ToXchange 
About the SOT Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA)
Postdoctoral membership in SOT provides early career toxicologists with opportunities for scientific growth, networking, and career advancement. All members of SOT who self-identify as postdoctoral scholars are part of the Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA), which was formed to increase involvement of postdocs in SOT and to address issues related to the postdoctoral experience. The PDA is governed by an elected PDA Executive Board who provide leadership for communications, strategic activities, and events of special interest to postdocs. Postdoctoral members serve leadership roles in the Society by participating as representatives for SOT Regional Chapters, Special Interest Groups, Specialty Sections, and to Committees.
How SOT Defines a Postdoc
The Society of Toxicology aligns its definition of a postdoctoral researcher closely with the definition set by the National Postdoctoral Association.
Characteristics that define a postdoctoral position include:
- The postdoctoral appointment is temporary.
- Effort is focused primarily on research.
- The development of professional skills prepares the postdoc to actively pursue a career.
- The postdoc is supervised by at least one senior scholar.
- The postdoc is allowed and encouraged to publish the results of his or her research or scholarship.
- The appointment is not part of a clinical training program.
PDA Executive Board and Representatives
All SOT Postdoctoral members are part of the Society’s Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA), which is governed by the elected PDA Executive Board. Postdoctoral representatives are appointed to SOT Regional Chapters, Special Interest Groups, Specialty Sections, and some SOT Committees to enhance the involvement of postdoctoral scholars within SOT.
PDA Executive Board
Angela Dean
Chair
Dr. Angela Dean is a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Jodi Flaws’ lab studying the effects of phthalate exposure on reproductive aging in the ovary. She is interested in molecular and reproductive toxicology. Angela obtained her master’s degree in Biological Sciences from Idaho State University and her doctoral degree in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She served as secretary for her program’s graduate student committee during her master’s degree. During her PhD, Angela also served on the graduate program committee in various roles, including on different subcommittees and as Chair of the committee. Angela was the postdoctoral representative for the Midwest Regional Chapter of SOT and also the secretary for the Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) of SOT. She looks forward to bringing her prior experience to the role of Chair of the PDA and to providing postdocs with opportunities to make the most of their postdoc experience and to help in their transition to the next step in their careers.
Idoia Meaza
Vice Chair
Dr. Idoia Meaza graduated with a BS in Biology from the University of the Basque Country, an MS in Marine Environment and Resources from the Universities of the Basque Country, Southampton and Liege. In addition, she also obtained an MS and a PhD degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Louisville. Now, Idoia is a postdoctoral trainee at the Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, where she studies how exposure to metals causes lung cancer, the deadliest type of cancer. She is also interested in studying how other pollutants like microplastics affect human, ecosystem and wildlife health.
Dr. Meaza is a highly productive postdoctoral fellow. She has received fellowships to support her training, including an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship, a La Caixa Postgraduate Studies Abroad fellowship and the Colgate-Palmolive Postdoctoral Fellowship in In Vitro Toxicology. Dr. Meaza has published 24 peer-reviewed articles in metal carcinogenesis and toxicology, and has over 140 abstracts. She has been selected several times to present her work in national and international conferences, including the Society of Toxicology, the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society, the International Society for Trace Element Research in Humans and the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science. Dr. Meaza has been honored with prestigious awards from the Society of Toxicology, including the Dharm V. Singh Carcinogenesis Endowment Award from the Carcinogenesis Specialty Section, the Metals Specialty Section Graduate Student Award, the Mechanisms Specialty Section Sheldon D. Murphy Student Endowment Award and the Celebrating Women in Toxicology Endowment Award. Further, at her hooding ceremony, she received the highest achievement for a graduating PhD trainee at the University of Louisville, the Guy Stevenson Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies.
Dr. Meaza has demonstrated sustained leadership within Society of Toxicology, her university and other professional societies. During her PhD, Idoia was the graduate student representative for the Ohio Valley Chapter Society of Toxicology and the Carcinogenesis Specialty Section, and she received the Outstanding Leadership Award for her leadership efforts. Now she serves as the postdoctoral representative of the Carcinogenesis Specialty Section, and she is excited to further serve the broader SOT’s postdoctoral community by serving in the PDA Executive Board.
Venkat Ramakrishna Ungarala
Secretary
Dr. Venkat Ramakrishna Ungarala is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine and a member of the Center for Research on Tobacco and Health. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences and completed his PhD at Osmania University in collaboration with the ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition. Dr. Ungarala’s work sits at the intersection of toxicology, public health, and regulatory science, with a focus on understanding how combustible and non-combustible nicotine products drive oxidative stress, inflammation, and downstream biological injury. His research focuses on translational biomarker development and evidence generation to inform harm reduction and tobacco regulation, with the broader goal of producing data that are clinically and policy relevant. In addition to his research, Dr. Ungarala has demonstrated sustained leadership in academic and professional settings. He has mentored undergraduate and graduate trainees, coordinated multidisciplinary research efforts, overseen laboratory operations, and contributed to the training and supervision of junior staff. He currently serves as Professional Development Chair for the Penn State College of Medicine Postdoctoral Association (Hershey campus) and is an Associate Editorial Board Member and active peer reviewer. He regularly participates in toxicology-focused scientific meetings, journal clubs, and trainee development initiatives. Through his service on the PDA Executive Board, Dr. Ungarala is committed to advocating for postdoctoral scholars, strengthening professional development pathways, and fostering an inclusive, collaborative scientific environment that supports trainee success and career advancement.
Xing Chen
Treasurer
Dr. Xing Chen is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Systems Toxicology at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH). She earned her PhD in Veterinary Medicine from Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Japan, following an MS in Veterinary Medicine from Shanghai Ocean University in China. Dr. Chen’s research focuses on environmental toxicology, high-throughput screening, and the mechanistic evaluation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals using in vitro systems and aquatic animal models. Her work integrates molecular toxicology with translational science to support chemical hazard assessment and human health relevance. She has authored more than 15 peer-reviewed publications and has presented her research at numerous scientific meetings and conferences. An active member of the Society of Toxicology (SOT), Dr. Chen has presented her work at multiple SOT Annual Meetings from 2015 to 2024. She has held diverse leadership and research roles, including serving as a Young Scientist with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and leading projects in neurodevelopmental toxicity and viral pathogen detection. Through her interdisciplinary training and international research experience, Dr. Chen brings a collaborative perspective to toxicology and is committed to supporting the scientific and professional development of the postdoctoral community.
Sydney Boney
Councilor
Dr. Sydney Boney earned her BS, MS, and PhD in Animal Science from North Carolina State University, where she investigated how chronic undernutrition impacts neuronal hormone synthesis and pubertal onset. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the US Environmental Protection Agency examining the effects of PFAS on reproductive capacity, including ovulation, cyclicity, and puberty. Sydney is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in the Division of Translational Toxicology. Her research focuses on patient-derived pluripotent stem cells from individuals with Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease. She differentiates these cells into a 3D cerebral organoid model and, once mature, characterizes both intracellular and extracellular changes, including analyses of cell-free DNA, RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence, with plans to incorporate ddPCR and NanoString analyses on extracellular vesicles. The goal of this work is to better understand how AD and PD organoids differ in intracellular pathology and extracellular molecular release. Longer term, she aims to challenge these organoids with environmentally relevant toxicants, such as metals and PFAS, to determine how altered development and differentiation may contribute to neurodegenerative disease processes.
In addition to her research, Sydney serves as Co-Chair of the NIEHS Trainee Assembly (NTA) of Fellows. In this role, she acts as a liaison between institute leadership and fellows, coordinates speaker, networking, and outreach events, and manages a subcommittee of fellows who assist in planning additional programming to support the trainee community.
Anik Tuladhar
Councilor
Dr. Anik Tuladhar earned his PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Augusta University, specializing in Cell Biology and Anatomy. His research focuses on preclinical safety and translational biology with an emphasis on bone toxicity, multimodal imaging, histology, and biomarker assessment. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Preclinical Safety at AbbVie, where he studies mechanisms of bone toxicity and supports early safety evaluation for emerging therapeutic programs. As a postdoctoral fellow, he has presented his work at several national conferences, contributing to broader scientific dialogue in toxicology and musculoskeletal safety. He also volunteers as an editorial peer reviewer for multiple scientific journals, supporting rigorous scientific communication and the advancement of high quality research in the field.
María Carmen Rubio-Armendáriz
Council Contact
Dr. Rubio is a tenured Associate Professor of Toxicology at the University of La Laguna (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain), a position she has held since 2009. She serves as Director of the Master’s Program in Food Safety, Quality and Sustainability and previously held the role of Vice President for Internationalization.
A member of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) since 2018, Dr. Rubio has been actively involved with the Hispanic Organization of Toxicologists (HOT) since 2019, serving on its Executive Committee in multiple capacities—including President, Vice President and Councilor—as well as chairing the Awards, Education, and Global Outreach Committees. She has also served as Councilor for the Women in Toxicology Special Interest Group (SIG).
Dr. Rubio is a member of the Spanish Association of Toxicology (AETOX). Her academic background spans multiple disciplines, including a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Technology, a PhD in Basic and Applied Toxicology, and Master’s degrees in Pharmaceutical Care, Toxicology and Food Safety, and Health Education.
As a Senior Research Fellow, her work focuses on Food Safety, Environmental Toxicology, and Risk Assessment. She has participated in numerous international research projects and has supervised 18 doctoral dissertations. Dr. Rubio is the author and co-author of publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and serves as a reviewer for scientific journals, international research programs, grants, and doctoral theses at both the national and international levels.
From 2017 to 2021, she served on the Scientific Committee on Food Safety of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), under the Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare.
Among her distinctions, Dr. Rubio received the 2002 Young Researcher Award in Medical and Health Sciences from the Government of the Canary Islands.
Postdoc Regional Chapter, Special Interest Group, and Specialty Section Representatives
Each SOT Regional Chapter, Special Interest Group, and Specialty Section may appoint a Postdoctoral Representative to provide leadership for their group and communication with the PDA. The representative encourages membership in SOT and the Component Group as well as development of activities to enhance involvement of postdocs in SOT.
Postdoc Committee Representatives
Some SOT Committees invite the PDA Executive Board to appoint a Postdoctoral Representative to serve as an ad hoc member of the committee to provide the perspective of, and communication with, SOT postdoctoral scholars.
Career Advancement, Mentoring, and Networking Committee
Esther Omaiye
University of California, Riverside
Career Advancement, Mentoring, and Networking Committee
Ishita Virmani
Medical University Innsbruck
Continuing Education Committee
Siddhi Jain
University of Pittsburgh
Education and Experiential Opportunities Committee
Haiyan Lu
University of Louisville
Initiatives for Development and Engagement Committee
Zakiyah Henry
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Membership Committee
Mohammad Siddiqi
Virginia Commonwealth University
Best Postdoctoral Publication Award
The Best Postdoctoral Publication Award recognizes outstanding work accomplished during formal, mentored postdoctoral traineeships by recognizing recently published exceptional papers in the field of toxicology. Applications are reviewed by the Postdoctoral Assembly Board and outside reviewers with appropriate scientific expertise, following NIH conflict of interest, confidentiality, and nondisclosure rules.
Haoxuan Chen, PhD
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA
Chen, Haoxuan, Airi Harui, Yu Feng, Liqiao Li, Saagar Patel, Jacob Schmidt, Michael D. Roth, and Yifang Zhu. 2024.
“A Ventilated Three-Dimensional Artificial Lung System for Human Inhalation Exposure Studies.”
Environmental Science & Technology
Volume 58, Issue 52 (December): 22919–22929.
Marcus A. Garcia, PharmD
University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque, NM
Nihart, Alexander J., Marcus A. Garcia, Eliane El Hayek, Rui Liu, Marian Olewine, Josiah D. Kingston, Eliseo F. Castillo, et al. 2025.
“Bioaccumulation of Microplastics in Decedent Human Brains.”
Nature Medicine 31 (April): 1114–1119.
David Leuthold, PhD
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
Leuthold, David. Nadia K. Herold, Jana Nerlich, Kristina Bartmann, Ilka Scharkin, Stefan J. Hallermann, Nicole Schweiger, Ellen Fritsche, and Tamara Tal. 2025.
“Multi-behavioral Phenotyping in Early-Life-Stage Zebrafish for Identifying Disruptors of Non-associative Learning.”
Environmental Health Perspectives Online Ahead of Print (May).
Postdoc Events and Activities
Poster Tours for Trainees
The Postdoctoral Assembly organizes Poster Tours for Trainees at the SOT Annual Meeting for graduate students and postdoctoral scientists to participate in a one-hour guided poster tour with a toxicologist guide. These small group tours provide the opportunity for trainees to take part in critical evaluation of cutting-edge toxicology methods and research findings and network with a senior toxicologist.
PDA Luncheon
To encourage increased participation and networking among postdoctoral scholars, the Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) Board hosts a luncheon at the SOT Annual Meeting exclusively for postdocs to gather in an informal setting to relax, network, and celebrate their achievements others, including PDA officers, Postdoctoral Representatives, and SOT Councilors.
Career Exploration through Speed Informational Interviews
During this career-development event, small groups of trainees rotate through a series of short, timed discussions with career representatives from academia, government, and industry. Trainees can ask the representatives about their background, career path, the hiring process, and other aspects of identifying and pursuing career interests. This event provides an informal opportunity to gain insight about different employment sectors in toxicology.
National Postdoc Appreciation Week
National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW) was created by the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) to recognize postdocs and their numerous accomplishments in research and scientific discovery around the globe. SOT appreciates and recognizes postdoctoral scholars as an integral part of the SOT community, who make meaningful contributions to the Society, advance the science of toxicology, and build for the future of the discipline. During NPAW, the Society joins the NPA in focusing attention on all the contributions and accomplishments of postdoctoral scholars through the multiple PDA virtual activities.
NPAW Blogs and Resources
- Managing Stress and Pursuing a Healthy Lifestyle
- A Postdoc’s Place in Peer Review
- Cultivating Your Success as a Postdoc
- Nevertheless, They Persisted: Caregiving as Doctoral Students and Postdocs
- Other Postdoc-Focused Blogs