ETOX Field Trip to the Stringfellow Hazardous Waste Site

On April 14, 2026, Linlin Zhao, Director of the Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, led a group of students to the infamous Stringfellow Acid Pits hazardous waste site in Jurupa Valley, a community near Riverside, CA.  The group met with site personnel and officials from California's Department of Toxic Substances Control who helped them learn firsthand about the site’s complex history and the extensive remediation strategies taking place at the Pyrite Canyon Treatment Facility. Those on the trip indicated that "seeing how science, policy, and environmental stewardship come together in real-world applications made this visit truly impactful".  My thanks to Linlin for providing the above photo of the group at the Stringfellow site.  

Consulting Positions at TRC Companies

TRC Companies (the Strategic Health Sciences, specifically its Product Stewardship group) is looking to fill two Principal/Senior Scientist leader positions (10+ years experience). The company has a diverse specialty in consulting that focuses on toxicology, risk assessment, applied research, product stewardship, etc.  The job location is Herndon, VA or Pittsburgh, PN, but can also be remote.  Please follow the links below for more information.

Senior Scientist - Strategic Health Sciences | TRC Companies, Inc. | LinkedIn 

Senior Scientist - Strategic Health Sciences in Herndon, Virginia | Careers at Herndon, VA

Our thanks to ETOX alumna Crystal Hua, who works for TRC Companies, for letting us know about these positions.   

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". 

John Hoang Wins 1st Place in the SCCSOT Abstract Competition

Current ETOX student John Hoang recently won 1st place in the abstract competition at the fall meeting of the Southern California Chapter of the Society of Toxicology (SCCSOT).  The SCCSOT newsletter announcing the awards noted that "Following a rigorous application review process by our committee, these individuals were selected for their scientific merit, clarity, and impact on the field of toxicology". Our congratulations to John for this nice recognition.  [The above photo is from the SCCSOT newsletter.]

Researchers Warn of Potential Hazard of Second Hand Vaping Aerosols

ETOX student Wonsik Woo, his advisor Prof. Ying-Hsuan Lin, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and ETOX faculty member, and their collaborators, recently published their research on e-cigarette aerosols, the production of reactive oxygen species within ultra fine particles, and their implications for those exposed to second-hand vapors in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.  As noted in a a recent article in Newsweek magazine on their research, the authors analysis showed "that the aged aerosols went on to create radicals, with ultrafine particles notably producing around 100 times more radicals relative to their weight than larger-grade particles".  The research was the focus of American Chemical Society Chemistry for Life news article.  Our congratulations to Wonsik, Ying-Hsuan and their collaborators for this nice recognition of their work.  [The image above is from the journal article mentioned above.]

Catherine Gibbons Spotlighted by the USEPA

Catherine Gibbons, ETOX alumna who has worked at the USEPA since graduating in 2008, was the spotlighted on the USEPA Science Matters webpage last year.  I only recently became aware of the interview.  It is an enjoyable read and a good introduction to Catherine, and her background and perspectives. Our congratulations to Catherine for this nice recognition. [The photo above is from the USEPA webpage and shows Catherine on top of Paw Paw Tunnel, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Maryland.  Catherine has become an avid bike rider (when she can find the time).  

John Hoang Receives Travel Award from the UCR Emeriti Association

Current ETOX PhD student, John Hoang, recently received a travel award from the UCR Emeriti Association which he will use to attend the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) - Europe meeting in Maastricht, The Netherlands in May.  Our congratulations to John and Tzu-Chia Chen, an Entomology graduate student, who also won a travel award.  [The photo above was generously provided by Cristina Otegui, Director of the UCR Retirement Center.  John Hoang is on the right, Tzu-Chia Chen is in the middle, and Prof. Darleen DeMason who presented the award, is on the right.]

Woo and Zhao Receive Dissertation Completion Fellowships

ETOX students Wonsik Woo and Ting Zhao were awarded Dissertation Completion Fellowships by the UCR Graduate Division.  The awards provide stipend and partial tuition support to help students compels their doctoral dissertations.  A list of this year's recipients can be found on the Inside UCR website. We congratulate Wonsik and Ting, and wish them success as they work to complete their degree.  

ETOX Graduate Student Association Hosts Tox Squad Outreach Event

The Environmental Toxicology Graduate Student Association is hosting an outreach event on Tuesday, Jan. 20 from 5 to 6:30 pm at the Student Recreation Center for K-12 students. The event is entitled Tox Squad and will engage the students in solving a toxic mystery.  We hope it is an enjoyable success.  [The screenshot above is from an ETOX miniGSA Instagram post.]

New Type of DNA Adduct found in Mitochondrial DNA

A new study led by Linlin Zhao, Professor of Chemistry and Director of the ETOX program, that also involved Professors Yinsheng Wang and Chia-En Chang, two other ETOX faculty members and other students and collaborators, identified a previously unknown type of DNA damage within the mitochondria.  It is believed that the newly identified glutathionylated DNA adducts may provide insights into how our bodies sense and respond to stress. The study was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and was spotlighted in a UCR News article. This work builds upon earlier work conducted by an earlier ETOX graduate student Jiakei Yin and his advisor Yinsheng Wang in which they had identified GSH-DNA adducts in nuclear DNA.  Our congratulations to Linlin, Yinsheng, Chia-En and their collaborators for this important research advance. [The figures above are from their PNAS article.]

Professor Zhou and Colleagues Identify Important RNA Molecule Involved in Cardiovascular Health

A research team led by  Chengchang Zhou, Professor of Biomedical Sciences and an ETOX faculty member has identified a small transfer RNA-derived RNA that plays a major role in controlling cholesterol production within the body and likely plays a role in the development of heart disease.  Their work was recently published in the journal Nature Communications as was the focus of a recent UCR News article.  As described in in a , "the molecule, named tsRNA-Glu-CTC, could be a potential new target for future therapies aimed at lowering high cholesterol." Our congratulations to Chengchang and his colleagues for this important discovery which may open new therapeutic avenues understanding and treating cardio metabolic diseases.  [The figure above is from their Nature Communications article.]

Second Eco-NAMS Webinar on Predicting Acute Fish Toxicity

The information below was received from ETOX alumnus Wesley Hunter, a branch chief at the US FDA. 

The second webinar on the use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in ecotoxicology will be held in January 28 at 8 to 9:30 am (East Coast time). The topic is "Gill Cell Line Assay for Acute Fish Toxicity Prediction." It is free and open to the public but there will be a limit of 500 people, so those interested should register early. The first Eco-NAM webinar had almost 1000 registrants. The presentation will be recorded, so it will be possible to watch it afterwards if one is not able to attend the live event. More information on FDA’s work on implementing new alternative methodologies can be found here: Implementing Alternative Methods | FDA.

Toxic Aldehydes Formed in e-Cigarette Vapor

Prue Talbot, a Professor of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology and an ETOX faculty member, and Man Wong, a Genetics graduate student, have investigated the toxicity of methylglyoxal and acetaldehyde in human bronchial epithelial tissues.  Both of these compounds are formed during the vaping of liquids containing propylene glycol.  Their results, recently published in the journal Frontiers of Toxicology, showed that these chemicals altered the proteome of the respiratory cells affecting key pathways "including mitochondrial dysfunction, fatty acid metabolism, G2/M DNA damage checkpoint regulation, and mitochondrial biogenesis." Their work was recently highlighted in UCR News.  Our congratulations to Prue and Man for this recognition of their work.   

Happy Holidays from Riverside, California

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  We hope you are having an enjoyable holiday wherever you may be.  Above is a highly decorated house in the Mission Grove area of Riverside.  

Ting-An Lin Awarded a Fellowship from the American Heart Association

Ting-An Lin, a current ETOX student working in the lab of Chengchang Zhou, a Professor of Biomedical Sciences and an ETOX faculty member, has recently been awarded a two-year predoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association to support his work on the mechanisms underlying microplastic-elicited atherosclerosis. As an update, an article on Ting-An's fellowship has recently been published on the Inside UCR website.  Our congratulations to Ting-An for this very nice award and recognition.  

Microplastics Affect Atherosclerosis in Male Mice

Ting-An Lin, a current ETOX graduate student and ChangCheng Zhou, a Professor of Biomedical Sciences and ETOX faculty member, with their associates recently published an article in Environment International that showed that male LDLR-deficient mice, which are prone to developing atherosclerosis, exhibited substantially worse atherosclerosis when fed a low-cholesterol diet and administered microplastics orally. Interestingly, these changes were not seen in female mice.  Their work was recently highlighted in UCR News website.  Our congratulations to Ting-An, Changcheng and colleagues for this recognition of their research. [The graphic above is from their Environment International article.]

Exposure to Dust from the Salton Sea Causes Disease-associated Respiratory Changes in Mice

Emma Aronson, a Professor of Microbiology and Plant Pathology and ETOX faculty member, and a research team from UC Riverside have recently shown that exposure of mice to dust from the Salton Sea, a drying lake located in inland Southern California, changes the microbiome within the mouse lungs and resulted increased neutrophil recruitment and immune responses.  Similar effects occurring in humans may explain in part the high incidences of asthma seen in individuals living near the Salton Sea.  This work was recently published in mSphere and has been highlighted in a UCR News article and other news sources such as the Guardian.  Our congratulations to Emma and her fellow investigators for their unique and important work. [The figure above shows the sampling locations and comes from the authors' mSphere article.]