ETOX Program was Well Represented at SOT Meeting in San Diego

Quite a few Environmental Toxicology Program students, faculty and alumni attended the SOT meeting in San Diego. It was great to see some of them, and take their photo (see below).  

Prof. David Eastmond with my first Ph.D. student Dr. Hongwei (Victor) Chen

Alumnae Drs. Aali Reddam (on left) and Sarah Avila-Barnard (on right) with David Eastmond (center). We are in front of Sarah's poster. 

2024 Graduate Dr. Alexa Canchola

Prof. Prue Talbot with alumna Dr. Lauren Walker

David Eastmond and alumna Dr. Crystal Hua

After lunch with alumni Sharada Balakrishnan (on left) and Efrem Neuwirth (on right) and David Eastmond (center) 

Current student John Hoang

Madeline Vera-Colon Receives BMS Research Training Award at the Society of Toxicology Meeting

Madeline Vera-Colon, an ETOX M.S. alumna and current Ph.D. student at UC Irvine received the Bristol Myers Squibb Graduate Student Research Training Award to Promote Diversity in Toxicology.  Madeline works in the laboratory of Professor Nicole Sparks, another ETOX alumna.  The award was presented during the recent Society of Toxicology meeting San Diego.  Both Madeline and Nicole were invited to the podium. Several photos from the award ceremony are below. Our congratulations to Madeline on this well deserved award.  

Environmental Toxicology Faculty Recognized at 2026 UCR Awards Reception

On March 5, 2026, UC Riverside held a Faculty Recognition Reception at the Riverside Convention Center in downtown Riverside to recognize faculty on campus who had been promoted or were recipients of national awards.  The Environmental Toxicology Faculty were well represented.  Below are the names and recognitions received by our faculty. More information about the event can be found in a recent Inside UCR News article. 

Promotion to Associate Professor with tenure: Sihem Cheloufi and Jernej Murn.

Advancement to Professor Step VI: Jikui Song. 

Manuela Martins-Green - Elected as Fellow of the Wound Healing Society and as a member of its Board of Directors.

Mihri Ozkan - Selected for the Invention Ambassador Award by the National Academy of Inventors.

Changcheng Zhou Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Our congratulations to these faculty members for their promotions and recognitions.  [The photo above of Mihri Ozkan (on right) and her husband Cenziz Ozkan is from the Inside UCR article.]

Prof. Martins-Green Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wound Healing Society

Manuela Martins-Green, Professor of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, and an ETOX faculty member, has been selected to receive the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wound Healing Society. As described in an Inside UCR article on the award, the award is "given to an individual who has been recognized and nominated by their peers in the field, The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the work of a scientist who has provided leadership or made significant discovery in the field of wound healing and advanced wound care and research.... Martins-Green will receive the award at a ceremony on April 10 during the annual meeting of the WHS in Charlotte, North Carolina. She said she is “deeply honored and grateful” to receive the award in recognition of her efforts to advance wound healing research and treatment".