Madeline Vera-Colón Highlighted on the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Website

Madeline Vera-Colón, a 4th year doctoral student in the Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, is currently being highlighted on the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention website.  Madeline is conducting her Ph.D. research under the guidance of Prof. Nicole zur Nieden and studies the effects of tobacco exposure on embryonic skeletal development. More information on Madeline and her research can be found on the SBDRP website.  Our congratulations to Madeline for this nice recognition.  

Toxicology Positions in California and North Carolina

The Department of Pesticide Regulations within California EPA is searching for an Environmental Manager.  More information can be found here.  

The NIEHS is searching for several positions to work with the National Toxicology Program. One is a Staff Scientist to work within the Report on Carcinogens (RoC) Group of the Integrative Health Assessment Branch (IHAB).  Two others are in the Mechanistic Toxicology Branch (MTB) conducting toxicology research using predominately in vitro bioassay systems. More information on the positions can be found here and here.

Dinner with Drew Olaharski in Boston

Last week my wife and I traveled to Boston and while there, we had dinner with ETOX alumnus Drew Olaharski.  Drew is the Executive Director and Head of Toxicology at Erasca, a pharmaceutical company which focuses on anti-cancer drugs.  It was great to visit with him and see that he is doing well both personally and professionally.  Above is a picture of Drew and me taken after dinner on the MIT campus.
 

Positions Available at the USEPA and NIEHS

The USEPA is recruiting scientists to work in its Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, and its Existing Chemicals Risk Assessment Division within its Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. More information can be found here.  

The NIEHS is recruiting a Health Scientist to join its Office of Policy, Review and Outreach.  More information can be found here.  

Our thanks to ETOX alumnus Efrem Neuwirth for passing on the information.  

New Aerosol Monitoring Site Coming to Riverside

As part of a new grant funded by the National Science Foundation, Prof. Roya Bahreini, an ETOX faculty member, will be overseeing the installation of a new aerosol monitoring site which will monitor the size and composition of aerosols in real time.  The new site is part of a nation-wide network being formed through the Aerosol Science and mEasurement NeTwork or ASCENT project led by Prof. Nga-Lee of Georgia Institute of Technology.  Three of the sites are in Southern California, one in Pico Rivera, another in Riverside and a third one in Joshua Tree National Park, which will allow changes in the aerosols to be seen as they travel from the LA metro area through the Inland Empire and into the desert.  More information on the project and Prof. Bahreini's involvement can be found on the UC Riverside News website.  Our congratulations to Roya and her colleagues for this new award. 

Prof. Bailey-Serres and Talbot Named as Highly Cited Researchers for 2021

Environmental Toxicology Program faculty members Prof. Prue Talbot and Julia Bailey-Serres, have again been recognized by being placed on the 2021 Highly Cited Researcher list compiled by Clarivate Analytics.  The list contains the researchers who have published multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science.  More information can be found on the Inside UCR website. Our congratulations to both Prue and Julia for again receiving this nice recognition.

NIEHS Training Grant in Environmental Toxicology Renewed

UC Riverside's NIEHS training grant in Environmental Toxicology has recently been renewed.  The renewal effort for this five year multi-million grant was led by Distinguished Professor Yinsheng Wang, an ETOX faculty member who will direct the training program. Profs. Wenwan Zhong and Dave Volz are co-principal investigators on the grant and will also help lead the training program. The grant will provide stipend and tuition support for 7 doctoral students and 2 postdoctoral fellows each year, and provide them with high-quality research training and coursework in areas related to environmental toxicology, chemistry, statistics and research ethics. This is the 3rd renewal of this training grant which was initially awarded in 2010.  More details on the award can be found on the Program website.  Our congratulations to Yinsheng, Wenwan, and Dave, as well as the other faculty members and former trainees who helped make the renewal possible.  

Major Training Grant Received by UCR's Stem Cell Center

UC Riverside's Stem Cell Center, led by ETOX faculty member Prof. Prue Talbot, has recently been awarded a large 5-year $5 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to train the next generation of scientists and physicians in stem cell research.  The training will involve 14 graduate programs on campus and will operate through an interdisciplinary program named TRANSCEND for Training Program to Advance Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Research, Education, and Workplace Diversity.  More information can be found on the UCR News website.  Our congratulations to Prue and her co-investigators for this important award.  

Toxicologist Position in Michigan

My thanks for ETOX alumnus Efrem Neuwirth who forwarded the following information. 

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is currently recruiting for a Toxicologist 9-P11 position within the Remediation & Redevelopment Division.  This position is located in Lansing, MI and is open to all applicants.  Interested applicants must apply through NEOGOV. 

If you are interested in obtaining more information or applying for this position, click on the link below.

Posting

Computational Toxicology Postdoctoral Position at USEPA in Duluth, Minnesota

In a collaboration with Unilever, the USEPA is looking for a postdoctoral scientist to work on a project exploring the utility of a battery of non-animal based new approach methods (NAMs) for evaluating the safety and hazard of chemicals.  The fellowship will be administered by ORISE and more information as well as the link to apply can be found on its site.  The deadline for applications is Dec. 16, 2021.  Our thanks to alumna Dr. Sara Vliet for informing us of the position. She notes that Carlie LaLone, the mentor for this project, is a fantastic postdoctoral mentor.  

Postdoctoral or Post-Masters Position in Human Health Risk Assessment

The Risk Science Center at the University of Cincinnati has an opening for a post-doc or post-masters scientist with a background in toxicology, biology, or other related field to participate in our diverse projects on organohalogen flame retardants, nanomaterials, and other industrial chemicals. The successful candidate will play a primary role in developing and implementing a class-based approach to evaluation of the health effects of and exposure to organohalogen flame retardants. This includes preparing evidence maps that summarize the availability of data and conducting class-based assessments using read-across and other approaches. A background in organic chemistry and/or (quantitative) structure activity relationships (QSAR) is a plus. This work is at the forefront of how to address human health risks from data-poor chemicals in a high-throughput manner. The position is with Dr. Lynne Haber in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine. Our group conducts applied research (literature-based, not a wet lab) in human health risk assessment, with a focus on hazard characterization, dose-response modeling, and risk characterization.

This is a temporary one-year position with full benefits, potentially renewable pending available funding. Due to Covid-19 precautions working from a remote location for flexibility may be possible. Feel free to share this information widely. Questions? Contact Lynne Haber at Lynne.Haber@uc.edu.

There are two related postings for one open position: 

 

Link for post doc fellow position

Link for post masters research scientist position

Ester Omaiye and Prue Talbot's E-cigarette Research Highlighted

The research of Ester Omaiye, an ETOX graduate student, and Professor Prue Talbot on the flavoring ingredients in e-cigarettes has recently been highlighted in UCR News.  Following the FDA ban of flavors from pod-style electronic cigarettes except for menthol and tobacco, users have discovered that flavored disposable e-cigarettes from other manufacturers are readily available.  Omaiye, Talbot and co-authors compared cytotoxicity and potential adverse effects of selected flavor chemicals and coolants in JUUL and Puff e-cigarettes.  Their results indicated that switching from JUUL to Puff e-cigarettes would expose users to higher levels of WS-23 and pulegone.  Their research suggested that the risks of cancer may be reduced by using products containing pure menthol rather than mint oils.  The UCR news article can be found here and the article in the journal Tobacco Control can be found here.  Our congratulations to Ester and Prue for their ongoing and impactful research. 

Another e-cigarette publication by Prue Talbot and former postdoc Careen Khachatoorian has also been highlighted by UCR News.  It highlights the potential effects that can occur from dermal exposure to the e-cigarette liquids directly or through exposure in vape shops.  Again, we congratulate Pure and Careen for their work.     

Staff Toxicologist Positions at DTSC Office in Southern California

The Department of Toxic Substances Control within the California Environmental Protection Agency is looking to fill two staff toxicologist positions.  The positions will be located in Orange County in the Cypress, CA office and will provide expert scientific support in the areas of toxicology, human and/or ecological risk assessment and exposure assessment.  More information can be found here.  Our thanks for ETOX alumnus Efrem Neuwirth for letting us know of these positions. 

Prof. Roya Bahreini and the UCR Salton Sea Task Force Envision Scientific Solutions to the Salton Sea's Problems

Roya Bahreini, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and an ETOX faculty member, and other members of the UCR Salton Sea Task Force have recently released a special report on the crisis at the Salton Sea and the vital role of science in addressing the related environmental problems. The report addresses anticipated water, air quality, ecological and human health problems associated with the shrinking lake and also discusses potential geothermal and mining opportunities.  Key points from the report and responses to common questions can be found in the UCR News article on the report. The result is an excellent report that hopefully will help direct California policy makers as they work to address the Salton Sea's problems. [The above photo of an obsolete dock at Desert Shores was taken by Caroline Hung and is on the cover of the report.]  

EPA Positions Available Based in San Francisco

The Superfund and Emergency Management Division in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 San Francisco Office has job opportunities for Remedial Project Managers posted at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/612513800. These job opportunities are for numerous positions based out of San Francisco for Remedial Project Manager positions working on abandoned uranium mines on Navajo Nation, other Superfund Sites on the National Priority List and Federal Facilities cleanups in Arizona, Nevada, California. Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands  To qualify for the position, applicants must meet the physical or life science education requirements and the related specialized experience described in the USAJOBS.gov announcement.  The positions are open to US citizens and the EPA is accepting applications for these positions only between Sept. 3-15, 2021.  

Yujie Men Wins Prestigious NSF Career Award

Assistant Professor Yujie Men of the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and an Environmental Toxicology Program faculty member, has been awarded a prestigious Career Award from the National Science Foundation. The award funds research that is expected to provide a foundation for the faculty member's career in integrating education and research. As described in the InsideUCR news release, Men's project focuses on understanding how micropollutants affect the development, proliferation and transmission of antibiotic resistance under environmentally relevant conditions. More details can be found in the news release link above. Our congratulations to Dr. Men on this award and recognition.   

Environmental Toxicologist or Biologist Position at US FDA

The US Food and Drug Adminstration's Center for Veterinary Medicine is searching for an environmental toxicologist or biologist to help conduct "scientific evaluations and regulatory reviews prepared to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This includes review of environmental assessments, terrestrial and/or aquatic ecotoxicology studies (e.g., soil microorganisms, plants, earthworms, dung fauna, algae, aquatic invertebrates, fish), and other data (e.g., environmental fate, transport, and exposure data) submitted by applicants of new animal drugs, feed/food additive petitions, and other types of applications." The position is in Rockville, Maryland and it available immediately.  More information can be found here. Our thanks to ETOX alumnus, Wesley Hunter, who forwarded the information to ETOX professor Jay Gan.   

Toxicologist Positions at the Institute for In Vitro Sciences

The Institute for In Vitro Sciences is looking to fill several open toxicologist and other positions in its Gaithersburg, Maryland location.  The positions include a toxicologist/study director position, a toxicologist position, a biologist position, and  respiratory toxicologist positions.  More information can be found here.  Our thanks to UCR alumna Dr. Careen Khachatoorian for directing the information to us.  

EPA Superfund Positions in Several Western States

Below is a message that I received from Emily Pimental of the USEPA. 

On Tuesday, August 3, 2021, the Superfund and Emergency Management Division in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 San Francisco Office will have job opportunities for Remedial Project Managers posted at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/609284600. These job opportunities are for numerous positions based out of San Francisco for Remedial Project Manager positions working on abandoned uranium mines on Navajo Nation, other Superfund Sites on the National Priority List and Federal Facilities cleanups in Arizona, Nevada, California. Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands  To qualify for the position, applicants must meet the physical, life, or related engineering science education requirements and the related specialized experience described in the USAJOBS.gov announcement. Please forward this notice to any relevant contacts, professional organizations, or other interested parties. 

These positions are only posted and accepting applications for a limited time (only 10 business days – from August 3-16, 2021), so please distribute notice of this announcement immediately, and apply early on USAJobs.gov to ensure applications are submitted correctly with all the required documents.   

Interested applicants need to setup their USAJobs.gov account and obtain and upload their most up-to-date resumes, academic transcripts, and other needed documents to their USAJobs.gov profile. Applicants can find the job announcement on USAJobs.gov at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/609284600 or by searching for “Environmental Protection Agency” in the Keyword field and “San Francisco, CA” in the location field. If the post does not appear, this means the job announcement has not been posted yet and the application period has not yet been opened.  

For additional information on this position, please visit the job announcement linked above.  

Martins-Green and Martinez, Faculty Mentors to Two New Goldwater Scholars

Shayan Saeed and Ryan Gates, two UCR undergraduate students have been selected as Goldwater scholars.  The Goldwater scholarship is one of the most prestigious honors given to undergraduates in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.   Shayan Saeed has worked for the past two years in the laboratory of Professor Manuela Martins-Green and Ryan Gates has worked in the lab of Ernest Martinez.  Both faculty mentors are members of the ETOX Graduate Program faculty.  More information about the scholarships and the students can be found on the UCR News website.  Our congratulations to Shayan and Ryan for these prestigious awards as well as Drs. Martins-Green and Martinez for this recognition of their mentees.  

Toxicologist Position at DTSC in Berkeley or Sacramento

Our thanks to ETOX alumnus Efrem Neuwirth who forwarded the email message below.    

"The Human and Ecological Risk Office (HERO) at the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) (CalEPA) is recruiting for a Staff Toxicologist in the Human Health Risk Assessment section.  The primarily focused is on the evaluation of the risks from contaminant exposures to human health and providing recommendations to Project Managers on risk assessment and toxicology issues such as potential cleanup levels. Our regulatory work is scientifically-driven, and our goal is to oversee and evaluate toxic impacts from contamination and provide expert input on toxicology, human and ecological risk assessment, exposure assessment, and risk communication for multiple DTSC programs throughout California. This includes programs focused on site cleanup and also the Safer Consumer Products (SCP) Program, which evaluates chemicals in products and recommends safer alternatives.  In HERO, you would have unique exposure to a wide range of work throughout the State of California. This work includes, but is not limited to, chemical specific assessments and also active and inactive military sites, private and voluntary cleanup program sites, abandoned superfund mine sites, and Title 22 permitted sites.

As a member of HERO, the Staff Toxicologist serves as a technical consultant and subject matter expert supporting other DTSC staff and management across multiple DTSC programs. In addition, the incumbent will interface with external stakeholders, including other State and Federal regulatory agencies, and facility responsible parties (RPs) and their consultants. The incumbent will conduct a wide range of technical document reviews and oversight at State and Federal-lead sites by preparing technical comments and memoranda, attending technical meetings with RPs and public stakeholders, and providing technical presentations to regulatory staff from DTSC and other state and federal agencies, plus private and public stakeholders. As a subject matter expert, the incumbent will also be expected to collaborate in the development and revision of pertinent technical guidance within the purview of DTSC.

Anyone that is interested please see the job posting at:" https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=253036

Another Successful Annual Student Symposium

On Monday June 14, the Annual Student Symposium of the Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program was held by by videoconference.  As in recent years, most of the student presentations were given during the scheduled weekly seminar series with the talks from the more senior students and postdocs presented during the symposium itself.  The symposium, the talks and the research presented were of all of high quality and were a great way for the students and faculty to find out about the graduate student research being performed at UCR.  Special thanks go to Prof. Ying-Hsuan Lin and Alexa Canchola who chaired the symposium committee as well as Roxana Coreas, Qiaoshi Jiang, Jiekai Yin and Desiree Aispuro who served on the committee and assisted with the preparations.   Our congratulations go to the following students who won awards for their presentations.  

Fukuto award: Philip Tanabe 

Seminar presentation awards
• First place: Jun Yuan, Alexa Canchola
• Second place: Benjamin Maki, Victoria McGruer

Symposium presentation awards: 

• First place: Tianyu Qi
• Second place: Roxana Coreas

First-year presentation award 

• Ching-Hsin Yang 

Audience participation awards 

• Sarah Avila-Barnard
• My (Crystal) Hua 

Alumna Nicole Sparks Profiled by Three National Organizations

The experiences of Dr. Nicole Sparks, ETOX alumna, have recently been highlighted by the Society for Birth Defects and Prevention in its "Meet a Member" feature, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in an Environmental Factor article on the MOSIAC grant program, and the Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology (FASEB) in a feature for Women's History Month on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  The articles can be found at the links above.  Our congratulations to Nicole for these nice recognitions.  [The photos are from the Society for Birth Defects and Prevention article.]

Martins-Green Receives Distinguished Service Award from the Wound Healing Society

Manuela Martins-Green, chair of the MCSB Department and ETOX faculty member, was recently awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Wound Healing Society for her contributions to the growth and development of the Society.  Prof. Martins-Green has conducted research in the area of wound healing for many years and has developed one of the most promising rodent models for studying healing in vivo.  Our congratulations to Manuela for this prestigious and well-deserved recognition. 

Ester Omaiye Receives a UC President's Dissertation Year Fellowship Award

Ester Omaiye, an ETOX graduate student working with Prof. Prue Talbot, has been awarded a UC President's Dissertation Year Fellowship to support the final year of Ester's dissertation research on electronic cigarettes and their constituents.  The award is intended to allow Ester to focus her efforts on completing her dissertation research.  More information on Ester and the award can be found on the UCR News website.  Our congratulations to Ester for this nice award and recognition.  

New Method Developed to Measure Third-hand Smoke in Common Household Fabrics

Terry cloth exposed to tobacco smoke for various periods of time, and the THS levels recovered. [Photos from Pozuelos et al. (2021) International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18:3592)]

Giovanna Pozuelos, a CMDB graduate student, Ester Omaiye, an ETOX graduate student, Prof. Prue Talbot, an ETOX faculty member and their collaborators have developed a method to allow levels of third-hand smoke (THS) components on common indoor fabrics to be rapidly assessed.  Their method should facilitate the identification of repositories of THS contaminants within homes and improve clean-up.  The work was recently highlighted in UCR News.  More information can be found here.  Our congratulations to Giovanna, Prue, Ester and their team for developing this new method.  

Risk Assessor - Toxicologist Position in Montana

The Montana State Department of Environmental Quality is looking for a Risk Assessor - Toxicologist.  As described on its website, "This position reviews and assesses risks to human health and the environment from exposure to contaminants at contaminated sites regulated by DEQ. At the Department of Environmental Quality, our ultimate goal is to protect public health and to maintain Montana’s high quality of life for current and future generations".  More information can be found here.  Again, our thanks for Patrick Wilson, EPA toxicologist and UCR alumnus, for forwarding the information.  

Toxicology and Risk Assessment Position at EPA in Chicago

The US Environmental Protection Agency is looking for a toxicologist to review and perform human health risk assessments as well as other tasks in its Chicago office.  The position is open to US citizens.  More information can be found here.  Our thanks to Patrick Wilson, EPA toxicologist and UCR alumnus for forwarding the information.  

Research on the Newest Generation of eCigarettes is Highlighted

The research of ETOX PhD student Ester Omaiye, ETOX alumna Dr. Monique Williams and ETOX Professor Prue Talbot on the 4th generation of eCigarette devices has recently been published and also highlighted in UCR News.  Their work has shown that the atomizers and other components of these devices contain a variety of metals such as nickel, chromium and iron which can be migrate into the e-fluids or aerosols, raising concerns about potential hazardous effects that may affect e-cigarette users.  Our congratulations to Ester, Monique and Prue for this recognition of their work.  [The photo above is from their PlosOne article at the above link.]

Lauren Walker Receives the Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award from the SOT

 Last week ETOX alumna Dr. Lauren Walker received the Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award from the Women in Toxicology Special Interest Group of the Society of Toxicology.  The award is given to a member of the Women in Toxicology group engaged in academic research in the area of toxicology on the basis of scientific merit and who has demonstrated leadership and service to the scientific and/or toxicology community.  Our congratulations to Lauren for this nice recognition. 

Toxicologist Position Available at the EPA Office in Atlanta, Georgia

The EPA is currently accepting applications from U.S. citizens for a Toxicologist position in the EPA Region 4 Air and Radiation Division located in Atlanta, Georgia. The vacancy announcement number is RTP-R4-DE-2021-0009 and can be viewed on USAJOBS by entering the vacancy announcement number in the Keyword search bar.  The vacancy announcement can also be directly accessed at the following link: 

https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/Results?k=RTP-R4-DE-2021-0009

 

The open period to apply continues until March 17, 2021.

Our thanks to UCR alumnus, Patrick Wilson for forwarding the information. 

Aaly Reddam Selected as Outstanding International Graduate Student

Earlier this academic year ETOX graduate student Aaly Reddam was recognized as the Outstanding International Graduate Student at UC Riverside.  A brief write-up of Aaly's accomplishments and service can be found at the UCR International Affairs website.  Our congratulations to Aaly for this nice recognition.  

Reddam and Volz' Research on Exposure to Volatile Organics During Commutes is Highlighted

The research of ETOX graduate student Aaly Reddam and Prof. David Volz on exposures to benzene, formaldehyde and other volatile organic chemicals that are present within vehicles has recently been highlighted by UCR News as well as other news outlets such as USA Today.  Their research, which was recently published in the journal Environment International, indicates that 10% of commuters in Southern California who spend more than 20 minutes a day in their cars are inhaling levels of volatile hydrocarbons that exceed the no-significant-risk levels for cancer set by the California EPA.  We congratulate Aaly and Dave on their research and the recognition that it has been receiving.  

Prof. Maggie Curras-Collazo Elected to Council of the American Physiological Society

Professor Maggie Curras-Collazo, Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology and ETOX faculty member, has recently been elected to the Council of the American Physiological Society.  Dr. Curras-Collazo's research focuses on investigating the adverse effects of flame retardants and other organohalogen compounds on the nervous system.  Our congratulations to Maggie for this nice recognition.  

UCR Researchers Investigate Converting Food Waste Back Into Food

ETOX Graduate Student Danielle Stevenson

Assistant Professor Samantha Ling

ETOX graduate student, Danielle Stevenson, and Samantha Ling, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences and ETOX faculty member have joined with other UCR researchers to investigate how fermented food waste can enhance bacteria leading to increased crop growth, increased plant resistance to pathogens, and reducing carbon emissions from farming. The study provides an example of how organic wastes from farming and consumers can be safely reused in agriculture.  The study was recently highlighted in UCR News and the study itself can be accessed here.  Our congratulations to both Danielle and Samantha for this recognition of their research.  

Toxicology positions at the EPA and the DoD - Applications Due Very Soon

 Below is information on two different toxicology positions.  

The position with the Environmental Protection Agency is in Atlanta, Georgia in Region 4, Air and Radiation Division, Air Analysis and Support Branch, Communities and Air Toxic Section.  It has an end date of Feb. 9 so applications need to be submitted soon.  More information can be found here.  

The Department of Defense position is in Edgewood, Maryland and is for a Research Pharmacologist/Research Toxicologist/Research Microbiologist/Research Chemist.  It closing date is Feb. 4, 2021 (today; sorry for the late notice).  More information can be found here. 

Our thanks to Patrick Wilson and Efrem Neuwirth for alerting us about these positions.

Two Alumnae Receive Awards from NIEHS

Allison Kupsco

Nicole Sparks

Allison Kupsco and Nicole Sparks, ETOX alumnae, recently received Pathway to Independence awards from the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences.  Allison is currently an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University and Nicole is a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Riverside. As described on the NIEHS website, the initial award provides 1-2 years of mentored, postdoctoral support.  The second phase (R00) provides up to 3 years of independent research support and is activated when the awardee accepts a full-time tenure-tract faculty position. Allison's project is entitled, "Prenatal exposures to flame retardants: mitochondrial signatures and childhood obesity", and Nicole's is "Analysis of environmentally sensitive epigenetic machinery during osteogenic differentiation".  Our congratulations to both Allison and Nicole for these career-enhancing awards and the recognition that comes with them. 

Study Press Release Is Viewed Nearly 1 Million Times

The research of Poona Deol, an Assistant Project Scientist at UCR and former ETOX postdoctoral fellow, Gwendolyn Gonzalez, an ETOX graduate student, Professors Maggie Curras-Collazo and Frances Sladek, ETOX faculty members, and their collaborators has received widespread attention with nearly a million views in 2020.  The description below is from the UCR CNAS newsletter:  Our congratulations to this group for their research and its recognition. 

"The American Association for the Advancement of Science’s EurekAlert! news site announced that the UCR press release about dangers associated with soybean oil, America’s most widely consumed oil, became the most-viewed press release in its 25-year history. The release detailed the findings of the study led by Margarita Curras-Collazo, associate professor of neuroscience, was published in the journal Endocrinology. UCR University Communications research writer Jules Bernstein was honored by AAAS’ EurekaAlert! for writing the press release." [The photo above is from the UCR News release.]

Risk Assessment Position in Montana

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is recruiting a Risk Assessor (Environmental Project Officer - 21140175) to work in its Waste Management & Remediation Division.  The announcement closes on February 11^th.  More information can be found here. 

Our thanks to Patrick Wilson, UCR Alumnus and current employee of the EPA, for alerting us to this opportunity.

Toxicologist Position in Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Office of Research and Standards (ORS) is seeking to hire an individual with a background in regulatory toxicology and risk assessment, who will be working largely in the area of PFAS and other emerging contaminants.  See the description of this position and a link to the job posting below. 

Environmental Analyst IV - (200007X0)

Description

 

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is the state agency responsible for ensuring clean air and water, the safe management of toxics and hazards, the recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, the timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources.

 MassDEP’s Office of Research and Standards (ORS) seeks applicants with training and experience in regulatory toxicology, in particular with respect to PFAS and other emerging contaminants. ORS provides scientific leadership in the areas of toxicology, risk assessment and policy to all MassDEP programs. 

Click here for more information

Our thanks to Patrick Wilson, a UCR alumnus who works at the EPA, for letting us know about this opportunity.  

Prof. Haga-Yamanaka's Research on Smell and Exercise is Highlighted

The research of Prof. Sachiko Haga-Yamanaka, an ETOX faculty member, Ted Garland and their collaborators was recently highlighted in UCR News and in various news outlets.  Their research showed that one's sense of smell may play an important roll in the motivation to exercise.  The research suggests that the perception of specific smells can influence the exercise habits of different individuals.  Their work is continuing in an attempt to identify the specific chemicals involved. More information on their research can be found at UCR News or in Psychology Today.  Our congratulations to Sachiko and her co-investigators for their work and its recognition. 

Update: Their work has also now been highlighted in Chemical and Engineering News.