Again, Environmental Toxicology Program faculty members Prof. Prue Talbot and Julia Bailey-Serres, have been recognized by being selected for the 2023 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. According to Clarivate Analytics, they are also considered to be in the top 0.1% of scientists. More information can be found on the Inside UCR website. Our congratulations to both Prue and Julia for again receiving this nice recognition.
Monday, December 18, 2023
Monday, December 11, 2023
Prof. Martinez' Research Identifies New MYC Oncogene Signaling Mechanism
Ernest Martinez, Professor of Biochemistry and ETOX faculty member, along with a team of UCR and other researchers has identified a new MYC signaling mechanism, MYC lysine-acetylation, that activates genes that transform mammary cells and drives the tumor-enhancing functions of MYC. Their research has recently been published in the journal Genes & Development and highlighted in UCR News. Our congratulations to Ernest and his collaborators for this recognition of their research. [The figure above is from their Genes & Development article.]
Monday, December 4, 2023
Chromatin Regulator that Mediates Retrovirus Silencing Identified by Prof. Song and Fellow Researchers
Jikui Song, Professor of Biochemistry and ETOX faculty member, and Jiuwei Lua, a research scientist working in his laboratory, working as part of a larger research group have recently identified TNRC18 as a regulator that mediates retrovirus silencing through trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 9. Their work has recently been published in the prestigious journal Nature. Our congratulations to Jikui, Jiuwei and their collaborators for this nice recognition of their research. [The figure above is from their Nature article.]
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Environmental Toxicology Faculty Lead in Solving Important PFAS Contamination Problems
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), widely used in industrial and consumer products, have become a major environmental and public health concern. They are known as forever chemicals because their fluorine carbon bonds are strong and extremely resistant to degradation. Four ETOX faculty, Jinyong Liu, Haizhou Liu and Yujie Men, professors of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and Ying-Hsuan Lin, a professor of Environmental Sciences, are making significant progress in identifying chemical and microbiological processes that can degrade PFAS and clean up contaminated industrial sites and water. The work of these faculty and their research teams have been highlighted in a recent article in the Fall 2023 edition of UCR Magazine. Our congratulations to Jinyong, Haizhou, Yujie and Ying-Hsuan and their research groups for this recognition of their important work.
[The figure above is from the Riverside Public Utility website.]
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Molecular Toxicology at Woods Hole
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is searching to fill an NIEHS-funded postdoctoral fellow position in molecular toxicology investigating the comparative biology, ligand specificity, and molecular evolution of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates the response of humans and other animals to endogenous and exogenous chemicals. The successful candidate will work under the mentorship of Drs. Mark Hahn, Sibel Karchner, and Jed Goldstone at Woods Hole and Dr. Joe Thornton at the University of Chicago. More information about the position can be found here. Our thanks to ETOX faculty member David Volz for informing us about the position. [The image above is from the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor entry on Wikipedia.]
Monday, November 13, 2023
Professor Yinsheng Wang, his Research Group and Collaborators Make Discovery of Mechanism Underlying Huntington's Disease
Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and ETOX faculty member Yinsheng Wang, his collaborators and his research group that included four current and former ETOX graduate students (Jiekai Yin, Yuxiang Cui, Gwendolyn Gonzalez, and Jun Yuan) have recently uncovered a new mechanism that indicates that RNA methylation on CAG repeats plays a role in Huntington’s disease. Their work was recently published in the journal Nature. More information on their research can be found in a UCR News article. Our congratulations to Yinsheng, Jiekai, Yuxiang, Gwendolyn and Jun for this interesting and groundbreaking article. [The figure above is from their Nature article.]
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Prof. Mirhi Ozkan Investigates Carbon-Capturing Materials
A research team led by Dr. Mihri Ozkan, a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and an ETOX faculty member, has recently conducted an exhaustive analysis of extremely thin MXene and MBene compounds, which because of their large surface area, have the potential to absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If their research continues to be successful, these compounds will help reduce the harmful effects associated with climate change by safely capturing carbon dioxide. Their work has recently been published in the journal Chem and was the focus of a UCR News article. Our congratulations to Mihri and her collaborators for their innovative and impactful research. [The figure above is from their Chem article.]
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Ester Omaiye Receives a TRDRP Postdoctoral Award
Esther Omaiye, an ETOX alumna currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Prue Talbot, an ETOX faculty member, has been awarded a three-year grant from the University of California’s Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) to investigate how ratios of solvents and chemical mixtures in e-cigarettes influence their in vitro toxicity. As described in an Inside UCR news article about the award, Dr. Omaiye indicates that “As a postdoctoral researcher, I want to understand how certain combinations of these chemicals influence the toxicity of the aerosols generated from e-cigarettes.... Performing the experiments in controlled lab settings will help provide data supporting the regulations of e-cigarette chemical constituents concerning their use and health effects. I am very excited about the opportunity TRDRP has given me.” Our congratulations to Ester for receiving this nice award.
Friday, September 1, 2023
Professor Yinsheng Wang Receives ACS Founders' Award
Professor Yinsheng Wang, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and ETOX faculty member, recently received the 2023 Founders'Award from the Division of Chemical Toxicology of the American Chemical Society at its annual meeting in San Francisco. Above is a photo of Yinsheng receiving the award from Michael Stone, the Division President. The plaque reads "For seminal contributions to the field of Chemical Toxicology". Our congratulations to Yinsheng for this nice recognition of his many and significant research contributions.
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Postdoctoral Fellow in Genetic Toxicology at NIEHS
A postdoctoral position is available in the Systems Toxicology Branch in the Division of the National Toxicology Program (DTT) at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Please note that the position is in an office-based scientific environment. This position is for a discipline-specific fellowship in the field of genetic toxicology that will be applicable to careers in regulatory science and industrial toxicology. The fellow will gain understanding of key genetic toxicity testing approaches that have Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) test guidelines as well as genetic toxicity testing batteries. The fellow will also gain experience with genetic toxicity assays that provide information on the mode-of-action or mechanism-of-action of genotoxicants, such as error-corrected next generation sequencing and multiplexed biomarker assays.
The genetic toxicity testing program at the DTT offers a wide range of opportunities for fellow involvement. A suite of activities with defined products (manuscripts, contributions to DTT Technical Reports and Toxicity Reports, reviews, etc.) can be tailored based on the fellow’s interests, skills, and career goals. Furthermore, the fellow will participate in the design and interpretation of appropriate in vivo and in vitro genetic toxicology studies, which are aligned to DTT strategic scientific priorities and primarily conducted at an external contract research organization (CRO). Emphasis will be placed on understanding the study workflow from design through execution to analysis and reporting.The fellow will have extensive interaction with divisional staff in scientific disciplines such as chemistry, pathology, genetic toxicology, toxicokinetics, toxicogenomics, informatics, statistics, and molecular biology. The curriculum will also include a number of specific experiences (such as CRO site visits and interaction with external stakeholders in the regulatory sciences at other government agencies) that fellows are expected to undertake during their tenure as well as specifically tailored experiences based on the fellow’s identified career interest, if applicable.
The successful applicant will have formal training or experience in one or more areas of: toxicology, genetic toxicology, cellular and molecular biology, biotechnology, DNA replication, DNA damage response, DNA repair, mechanisms of genome maintenance, mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, genomic techniques (e.g., DNA sequencing) and related bioinformatics analyses, in silico methods for prediction of genotoxicity, methods of in vivo to in vitro extrapolation (IVIVE). The successful applicant will also have excellent writing and oral communication skills and will demonstrate a clear interest in working in a highly matrixed, team science environment....
Eligibility: To be eligible for a postdoctoral training fellowship at the DTT, applicants may not possess more than five years of postdoctoral experience and must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent in toxicology or an allied science (e.g., cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, genomics, bioinformatics, biotechnology, or closely related discipline), M.D., D.V.M., or other equivalent professional degree. All applicants receive consideration without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, age (with statutory exceptions), or any other non-merit factor.
How to Apply: Applications should be submitted by the closing date (see below) and include:
• Curriculum vitae.
• A one-page cover letter in which the applicant describes their background, how their doctoral training has prepared them for a fellowship, and what they hope to achieve if accepted into the program.
• Names and contact information for three references.
Applications should be submitted at: Please submit your application to Dr. Stephanie Smith-Roe via email by October 6, 2023. stephanie.smith-roe@nih.gov
Friday, August 25, 2023
Professor Jay Gan Receives Grant to Provide a More Sustainable Water and Food Supply
Jay Gan, Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and an ETOX faculty member, has recently received a major grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop new approaches leading to a more sustainable use of water supplies and to reduce the use of harmful chemicals in food. More information on the grant and Dr. Gan's research can be found in an Inside UCR article. Our congratulations to Jay for this recognition of his research and ideas.
Friday, August 18, 2023
Professor Changcheng Zhou Receives a Prestigious RIVER Award from the NIEHS
Professor Changcheng Zhou, faculty member of the Biomedical Sciences Division and ETOX faculty member, was one of only five scientists selected this year by the NIEHS to receive a Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary Environmental Health Research, or RIVER, award. This prestigous award provides 8 years of funding to established researchers and supports groundbreaking projects in environmental health sciences. With the award, Changcheng and his laboratory will investigate how interactions between genes and endocrine disrupting chemicals may increase cardiovascular disease risk. More information about the award can be found on the UCR News website as well as on the NIEHS website. Our congratulations to Changcheng and his research group for this impressive award and recognition. I might mention that UCR (and the ETOX Program) now has two RIVER awardees on campus as Professor Yinsheng Wang also received one several years ago. [Photo is from the UCR News article.]
Sunday, August 13, 2023
New Protein Involved in Mitochrondrial DNA Repair Identified
New research by Linlin Zhao and Chia-En Chang, professors of Chemistry and ETOX faculty members, and their graduate students on the Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A (TFAM) has shown that, in addition to helping package DNA in the mitochondria, this protein is also involved in the repair of damaged DNA bases. Their work was recently published in the journal ACS Chemical Biology and highlighted in UCR News. Our congratulations to Linlin, Chia-En and their students for this recognition of their work. [The image above is from the UCR News article.]
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Research Shows High Intake of Soybean Oil Induces Colitis in Mice
Recent research by Prof. Frances Sladek, an ETOX faculty member, Prof. James Borneman, Research Scientist Poonam Deol (shown above in photo from UC Riverside News) and colleagues has shown that the consumption of elevated levels of soybean oil by mice alters the bacterial microflora in the gut and resulted in a high incidence of colitis - a form of inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, characterized by chronic inflammation of the large intestine. Their studies indicate that olive oil, which has lower amounts of linoleic acid, is a healthier oil to consume. Their work was published in the journal Gut Microbes. A news release with more detail can be found at UC Riverside News.
More recently, their work has also been featured on an ABC7 Eyewitness News segment in the Southern California area. Our congratulations to Frances, Poonam and James for the recognition of their research.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Discovery Leading to Potential Degradation of Select PFAS Chemicals by Professors Men and Liu is Highlighted
Professors Yujie Men, Jinyong Liu, ETOX faculty members, graduate student Bosen Jin and colleagues have discovered two strains of bacteria which are capable of degrading chlorinated forms of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are so resistant to degradation that they are called forever chemicals. The newly identified bacteria offer hope that a low cost approach can be found to degrade the PFAS class of chemicals. Their work has recently been published in the journal Nature Water. Their work has resulted in a UCR News article and a brief mention in the Christian Science Monitor. Our congratulations to Bosen, Yujie, Jinyong for the recognitions of their work. [The above illustration is from the UCR News article.]
Toxicologist/Biologist Positions, Including Ones for Recent Graduates
The EPA Office overseeing the Toxic Substances Control Act has openings for toxicologists and other environmental scientists. One set of these positions are focused specifically on recent graduates. Below are two screen shots with information on the various positions. Hopefully the QR codes will work when scanned with your smartphone. Here is a link to USAJobs posting shown in the first screenshot below. Our thanks to alumna Sharada Balakrishnan for letting us know about the positions.
Friday, July 21, 2023
Madeline Vera-Colón Receives HESI Professional Development Award
Toxicologist Positions at California EPA's Department of Toxic Substances Control
The Department of Toxic Substances Control within the California Environmental Protection Agency is looking to hire several toxicologists. The positions can be held at either the Northern or Southern California DTSC offices. More information on the positions and on how to apply can be found here. Our thanks to ETOX Alumnus Efrem Neuwirth for letting us know about the positions.
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
2023 - Another Successful Annual Student Symposium
On Friday May 26, the Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program held its Annual Student Symposium. The event featured platform and poster presentations, GSA activities and breakfast, lunch and a dinner where the awards were announced. The day was a great success with many fine presentations. The 1st place or Fukuto Award for Best Student Presentation was won by Ben Maki and Alexa Canchola. The 2nd place or Honorable Mention prize went to Garrit Clabaugh. The best 1st-year student presentation award went to John Hoang, and Ting Zhao received the best 2nd year presentation award. Lastly, Prof. Min Xue was recognized with the Best Mentor Award. A special thanks goes to the Student Symposium Committee (David Alfaro, Garrit Clabaugh, John Hoang, Wonsik Woo, Desiree Aispuro, Nicole Dennis, Andrew Kellum, Sarah Avila-Barnard, Rebecca Hernandez, Ben Maki, Alexa Canchola (Student Chair) and Prof. Min Due, Faculty Chair)) who organized the event, and to Prof. Wenwan Zhong, who directs the Graduate Program and keeps it running smoothly. Below are pictures taken by Fidel Rivas, Student Services Officer, and others.
Environmental Scientists Positions in the Safer Consumer Products Program at DTSC
California EPA's Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has multiple openings for environmental scientists in its Safer Consumer Products Program located in its Northern and Southern California offices. More information about the positions can be found on the CalCareers website. The Program will also be having a virtual open house on Friday June 9, 2023 to discuss these and other positions. The link to register for the open house is here. Our thanks to UCR Alumnus Scott Coffin for letting us know about these positions.
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Elevated Manganese Levels in California Central Valley Water
Recent studies by ETOX graduate student Miranda Aiken, Professor Samantha Ying and colleagues measured and modeled the manganese concentrations in private wells and community drinking water supplies in the Central Valley of California. Their studies indicated that a significant number of Californians, frequently living in disadvantaged communities, may be drinking Mn-containing water at levels that may increase their risk for neurological symptoms. Their work was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology and has attracted the attention of various news outlets such as the University of California News, the Hanford Sentinel and the DailyMail.com. Our congratulations to Miranda and Samantha for this recognition of their research.
Monday, May 22, 2023
Multigenerational Effects Article by Zhou and Chen Selected as Paper of the Month by NIEHS
The paper on potential multigenerational effects of a component of plastics by Changcheng Zhou (photo above) and Qi Chen, professors in the Biomedical Sciences Division and Environmental Toxicology faculty members, and their colleagues (highlighted in the Feb. 24, 2023 post on this blog) was recently selected by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences as its paper of the month. More information on the recognition is available in this Inside UCR news article. Our congratulations for Changcheng and Qi for this recognition of their work.
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Roxana Coreas Selected as a 2023 CAS Future Leader
Dr. Roxana Coreas, an ETOX alumna currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley, was recently selected as a 2023 Future Leader by the CAS Division of the American Chemical Society. As described on the CAS website, the Future Leaders program "supports the growth of science leadership potential among early-career scientists. Since 2010, the program has awarded Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars with opportunities to network with peer scientists from around the world, connect with industry thought leaders, and take part in science leadership training." Our congratulations to Roxana on this nice recognition.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Virtual Career Day on April 26, 2023 and Multiple Positions Open at CalEPA
The California Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a virtual career day on April 26 between 11 am and 1 pm (Pacific time). The agency has multiple openings for toxicology and environmental science positions in both its Sacramento and Oakland offices. A listing of current toxicology-related positions at OEHHA (one of the CalEPA offices) can be found on its website. Click here to register for the Virtual Career Day.
Thursday, April 6, 2023
Donate to the T. Roy Fukuto Fund on UCR's Give Day
UC Riverside is sponsoring a special Day of Giving to encourage donations to various programs on campus. You can donate directly to the T. Roy Fukuto Fund which provides funding to allow graduate students to travel to professional meetings and present their research. Please use this link to donate. Thank you for your support.
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Esther Omaiye Elected as Postdoctoral Representative to SCCSOT Executive Committee
Dr. Esther Omaiye, ETOX Alumna, has recently been elected as the postdoctoral representative to the Southern California Chapter of the Society of Toxicology Executive Committee. Our congratulations to Ester for this recognition. We appreciate her service to the toxicology community in Southern California.
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Two Toxicology and Risk Assessment Positions at DTSC in Sacramento or Oakland, California
The Department of Toxic Substances Control within California EPA has an opening for a toxicologist or risk assessor for its Sacramento or Oakland, California offices. As described on the CalCareers website, "The Department of Toxic Substances Control is seeking a person who is passionate about protecting our communities from the effects of exposure to chemical contamination in the environment. The successful candidate will be not only knowledgeable, but also a good communicator, dedicated to public service, and someone who cares about others. Our Toxicologists work on a wide variety of projects including clean ups, hazardous waste regulation and safer consumer products. The Staff Toxicologist (Specialist) independently provides expert scientific support in the areas of toxicology, human and/or ecological risk assessment and exposure assessment, along with a variety of more difficult tasks directly related to toxicology and risk assessment." More information can be found at the CalCareers link. Our thanks to ETOX alumnus Efrem Neuwirth who contacted us about the position.
Efrem contacted us about the availability of another DTSC position located in Sacramento. More information about the second position can be found here.
Friday, February 24, 2023
Professors Zhou and Chen Uncover Multigenerational Effects of Dicyclohexyl Phthalate
Changcheng Zhou and Qi Chen, professors in the Biomedical Sciences Division and Environmental Toxicology faculty members, and their colleagues have recently investigated the effects of paternal exposure to dicyclohexyl phthalate, or DCHP, on the metabolism of first generation (F1) and second generation (F2) offspring in mice. As described in a UCR News article, "the researchers found that paternal DCHP exposure for four weeks led to high insulin resistance and impaired insulin signaling in F1 offspring. The same effect, but weaker, was seen in F2 offspring." Their research indicates that "paternal exposure to endocrine disrupting phthalates may have intergenerational and transgenerational adverse effects on the metabolic health of their offspring". The research article has recently been published in Environment International. Our congratulations to Chengchang and Qi for this recognition of their important research.
[The figure above is from the authors' Environment International article.]
Toxicology and Risk Assessment Position with EPA in Midwest
The EPA Region 7 has an opening for a person with a toxicology and risk assessment background in its Lenexa, Kansas office. The position is described as follows: Review literature, implements, and develops new methods in human health risk assessment and toxicology; Prepare reports and recommendations; and, Scientific collaboration. More information can be found here. Our thanks to ETOX alumnus Efrem Neuwirth for forwarding information about the position.
Friday, February 17, 2023
Toxicologist Position at Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has an opening for a toxicologist in its Office of Research Standards (ORS), with a focus on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and other persistent contaminants. In this position, the successful applicant will be responsible for completing complex technical assessments of chemical toxicities and risks for priority PFAS and other emerging contaminants; assisting in the development of policy and method recommendations for standards and guidelines for such chemicals to protect public health; and conducting research in these and related areas. More information can be found here. Review of applications will begin on Feb. 23, 2023.
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Gonzalez and Wang Help Identify New Enzyme Involved with COVID-19 Infection
Dr. Gwendolyn Gonzalez, ETOX alumna and Yinsheng Wang, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and ETOX faculty member, were part of a research team led by Tariq Rana of UC San Diego that identified a new enzyme called, as described in the UC San Diego Today article, "phosphorylated CTD-interacting factor 1 or PCIF1, which regulates cellular entry through the mediation of N6,2-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am) activity, an evolutionarily conserved and abundant mRNA modification. The researchers found that PCIF1 promotes the stability of both ACE2 and TMPRSS2 mRNAs, sustaining two key entry factors for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses." Their article has recently been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Our congratulations to Gwendolyn and Yinsheng for this recognition of their important work.
Photo credit of human cell (purple) infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles shown in yellow: NIH at https://www.nih.gov/2020/20200804-covid.jpg-1
Saturday, January 14, 2023
UCR Scientists Uncover Method to Destroy "Forever" Chemicals
Oil and Gas Toxicologist Position Available at CalEPA in Sacramento or Oakland
The Air and Climate Epidemiology Section (ACES) of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), part of California Environmental Protection Agency, is searching for an oil and gas toxicologist to work either in their Sacramento or Oakland (Bay Area) office. ACES provides technical support for the analysis of benefits and impacts in communities from greenhouse gas limits adopted by the Air Resources Board (ARB), analysis of health risks from oil and gas operations, and the identification of California communities burdened by multiple sources of pollution and population vulnerabilities. ACES also provides technical assistance to other programs in OEHHA, CalEPA, and other California government entities. This position supports OEHHA’s work in collaboration with ARB to identify hazards and characterize potential risks in California communities from ongoing oil and gas production activities and from unanticipated events such as the natural gas leak at Aliso Canyon.
Under general direction of the Senior Toxicologist, the Staff Toxicologist (Specialist) to be hired will act as a subject matter expertise in health risks from chemicals associated with oil and gas production, leading the development of assessments of nearby communities based on air monitoring data collected by ARB as well other relevant information.
More information on the Sacramento position can be found on the CalCareers website.
Similarly, information on the Oakland position can also be found on the CalCareers website.