January 2008 News
2008 Research Retreat
January 23, 2008
Faculty and students of the Curriculum in Toxicology met at the Friday Center on January 8th for the Curriculum’s annual retreat. It was a great honor that all four members of the External Advisory Committee, Dr. John Essigmann (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Dr. John Groopman (Johns Hopkins University), Dr. Ernest Hodgson (North Carolina State University) and Dr. Robert Roth (Michigan State University), were able to attend this year.
The meeting started with a discussion led by Dr. Swenberg about the recent review of the competing renewal application of the NIEHS Toxicology Training Grant. He mentioned that the Study Section Summary Statement recognized the major strengths of the toxicology training programs, offered constructive suggestions, and did not uncover any major weaknesses. The External Advisors noted the outstanding priority score of 141 assigned to the training grant application and remarked that our faculty, and especially our trainees, should be proud of this achievement.
Dr. Cordeiro-Stone summarized plans for the upcoming Graduate School review of the Curriculum training programs, which will include a site visit tentatively scheduled for November 2008. Next in the agenda were the implementation of the new Biological and Biomedical Science Program (BBSP) and the organization of the recruitment weekends that will start at the end of January. Dr. Robert Duronio, one of the interim directors, gave a brief overview of BBSP and a spirited discussion took place about the challenges posed by this umbrella program and how it will affect training and recruitment in toxicology. Many excellent suggestions were made by both trainees and members of the External Advisory Board that will help in our recruiting efforts for this year and the future.
The morning session closed with Dr. Mailman reviewing changes to the Curriculum’s postdoctoral training program, and Drs. Mailman and Swenberg highlighting the plethora of awards received in 2007 by Curriculum trainees and faculty.
- The External Advisory Committee: Drs. Essigmann, Groopman, Roth, and Hodgson (from left to right) during a short break in the retreat program. Three Toxicology graduate students are seen in the background.
After lunch, Dr. John Groopman of the External Advisory Board provided a thorough and entertaining overview of the doctoral program in Toxicology offered by the Environmental Health Sciences Department of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His presentation and the comments by the other external advisors offered a unique opportunity for comparing and contrasting the characteristics of our training program with those at Johns Hopkins, MIT, NCSU, and Michigan State.
The retreat concluded with its highlight moment, a poster session that showcased the ongoing research of our graduate students. Our visitors offered very positive comments about our training programs and were especially impressed by the quality of the studies described by the doctoral students. The Curriculum instituted for the first time a formal competition. A panel of faculty judges reviewed each poster and listened carefully to the students’ discussion of their work. With great difficulty, the judges selected four students as the first awardees. First place (certificate and $250 prize) was awarded to Alison Hege, second place (certificate and $100 prize) to Joshua Harrill, and third place (certificate and $50 prize) was a tie, with David Szabo and Katie Paul both receiving awards.
The general opinion was that the day was interesting and constructive, and provided a chance for the program leadership, the training faculty, the students, and the External Advisory Board to review both the impressive achievements during the past year and the important challenges facing us in the future.
Poster Competition Winners
- First Prize: Alison Hege (Adviser: Dr. Ivan Rusyn) Toxicogenetics Using a Mouse Diversity Panel Reveals Population-Based Biomarkers of Response to Acetaminophen Hepatotoxicity
- Second Prize: Joshua Harrill (Adviser: Dr. Kevin Crofton) Effects of Pyrethroid Insecticides on the Expression of Ca+2/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase 1-Gamma, Neurite Extension and Morphogenesis
- Third Prize: Katie Paul (Adviser: Dr. Kevin Crofton) Triclosan and Endocrine Disruption: Evidence for Alterations in Thyroid Hormone Homeostasis (Katie is second from right)
- Third Prize: David Szabo (Adviser: Dr. Linda Birmbaum) Perinatal Exposure to a Commercial PBDEM Mixture Alters Hepatic Enzymes and Transporters Associated with Disruption of Thyroid Hormone Homeostasis in Male Rats
