Holiday Greetings

Below are several photos from this year's Christmas lights display at the Mission Inn in downtown Riverside.  I wish you all a happy holiday season. 

Yingsheng Wang's Research in Nature

Our congratulations to ETOX director Yingsheng Wang, his collaborators, and his research team whose work has found that the skin pigment mainly found in red-haired, fair-skinned individuals may contribute to the elevated risks experienced by these individuals for developing melanoma.  The work was published in the Oct. 31 issue of Nature.  For additional information, please seen this article in UCR Today.  

Photos from the ETOX Fall Social

Friday evening Oct. 12, ETOX Director Yinsheng Wang and his wife Shuli hosted a social at their home.  It was a nice evening with good food and great company and allowed us to get acquainted with the new graduate students.  Below are some photos from the event.  Our thanks for Yinsheng and Shui for hosting the get-together.

UCR well represented at SCC SOT meeting

The Southern California Chapter of the Society of Toxicology held its annual meeting on Oct.4 in Carlsbad, California at the ISIS Pharmaceutical facility.  The focus of the day's meeting was on epigenetics but also had a keynote presentation from Tom Kensler from the University of Pittsburgh/Johns Hopkins.  UCR was well represented with 13 in attendance - 9 graduate students (most from ETOX but several from CMDB program), 1 undergrad, 2 postdocs and 1 faculty member.  A number of the students presented their research and Ashley Swanson's poster was selected for the 3rd place award.  Our congratulations to Ashley and the other students for attending and presenting their research.  Below are photos from the event.

 Nicole, Dr. Eastmond, Ivan, Ashley, Pavan, Sandeep, and Poonam.  [The photo was taken by Virunya Bhat.] 

 Vasundhra, Sabrina, Rachel and Monique

 Nicole Sparks with her poster

 Vasundhra Bahl with her poster

Ashley Swanson receiving her poster award from Andrew Seacat, the SCC SOT President.

Ashley Swanson wins poster award

Ashley Swanson, a current ETOX student working in Dr. Yinsheng Wang's lab, was selected for the best student poster award from the Chemical Toxicology Division at the 244th annual meeting of the American Chemistry Society that was held in August in Philadelphia.  Her poster presentation was entitled, "Two polymerase model for accurate and efficient bypass at 8,5'-cyclopurine-2'-deoxynucleotides".  Below is a picture of Ashley and her poster.  Our congratulations to Ashley for this nice recognition. 

Postdoctoral position - Johns Hopkins CAAT

The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing is searching for a postdoctoral fellow to map toxicity pathways, analyze and integrate multiple different data streams including, high-throughput screening data from the EPA ToxCast project.  For more information contact:

Dr. Andre Kleensang
Research Associate
akleensa@jhsph.edu
Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT)
Johns Hopkins University
Bloomberg School of Public Health
615 N. Wolfe St., W7032
Baltimore, MD, 21205
phone: +1-410-614-4971
fax: +1-410- 614-2871 

Spotlight on Bob Krieger's Research

 For many years ETOX faculty member, Bob Krieger (pictured above) and his graduate students have studied pesticide exposure in farm workers.  Their research on exposure to strawberry workers was recently spotlighted by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources online news.  The article describing his work can be found here.  Be sure to watch the online video which features Gayatri Sankaran (pictured above), one of his ETOX graduate students, and Bob describing their work.  Our congratulations to Bob and Gayatri for this recognition of their research. 

Spotlight on Yinsheng Wang's research

Our congratulations to Yinsheng Wang, Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, whose research was recently spotlighted in UCR Today.  His research group recently published an article in Nature Chemical Biology describing a quantitative assay for assessing the effects of DNA lesions on transcription.  The news release in UCR Today can be accessed here and the article can be accessed here.  

Associate Toxicologist Position at OEHHA

From ETOX alumna Karen Riveles (Ph.D. 2004; Talbot lab)

"The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is recruiting for an Associate Toxicologist. Please encourage those graduating or close to graduating to submit an exam application to get on the Associate Tox list. Then, once on the list, they are eligible to apply for vacancies. We now have three UCR grads in our office! It is a great place to work!"

This is to announce that the Air Toxicology and Epidemiology Branch is recruiting to fill an Associate Toxicologist position.  For more information about this position, please click on the this link.

Photos from the ETOX Annual Student Symposium

Below are photos from this year's annual ETOX student symposium.  Our thanks to ETOX student Neeti Riar who was the photographer.

 

Presentation winners at the annual ETOX student symposium

The Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program Annual Student Symposium was held on June 21 this year.  Unfortunately, I was not able to attend and so I don't have pictures of the event.  The winners of the best student presentation awards are listed below. 

Fukuto Award:
Ashley Swanson

Honorable mention:
Katy Zimmermann
Shuo Liu
Gayatri Sankaran

Best First-year Presentation:
Pengcheng Wang

Our congratulations to these students for their fine work and excellent presentations.

Lindley Maryoung receives regional SETAC award

The poster presentation by Lindley Maryoung, a 2nd year ETOX student working with Dan Schlenk, was selected as the best student poster presentation at the Southern California regional SETAC meeting that was recently held in Costa Mesa, California.  Her presentation was entitled, "Impacts of hypersaline acclimation on the acute toxicity of chlorpyrifos in salmonids".  Dr. Ramon Lavado and Dr. Daniel Schlenk was co-authors on the poster.  Our congratulations to Lindley on this nice recognition. 

Postdoctoral position at EPA

National Center for Environmental Assessment - Research Triangle Park Division has a postdoctoral research participant position posted on the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education program. The postdoctoral researchers would participate in analyses and contribute to scientific assessment activities related to the health and environmental effects of the criteria air pollutants (nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and lead).

At present, we are seeking postdoctoral candidates with expertise in the areas of:
- Ecology
- Biostatistics
- Biology/Toxicology/Health Sciences

Announcement:
http://orise.orau.gov/science-education/internships-scholarships-fellowships/description.aspx?JobId=380

Please feel free to circulate this announcement, or call if you have any questions. Thank you.

Mary A. Ross, Ph.D.
Environmental Media Assessment Group
National Center for Environmental Assessment
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Mail Code B243-01
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
919-541-5170 (phone)
919-541-1818 (fax)
ross.mary@epa.gov

Postdoctoral position at FDA

I received the information below from my colleague Dan Levy at the FDA.

The FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has a training position for a post doctoral toxicologist responsible for exposure and safety/hazard/risk assessments of food borne contaminants. The incumbent often provides comments on and participates in formulating guidelines for science policy concerning food substances, particularly when it concerns methods of assessment for estimating exposure to food-born environmental contaminants. The incumbent also often provides comments in response to requests for advisory opinions sent to the Agency concerning such dietary exposure assessments. The best candidates will be able to demonstrate strong quantitative skills and a background or interest in dose response modeling.  Training is under the auspices of the Oak Ridge Institute for Scientific Education (http://see.orau.org/ProgramDescription.aspx?Program=10105 ).  Appointment is for 1 year with renewals for up to 5 years.  This is a non-laboratory research position located in College Park, MD.  Interested candidates should contact me at dan.levy@fda.hhs.gov

Director of Genetic Toxicology position at Merck

Director of Genetic Toxicology-PRE000311

Job Description

This position entails managing a genetic toxicology group that supports all aspects of drug development.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Working with drug discovery scientists to help select non genotoxic molecules and metabolites, by understanding the chemical structures and by designing appropriate genotoxicity screening strategies
Overseeing genetic toxicology testing in support of regulatory filings
Collaborating with chemists in drug synthesis design and analytical sciences for proactive control of potentially mutagenic impurities
Collaborating with toxicologists and regulatory staff to develop strategies to resolve regulatory and safety issues related to genetox in drug development, at all stages from early clinical development through mature products, including impurities/degradates.
Collaborating with investigative toxicology groups to incorporate DNA damage and genetic toxicology endpoints into early safety screening.   Assessing new test methods and screening strategies

Qualifications

Education Minimum Requirement:
Advanced degree in biological/biochemical sciences, with a minimum of 6 years post-doctoral experience.
Required Experience and Skills:
Broad knowledge and hands-on experience both in fundamental genetic toxicology, and in understanding of regulatory guidelines.
Recognition for their expertise in the genetic toxicology field, with appropriate publication record and participation in collaborative projects across organizations.
Extensive experience in carrying out genetic toxicology testing to support regulatory filings, and to support selecting and development of new drug candidates.  
In depth experience in problem solving related to regulatory issues and to drug discovery genetox strategies in the pharmaceutical industry.
Expertise in chemistry of structure-activity-relationships for mutagenic potential and understanding of drug metabolism is necessary to contribute to providing advice to drug discovery programs, to Process Chemistry for control of impurities, and to occupational health testing. 
Excellent communication and collaboration skills
Preferred  Experience and Skills - 
Experience in managing a group.
Knowledge of chemical carcinogenesis. Experience in toxicology and drug development an advantage for potential opportunities in managing drug development projects
Our employees are the key to our company's success.  We demonstrate our commitment to our employees by offering a competitive and valuable rewards program.  Merck's benefits are designed to support the wide range of goals, needs and lifestyles of our employees, and many of the people that matter the most in their lives.

To be considered for this position, please visit our career site at www.merck.com/careers to create a profile and submit your resume for requisition # PRE000311.  Merck is an equal opportunity employer, M/F/D/V - proudly embracing diversity in all of its manifestations.

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully: 
Merck is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity.  Please, no phone calls or emails.  All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Merck via-email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Merck.  No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Merck as a result of the referral or through other means.

Carl Cranor named to California Biomonitoring Board

Carl F. Cranor, an ETOX faculty member and professor of philosophy, has been appointed to the Scientific Guidance Panel of the California Environmental Contaminant Biomonitoring Program.  As described in the article in UCR Today, the Scientific Guidance Panel makes recommendations about the biomonitoring program’s design and implementation — including the identification of chemicals that are a priority for monitoring in California — and providing scientific peer review.  Our congratulations to Carl on his most recent appointment. 

Janet Arey wins Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award

ETOX faculty member Janet Arey was recently awarded the Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award for Air Pollution Research by the California EPA Air Resources Board (ARB) in recognition of her lasting contributions to the health and well-being of Californians.  Our congratulations to Janet for this well deserved honor.  Below is a picture of Janet with the award as well as ETOX alumni Eric Kwok, Al Alvarado, and Pamela Gupta who work at the ARB.  ETOX faculty member Roger Atkinson (the 2004 winner of the same award) and Ralph Propper, a long-time associate at the ARB.  More information about the award can  be found at the CalEPA website.   

New Associate Professor Meets Dean

Our congratulations to ETOX alumna Xiaoqin Ye who was recently promoted to Associate Professor at the University of Georgia.  She was recently asked to give a seminar at University of Massachusetts, Boston where she met Andrew Grosovsky, a long-time ETOX faculty member who is currently the Dean of Science at U. Mass, Boston.  Below is a great picture of the two of the new associate professor and the Dean.

Photo of Eduardo de la Pena and colleagues

Below are two photos from the recent visit of Eduardo de al Pena and his two Spanish colleagues.  Eduardo was a visiting scientist in my lab about 15 years ago.  He seems to have found the fountain of youth as he doesn't seem to have changed.

David Eastmond and Eduardo de la Pena

 Eduardo de la Pena, Dr. Guillermina Font, David Eastmond, Dr. Delafuente

Postdoctoral fellow positions at the EPA in North Carolina

Bob Sonawane forwarded information on the availability of postdoctoral fellows at the EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment in Research Triangle Park, NC.  These particular positions are intended for soon-to-be or recent college graduates (within 5 years of graduation) and the positions are managed through ORISE.  More information on these and other ORISE positions can be found here. 

UCR ETOX group well represented at the SOT meeting

The UCR ETOX program was well represented at the Society of Toxicology meeting that took place earlier this week in San Francisco.  Sixteen of us had an enjoyable get together for dinner Tuesday night at the Basil Thai restaurant.  Below are photos from the dinner as well as a few from the meeting.  [My apologies to the many other students, alumni and faculty in attendance that I missed.] 

 Counter-clockwise from right, Alvaro Alvarado, Bjarte Furnes, Sharada Balakrishnan, Elizabeth Eastmond, Dave Eastmond, Chris Banks, Karen Riveles, Prue Talbot, Aileen Maldonado, Neeti Riar, and Pavan Gollapudi.  Lindley Maryoung took the picture. 

From back right to left, Elizabeth Eastmond, Dave Eastmond, Chris Banks, Jennifer (friend), Karen Riveles, Ray Talbot, Aileen Maldonado (an Environmental Sciences graduate student)

 Prue Talbot and Karen Riveles

 Victor (Hongwei) Chen and Jennifer Sasaki

 Virunya Bhat and Pavan Gollapudi

Pavan Gollapudi and Dave Eastmond in front of Pavan's poster

Old ETOX Group Photo

Yesterday, Eduardo de la Pena, a scientist from Spain who spent a year working in my lab dropped by to visit.  It reminded me of a photo from about 1995 that was taken of many of the Environmental Toxicology group during an earthquake drill when Elizabeth, my wife, just happened to be walking by on her way to her photography lab with her camera.  Below is the picture.  Eduardo is kneeling in the front on the right.