognizes a scientist whose recent (within the last 10 years) outstanding clinical, environmental health, or translational research has improved human and/or public health in an area of toxicological concern.

Horst Thiermann, PhD, is awarded the 2024 SOT Translational Impact Award for his research in the diagnosis and treatment of exposure to chemical warfare agents, notably organophosphorus toxicants and sulfur mustard, and the profound improvement in human health that has resulted from its translational use.

In the field of organophosphorus agent poisoning, Dr. Thiermann’s research has been highly influential in the diagnosis and management of nerve agent poisoning. His research has facilitated the development of point-of-care testing kits for bedside monitoring of humans exposed to these agents in an array of settings, leading to vastly improved health outcomes in this area of toxicological concern. In addition to these advances in clinical treatment, he also has proposed novel treatment strategies, including bioscavengers and receptor-active substances, to complement and improve upon existing therapeutic options.

Dr. Thiermann’s work on the diagnosis and treatment of chemical warfare agents exemplifies groundbreaking bench-to-bedside impact that has contributed to the detection of toxins, improved clinical treatment decision-making, and aided development of novel, targeted medical countermeasures. Given the prevalence of chemical weapons throughout the world, his research will continue to have translational impact for years to come.

As a preeminent expert in medical research on chemical warfare agents, Dr. Thiermann has led several international scientific efforts that advanced our understanding of the toxicological effects and treatments of chemical warfare agents. He is an organizer of the biennial Medical Chemical Defense Conference and a past president of the European Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicologists. Dr. Thiermann also has worked extensively with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Human Factors and Medicine panels to translate medical chemical defense research into operational medical capabilities against chemical warfare agent threats.

A recognized expert in clinical toxicology, Dr. Thiermann was awarded the GT Toxicology Award of the Gesellschaft für Toxikologie (German Society for Toxicology [GT]) in 2021 for his dedication to translational toxicology. In addition to being an active research professor, Dr. Thiermann has co-authored more than 270 peer-reviewed publications and edited several book chapters.

For his exceptional translational research impacts on human health and his collaborative efforts to advance clinical toxicology, Dr. Thiermann is awarded the 2024 SOT Translational Impact Award.

Undergraduate Educator Award

Hollie I. Swanson, PhD

University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

This award, sponsored by the SOT Endowment, recognizes an SOT member who is distinguished by outstanding contributions to the teaching of undergraduate students in toxicology and toxicology-related areas and whose efforts support the Society’s strategic efforts to “build for the future of toxicology.”

Hollie I. Swanson, PhD, is awarded the 2024 SOT Undergraduate Educator Award for her significant contributions to the introduction and instruction of toxicological topics to undergraduate students.

An active pursuer of extramural funding for undergraduate education in toxicology, Dr. Swanson’s impact on undergraduates goes beyond the classroom. Since 2016, she has served as the principal investigator for a National Institutes of Health R25 training grant that supports a program entitled, “Summer Undergraduate Research in Environmental Health Science.” Successfully renewed through 2027, this program has supported 84 undergraduate students in a 10-week summer program that introduces them to lab-based research and significant professional development in the health sciences. An additional grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute awarded to colleagues at the University of Kentucky was used to develop a program focused on first-year undergraduates, helping Dr. Swanson introduce toxicological and scientific concepts in an engaging and interactive manner, helping increase retention and interest in the STEM fields.

Within the University of Kentucky, Dr. Swanson is the Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees and serves on the Coalition of Faculty Senate Leadership a faculty advisory board of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. These roles allow her to address high-level challenges in undergraduate education.

As an educator, Dr. Swanson teaches a multitude of undergraduate courses on toxicology, exposing undergraduates to key concepts in a variety of disciplines. Equally as important, Dr. Swanson is a frequent publisher and presenter on classroom pedagogy, sharing her knowledge and experience in papers and conferences at national scientific meetings.

Dr. Swanson earned her doctorate in food science/toxicology from Purdue University in 1991 and has been an active member of SOT since then. She has been a member of the SOT Research Funding Committee, the K–12 Subcommittee, and the Scientific Program Committee. Additionally, Dr. Swanson is a contributor within the SOT Undergraduate Educator Network and Undergraduate Diversity Program—longstanding SOT activities that provide resources and exposure to toxicology for undergraduate educators and students alike!

In light of her profound impact on undergraduate students and undergraduate educators and her leadership in undergraduate education, Dr. Swanson is awarded the 2024 SOT Undergraduate Educator Award.

Toxicological Sciences Paper of the Year Award

Increased Renal Expression of Complement Components in Patients with Liver Diseases: Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis, Alcohol-associated, Viral Hepatitis, and Alcohol-Viral Combination.

Kayla L. Frost, Joseph L. Jilek, Austin D. Thompson, Robert R. Klein, Shripad Sinari, Elmira Torabzedehkorasani, Dean D. Billheimer, Rick G. Schnellmann, and Nathan J. Cherrington.
2022. Toxicological Sciences 189, no. 1 (September): 62–72. View Abstract

Inflammatory liver disease is a significant cause of mortality. While increasing, limited data exist on how liver dysfunction impacts renal physiology. This study uniquely acquired a renal biopsy repository with verified medical and social histories, including liver disease classification and associated kidney pathology and function. Frost et al used transcriptomic analysis on the human kidney biopsy samples, utilizing twelve Affymetrix Human Clariom D arrays containing over 28,000 gene-level probe sets for genome wide expression profiling. The study identified overlapping renal expression changes across liver disease etiologies, providing insight for the mechanisms of renal dysfunction associated with chronic liver disease. Of the 55 genes that were differentially expressed, immune regulation genes consistently demonstrated an increase across diseases. Trends were apparent for complement C1q C chain (C1QC), identifying it as a promising marker for mechanistic analyses of renal damage related to liver injury and an instrumental tool in future analyses of liver disease impact on renal function. This well-written manuscript has made a significant and positive impact on the field of toxicology. The Board of Publications proudly confers the Paper of the Year Award to Dr. Frost and the entire research team.