Student and Postdoctoral Scholar Events

Student/Postdoctoral Scholar Mixer

Sunday, March 11, Time: 7:30 PM–9:00 PM
Marriott Marquis, Yerba Buena Salon 9

(Ticket Required)

Sponsor: Graduate Student Leadership Committee

The Graduate Student Leadership Committee hosts thisopportunity for students and postdoctoral scholars to gather,to meet new colleagues, and to reestablish relationships inan informal atmosphere at the beginning of the meeting.Tickets are obtained at no cost by registering for this event on the Annual Meeting Registration Form and are required. Complimentary refreshments and a cash bar will be available.

Graduate Student Leadership Committee Student Event Planner

Chat with an Expert

Sunday, March 11 through Thursday, March 15, Time Varies by Group

(Meet at the Chat with an Expert Bulletin Board in Registration Area)

Sponsor: Graduate Student Leadership Committee

The purpose of Chat with an Expert is to provide students and postdoctoral scholars the opportunity to network informally with well-established toxicologists while obtaining career advice and meeting new colleagues. Small groups are composed by matching research interests of students and postdocs with those of an expert. The expert for each group identifies a time and a place for an informal meeting (such as a coffee house or inexpensive restaurant), and the group meets at the Chat with an Expert Bulletin Board before proceeding to the meeting location. This program also includes opportunities for postdocs to host informal meetings with graduate students, and graduate students to hold informal meetings with undergraduate students.

Participation in the “Chat with a…” program, sponsored by the Graduate Student Leadership Committee (GSLC), varies by participant. Refer to the Chat with an Expert web page for more information and registration forms.

Trainee Discussion with Plenary Speaker: Leroy Hood

Monday, March 12, 9:30 AM–10:30 AM
Room 111

(This session has reached its maximum capacity. Tickets are no longer available.)

Chairperson(s): Michele La Merrill, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY

Lecturer: Leroy Hood, Institute of Systems Biology, Seattle, WA

Dr. Hood will meet informally for discussion with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars after his Plenary Opening Lecture. Room size is limited. Participants must register via the Annual Meeting registration.

In Vitro Toxicology Lecture and Luncheon for Students

Can In Silico and/or In Vitro Testing be used for Toxicity Assessment Instead of In Vivo Approaches?

Monday, March 12, 12:00 Noon–1:20 PM
Marriott Marquis, Golden Gate Ballroom B

(Ticket Required)

Chairperson(s): Lorrene Buckley, Education Committee Chair, Eli Lilly & Company, Indianapolis, IN.

Lecturer: Timothy J. Shafer, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC

Sponsor: Colgate-Palmolive Company

Hosted by: Education Committee

The goal of the In Vitro Toxicology Lecture series is to feature important research using in vitro and alternative techniques to study basic mechanisms and to illustrate how these test methods benefit animal welfare by refining, reducing, and replacing animal use whenever it is feasible. Undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and recipients of Colgate-Palmolive awards are among the guests at the In Vitro Toxicology Lecture and Luncheon. Students and postdoctoral scholars register via the Annual Meeting registration, and the $10 deposit will be returned upon entry to the event. Dr. Shafer will present an introduction to the topic, and then participants will discuss related questions and report responses.

Since publication of the National Academy of Science (NAS) paper on Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century, there has been an increased emphasis on the development of in silico and in vitro approaches to toxicity testing. The NAS vision is to replace the current animal-based tests, which are low through-put and often do not predict human responses well, with higher throughput toxicity pathway-based approaches that will allow testing of greater numbers of chemicals and be more predictive of toxicity to humans.

In some cases, there has been considerable progress with these approaches such that in silico or in vitro data can and are being used to make decisions regarding drug or chemical safety. Most cosmetics today tout the fact that they “were not tested in animals” and the European REACH legislation will no longer allow a compound that has been tested in animals to be used in cosmetics. In silico, in vitro, and ex vivo approaches are now widely accepted and utilized to predict ocular toxicity such that the Draize Eye Test is now only rarely used.

Other attempts to develop in vitro approaches have been less successful. For example, the Ames Test successfully predicts only about 70% of rodent carcinogens and by itself has not replaced the 2-year cancer bioassay. Replacing in vivo tests with in silico or in vitro data is not a simple task, and doing so requires acceptance from regulators, the regulated community, and ultimately the public. Thus, a variety of factors may contribute to whether or not, and when, in silico/in vitro testing can replace in vivo testing. These may include considerations about the nature of the regulatory decision to be made, the ability of the test to predict in vivo and human responses, and public perceptions, among other factors. This talk will briefly summarize the current rationale and approach to in vitro testing and provide some examples where in vitro tests have, and have not, successfully replaced in vivo approaches. This will be used to stimulate a discussion on what is needed for in vitro data to be used in regulatory decision making, and whether or not in silico and in vitro approaches ever could (or should) entirely replace in vivo approaches.

Students and discussion leaders will be asked to consider the following questions:

• Is it a realistic goal to replace all animal testing?
• What criteria must be fulfilled for an in vitro approach to replace an in vivo approach?
• Does the context of the decision to be made, or the level of information required, matter?
• What are the challenges to human risk?
• Can an in vitro approach be useful if the toxicity pathway is not completely understood?
• If we replace, what are the scientific questions (uncertainties) about which we need to be concerned?
• Would the public accept and be comfortable with decisions made using in vitro data? What if the decision was made entirely on the basis of in vitro data?

Poster Tours for Trainees

Monday, March 12 through Thursday, March 15, Time Varies by Group
Meet Monday through Wednesday at SOT Pavilion; Meet Thursday at Gateway Ballroom Entrance

Sponsor: Postdoctoral Assembly

New at the 2012 Annual Meeting! Students and postdoctoral scientists have the opportunity to participate in a one-hour guided poster tour with an expert toxicologist. Poster Tours for Trainees will allow trainees to take part in critical evaluation of cutting-edge toxicology methods and research findings, network with an expert, and perhaps even build a long-term relationship with a senior toxicologist. Participant deadline has expired. Leaders, please sign up below through February 17, 5:00 pm.

• Poster Tour Leaders—Associate and Full SOT members

Groups will be established based on interests and time availability. The Postdoctoral Assembly will be in touch with those who sign up with additional details.

Postdoctoral Assembly Luncheon

Tuesday, March 13, 12:00 Noon–1:15 PM
Room 256

(Ticket Required)

Chairperson(s): Michele La Merrill, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY

Sponsor: Postdoctoral Assembly

Amidst scrambling to attend all of the events at the meeting, this will be time for postdocs to kick back and relax! All postdoctoral scholars are invited to a casual luncheon organized by the Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA). The recipients of the Best Postdoctoral Publication Awards and the postdocs who received awards this year from Regional Chapters, Special Interest Groups, and Specialty Sections will be announced. The PDA Board members will present an overview of accomplishments and future directions for the PDA, and will introduce the new board members for 2012–2013. There will be a drawing for prizes.

Postdocs can purchase a ticket for $5 when they register for the Annual Meeting. The ticket charge is not refundable, reserves your place, and defrays some of the expenses for the luncheon. Lunch is served at the beginning of the event and service concludes before the main program begins. Meal service may not be available to guests who arrive after 12:30 pm.

Education-Career Development Session

The Art of Negotiation: A Fundamental Skill for Scientists
Room 307

Tuesday, March 13, 4:30 AM–5:50 AM

Co-Chairperson(s): Larissa M. Williams, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, and Ebany Martinez-Finley, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.

Sponsors: Postdoctoral Assembly

This session will introduce scientists to the intricacies of negotiations in the workplace and to discuss idiosyncrasies in negotiation tactics across toxicology sectors. The session will be delivered in two segments: a formal lecture and a panel discussion delivered by speakers from academia, industry, and government. Panelists include: Ellen Kandell of Alternative Resolutions, Silver Spring, Maryland; Gerald LeBlanc from North Carolina State University (Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology), Raleigh, North Carolina; Ronald Gerson of Gerson Pharma Solutions, Lincoln University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; John Budroe of the California US EPA, Oakland, California; and Jeffrey Wong of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Sacramento, California.

Our panel will deliver important information on the art of negotiation, addressing conflict styles and the basics of interest-based negotiation. The panel will then discuss their personal experiences in negotiation throughout their careers and address best practices in negotiation as it relates to their sector of toxicology. Topics covered will include preparation for negotiating, how to initiate negotiation, importance of body language, gender differences in negotiation, negotiating for salary and start-up in academia, negotiating for labor and represented management at the bargaining table in government, and negotiation practices in the pharmaceutical industry. At the end of the session, participants will come away with a better understanding of how negotiations work and how to use them to their advantage.

A follow up webinar is scheduled for March 30 at 1:00 pm. Details will be forthcoming.

Student/Postdoctoral Joint Scientific Session

Wednesday, March 14, 9:00 AM–11:45 AM
Room 103

Co-Chairperson(s): Jessica R. Placido of the GSLC and Enrique Fuentes-Mattei of the PDA

Co-Sponsors: Graduate Student Leadership Committee
                        Postdoctoral Assembly

The Graduate Student Leadership Committee (GSLC) and Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) will co-sponsor a symposium session at the 2012 Annual Meeting. The session, “Epigenetic and miRNA Regulations in Carcinogenesis: Toxicological Implications,” fits in the 2012 SOT Theme “Aberrant Gene Expression in Toxicity and Disease—Epigenetics and MicroRNAs.

One of the goals of this session is to highlight the scientific achievements of students and postdocs, who are the presenters, as well as contributing to the overall scientific program. The research symposium demonstrates both the breadth and the depth of the most cutting-edge research in epigenetic mechanisms resulting in carcinogenesis. Increasing evidence suggests that disruption and alteration of normal epigenetic regulation mechanisms are fundamental in cancer development and progression. Graduate students and postdocs will present their recent research illustrating that exposure to air toxicants, environmental pollutants, and metals such as arsenic have been implicated in the development of many types of human cancers.

The following graduate students and postdocs will be presenting their areas of research during the symposium:

• “Epigenetic Effects of Formaldehyde,” Julia Rager, Graduate Student, University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
• “Arsenic-Induced Alterations in Global Post Translational Histone Modifications Among Adults in Bangladesh,” Yana Chernova, Graduate Student, New York University
• “The Molecular and Epigenetic Mechanisms Involved in Mammalian Line-1 Retroelement Silencing are Altered by Benzo(a)Pyrene,” Diego Elias Montoya-Durango, PostDoc, University of Louisville
• “Epigenetic and miRNA Dysregulation in Liver Non-Genotoxic and Genotoxic Tumorigenesis,” Kristy Kutanzi, PostDoc, National Center for Toxicological Research
• “Oxidative Stress Based Strategies for Enhancing the Efficacy of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors (HDACi) for the Treatment of Leukemias,” Nilsa Rivera-Del Valle, Graduate Student, University of Texas

This symposium continues the previous success of GSLC (formerly Student Advisory Council) and PDA scientific collaboration at the 2009, 2010, and 2011 Annual Meetings. Please plan to attend and support the research of your student and postdoc colleagues!

Undergraduate Student Meeting

Wednesday, March 14, 4:00 PM–5:00 PM
Room 212

Chairperson(s): Sue M. Ford, St. John’s University, Jamaica, NY

Sponsor: Education Committee
                 Undergraduate Education Subcommittee
                 Toxicology Student Association at University of California Berkeley

Undergraduate students attending the meeting are encouraged to participate in an informal meeting to talk about shared interests related to career paths in toxicology, discuss undergraduate tox-related activities, clubs, and majors on their campuses, and to provide feedback to the Undergraduate Education Subcommittee.