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TAO Newsletter Fall 2019

President’s Message Pages 3-4

Please contact Dr. Kadry Abdel-Razak ([email protected]) if you would like to join the Communications Committee or

contribute to the triannual TAO Newsletter.

Vice President’s Message

Page 5

Newsletter Editor’s Update

Page 5

Election Results Page 6

Each One Reach One Committee Update

Pages 6-7

TAO Award Recipients at SOT 58th Annual Meeting

Pages 7-8

Mentoring Committee Update

Page 8-9

Treasurer’s Update Page 9

SOT Education and Career Development Committee Sponsored Funding for Postdoctoral Scholars and Graduate Students

Pages 10 -11

Upcoming TAO / Information Sessions

Page 12


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Important deadlines for SOT 2020 Annual Meeting

Page 12

TAO Officers

Page 13

Editorial Staff and Contributors

Page 14

http://www.toxicology.org/groups/sig/tao/index.asp


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President’s Message

By Abdel-Razak Kadry , DVM, PhD, DABT

Dear respected TAO members: I am so delighted, honored and privileged to assume the role of President of the Toxicologists of African Origin (TAO) for 2018-2019. I am blessed to be working with a great team of executive board members. TAO executive board members stand out for their commitment to scientific excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, diversity, vibrancy, and creative innovation. TAO has accomplished a lot in the last few years under various outstanding leaders such as Dr. Bahi Abou-Donia, Dr. Sidney Green and Dr. Darryl Hood. I am inspired by their commitment to TAO and all of their achievements. The growth of TAO has been propelled collectively by you as dedicated members and all the past presidents and past executive board members of TAO. TAO has grown and evolved from a shared aspiration to a dynamic, vibrant, diverse and strong scientific community of great toxicologists. TAO members work together to promote the science and application of toxicology. TAO members apply the toxicology and risk assessment foundation to serve the communities in USA and around the globe specially in developing African countries. In the last few months we were able to add a few milestones in the TAO journey:

1. Two TAO members represented TAO at the Fifth World Congress on Risk, May 6-8, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.

2. TAO members collaborated with an international team of risk assessors from the Society of Risk Analysis (SRA) and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and offered risk assessment training to over 100 students from all over Africa on May 5, 2019.

3. TAO members played critical role in establishing the African Chapter of the Society of Risk Analysis (Africa-SRA). The chapter was officially launched during the Fifth World Congress on Risk in South Africa. You are very welcomed to join Africa-SRA.

4. TAO collaborated with the Association of Government Toxicologists (AGT). AGT is one of the oldest toxicology organization in the DC area. Dr. Sidney Green presented an overview of TAO to AGT members on August 28, 2019.

5. TAO leadership met with the leadership team of the African Continental Association of Food Protection for the future collaboration between the two organizations.

6. On October 4, 2019 Dr. Aina O. Adeogun, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Toxicology Aquatic Toxicology Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria was the speaker at the TAO webinar on endocrine disruption in tropical food fish and potential human health consequences.


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7. The National Committee of Toxicology (NCT), Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), Egypt and The Pan African Environmental Mutagen and Genomic Society (PAEMGS) Announced the organization of The Alexander Hollaender International Course “Genetic Toxicology of Environmental Pollutants: Novel Approaches for Hazard Assessment, Risk Assessment and Risk Management”. The conference and the training session will be held in Cairo, Egypt, December 21-23, 2019. All TAO members are welcomed to participate. We encourage you to bring your family, as many TAO members are planning to have a nice touristic cultural vacation after the end of the conference. For more information, please contact me.

8. The workshop on Computational Toxicology is on track and will be presented in Johannesburg, South Africa, on January 27-31, 2020. Up to 25 scholarships will be offered to students from various African countries. For more information please contact me.

9. TAO is organizing scientific session in the coming Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA. Dr Darryl Hood is chairing this session.

There are large number of job opportunities at the US Federal Government for TAO members. Serving our nation as a toxicologist is a great career move. I may advise any TAO member looking for a good future career opportunity to visit: www.usajobs.gov. There are always several fellowships opportunities at US Environmental Protection Agency. These opportunities could be reviewed at: http://epa.gov/fellowships/. There is an important website for fellowships in several government agencies: http://orise.orau.gov/careers/career-opportunities.aspx. Once again, I am excited to serve the TAO community. This is going to be another great year for all of us. Thank you all for joining TAO. Kind regards, Abdel-Razak M Kadry Abdel-Razak Kadry, DVM, PhD, DABT Senior Advisor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE) 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20460 Telephone: 202-564-0180 [email protected] Adjunct Professor, Maryland Institute of Environmental Health University of Maryland College Park, MD


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Vice President’s Message By Aina O. Adeogun, PhD

Dear TAO members

I feel highly honored to be elected as Vice President of the Toxicologists of African Origin (TAO) for 2018-2019. This to me reflects the TAO mandate to have a wider reach for toxicologists of African Origin in Africa. I am elated that together with the President and all members of the executive, we will be able to make better progress with the development of the Science of Toxicology on the African continent. The commitment and love to grow TAO beyond the yearly meetings on the African continent by Past Presidents including Dr. Sidney Green and Dr. Darryl Hood should be given special mention. I am optimistic that with the President elect, Dr. Abdel Kadry and other members of the TAO executive board, we will make appreciable progress within the African society to grow a TAO that is beyond borders. This is beginning to yield positive results as more graduate candidates’ applications for SOT membership have been submitted for consideration. I thank you all for the opportunity to bring the African inclusion into TAO.

Newsletter Editor’s Update By Njwen Anyangwe, PhD

Thank you for appointing me to serve as the Newsletter Editor of the Toxicologists of African Origin (TAO), a Special interest Group of the Society of Toxicology (SOT), beginning May 2019. It is indeed an honor and a privilege to be your Newsletter Editor. I believe this will be an exciting and rewarding opportunity for me! I look forward to working with you all to ensure that the TAO community, as well as the SOT community, are adequately informed of the work of TAO towards fostering toxicology as a science and the development of future toxicologists. I would appreciate your support during my tenure and your timely contributions to these newsletters, such that they are published in a timely fashion. I would be remiss if I do not acknowledge Dr. Frank Johnson, for encouraging me to accept this role, and my predecessors, Drs. Melania Abongwa and Elena Braithwaite, who have both been resourceful to me since I accepted the role of TAO Newsletter Editor. Thank you! If you wish to volunteer to assist with preparation of the newsletter, please contact me at [email protected].


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Election Results By Njwen Anyangwe, PhD

The results are in! We have some new TAO officers! On May 20th, 2019, the nomination committee, Drs. Sidney Green and Jennifer Rayner, shared the results of the recent TAO election. Please welcome our new officers: Vice President, Dr. Aina O. Adeogun; Councilor, Dr. Kerry Belton; Postdoctoral Representative, Dr. Kristin Noell; and Graduate Student Representative, Zoe Johnson. Thank you all for stepping up to serve this organization as officers. A Hearty Congratulations to the new TAO officers, and best wishes in your new role! TAO appreciates you!

If you wish to know more about our new officers, and what their duties and responsibilities are, please click on the following link.

http://www.toxicology.org/groups/sig/TAO/index.asp Njwen Anyangwe, PhD On behalf of the nominating committee Sidney Green, PhD Jennifer L. Rayner, PhD

Each One Reach One Committee Update By Kristin Noell, PhD

TAO welcomes the membership of any and all ethnicities that share similar objectives to broaden the conversation in toxicology.

Greetings TAO General Body,

We are currently in our 2nd year of the Each One Reach One Initiative. The Each One Reach One Mission statement is “the recruitment of additional individuals of African descent in an effort to double membership within Toxicologists of African Origin Special Interest group.” As of July 2nd, 2019, we currently have 172 members. TAO welcomes the membership of any and all


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ethnicities that share similar objectives to broaden the conversation in toxicology. Please encourage your colleagues to join TAO.

Here are a few reasons why TAO is a great Special Interest Group to become involved in:

Enhances your voice as an African diaspora member of the toxicology community. Promotes awareness of toxicological issues directly related to the African diaspora

communities. Augments the visibility of accomplishments by members. Provides networking opportunities for members across industry, government, academia,

NGOs or consulting.

Offers mentoring opportunities for members at various stages of their careers and in particular, young scientists of African origin interested in toxicology.

If you have any further suggestions on TAO membership recruitment please feel free to reach out to Dr. Darryl Hood ( [email protected]) or myself ( [email protected]) .

TAO Award Recipients at SOT 58th Annual Meeting By Darryl Hood, PhD TAO fosters the development of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and investigators in the field of toxicology, through donating several awards each year to deserving individuals. These awards include: the Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Travel Awards; the Graduate Student Research Award, and the Distinguished Scientific Presentation Award. The Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Travel Awards enable outstanding graduate students and postdoctoral fellows showing great scientific promise to attend the Annual Society of Toxicology meetings. The awards assist in defraying the cost of travel expenses. The Graduate Student Poster Research Award is presented to a graduate student with outstanding scientific discovery in the toxicological sciences through research conducted at their home institutions and/or other scientific achievements. The Distinguished Scientific Presentation Award recognizes an outstanding investigator whose work substantially advances our understanding of toxicology. This monetary award is designed to celebrate toxicologists with a demonstrated


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ability to engage the scientific community through outstanding scientific achievement that embodies the mission of the TAO.

For more information about these awards and the criteria for nomination, please visit this link http://www.toxicology.org/groups/sig/tao/awards.asp.

Congratulations to the 2019 TAO Award Recipients listed below!!

Award Awardee University Graduate Student

Travel Award Adebiyi, O.E

Kabirat Adigun University of Ibadan Diana Kimono University of South Carolina

Olusegun I. Ogunsuyi University of Ibadan Jiqun Wang University of Louisville

Ruth Wangia University of Georgia Ola Wasel Purdue

Postdoctoral Fellow Travel Award

Ahmed Abdelmoneim Cornell

Graduate Student Research Award

Awoyemi O.M. Texas Tech

Distinguished Scientific

Presentation Award

Alexandria Noel LSU

Chiag Otuechere Redeemer University

Mentoring Committee Update By Frank Johnson, PhD

“Passing the Baton Initiative”, a mentoring program, was launched at the SOT annual conference in 2017 as a method to help connect early career Toxicologists of African Origin (TAO) with more experienced Toxicologists of African Origin”. At the 2019 annual SOT Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, the mentoring committee once again handed out business cards to promote “Passing the Baton Initiative” and to follow-up with the call for volunteers.

This year Mentor-Match event was held at the SOT conference in Baltimore, on Monday March 11th, 2019 from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. The TAO executive board requests for volunteers prior to the conference to serve as mentors and mentees were of great success and was overwhelmingly received. A total of 30 individuals participated and we would like to give a big thank you to all the mentors and mentees who participated in this event. I am happy to report


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that many more mentors volunteered to participate than mentees, something we did not anticipate. Nonetheless, from all indications, the experience for the mentees was very productive and we hope this is just the initial step in the process of cultivating the next generation of toxicologists of African origin. The many volunteers who participated in the event provided needed career and professional advice to mentees and this initial connection appears to be striving for a few of the mentees. We can only hope that many more mentees will use the opportunity to maintain professional and career connections with the mentors.

The TAO board executives will continue to play a pivotal role in cultivating the next generation of toxicologists and is committed to hosting this Mentor-Match event at the next annual SOT conference in March 2020 in Anaheim, CA.

The event was jointly sponsor by TAO and the SOT Career and Resource Development (CRAD) committee.

Treasurer’s Update By Lamont Booker, PhD

We look forward to seeing you in Anaheim, CA in a couple of months! TAO continues to be a leader among special interest groups within the Society of Toxicology. Please be sure to sign up or renew your membership for TAO. This fee is minimal and supports our operational budget. As many of you remember from SOT in Baltimore, MD last year, TAO hosted and continue to host a first-class reception buffet and networking social. This free event supported nearly 200 guests solely by funds out of our operational budget. Additionally, TAO was able to give away several travel awards to offset travel expenses. To continue these events and bring additional events to you, we will need your help. Please be sure to renew your membership with TAO and support our events.

http://www.toxicology.org/groups/sig/tao/join.asp


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SOT Education and Career Development Committee Sponsored Funding for Postdoctoral Scholars and Graduate Students- NEXT, STEP: Deadlines October 28, 2019 By Darryl Hood, PhD Postdoctoral Scholars: New Experiences in Toxicology (NEXT) Program

The SOT recognizes that toxicology-related training experiences facilitate successful transition of postdoctoral scholars into a professional position in toxicology. The New Experiences in Toxicology (NEXT) Program provides funding up to $1,000 to cover costs associated with additional training related to toxicology that will broaden a postdoctoral scholar’s expertise and prepare them for the competitive job market. Applicants will identify professional development workshops, short courses, or activities that would provide training outside the scope of their current postdoctoral training. The toxicology skill gap desired to be fulfilled via NEXT should not be one that can be met at their current institution and should be related to career goals. NEXT funding should not be requested to refine a research project-related technique, to attend a professional society or scientific conference, or to supplement an internship. Three awards of up to $1,000 per recipient may be given at each deadline. The next deadline is October 28, 2019. Awardees will be selected based on their achievement record, relevance of the proposed professional activity to career goals in the field of toxicology, quality of proposed experience, and recommendation by their postdoctoral mentor. Awardees are required to provide a brief follow-up blog post on the funded experience, which will highlight their receipt of the award and benefits of the experience to their professional career goals. This blog post is mutually beneficial, as it highlights the success of NEXT and provides visibility of the postdoctoral scholar’s award and dedication to the field.

For the application, please visit the SOT Awards Module.


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Graduate Students Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP)

The next deadline for graduate students to submit applications for the SOT Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP) is October 28, 2019.

Graduate students are encouraged to be creative in proposing an activity to pursue training in an identified area of professional/scientific development that is important to achieve career goals but outside the immediate scope of their graduate training and research program. This funding does not support activities to refine a dissertation project-specific technique or attendance at a professional society conference. Successful applicants make a strong case that the proposed activity will build the skill portfolio for a specific career track.

The award reimburses costs of up to $1,000. The SOT Education and Career Development Committee administers this award in recognition of the diversity in preparation required for graduate students to enter the modern workforce. Awardees will provide brief follow-up communication on the funded experience, which will help highlight their receipt of the award and benefits of the experience to their graduate education.

Some of the previous awards have involved:

Risk Assessment Training Topological Quantum Field Theories Master Class Woods Hole Frontiers in Reproduction Short Course Pharmacokinetic Modeling Mass Spectrometry Training

For the application and more examples of previous awards, visit the SOT STEP webpage.


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Upcoming TAO / Information Sessions By Kadry Abdel-Razak, PhD

The National Committee of Toxicology (NCT), Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), Egypt and The Pan African Environmental Mutagen and Genomic Society (PAEMGS) Announced the organization of The Alexander Hollaender International Course “Genetic Toxicology of Environmental Pollutants: Novel Approaches for Hazard Assessment, Risk Assessment and Risk Management”. The conference and the training session will be in Cairo, Egypt, December 21-23, 2019. For more information, please contact Dr. Kadry. The workshop on Computational Toxicology will be presented in Johannesburg, South Africa, on January 27-31, 2020. Up to 25 scholarships will be offered to students from various African countries. For more information please contact Dr. Kadry. TAO is organizing scientific session in the 2020 Society of Toxicology Annual meeting in Anaheim, CA. Dr Darryl Hood is chairing this session.

Upcoming Meeting and Deadline By Njwen Anyangwe, Ph.D.

SOT 59th Annual Meeting March 15-19, 2020

Anaheim Convention Center 800 West Katella Avenue

Anaheim, CA 92802 https://www.toxicology.org/events/am/AM2020/index.asp

The Deadline for the TAO Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Awards is January 31, 2020

http://www.toxicology.org/groups/sig/tao/awards.asp


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Toxicologists of African Origin Officers

Vice President Dr. Aina O. Adeogun

Immediate Past President Dr. Darryl B. Hood

President Dr. Kadry M. Abdel-

Razak

Secretary / Treasurer Dr. Lamont Booker

Newsletter Editor Dr. Njwen Anyangwe

Postdoctoral Representative Dr. Kristin Noell

Councilor Dr. Kerry Belton

Councilor Dr. Jennifer L. Rayner

Graduate Student Representative

Zoe Johnson


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Toxicologists of African Origin Newsletter Editorial Staff

Editor Contributors Dr. Njwen Anyangwe

Copy Editor

Dr. Frank Johnson

Dr. Kadry Abdel-Razak

Dr. Aina O. Adeogun

Dr. Njwen Anyangwe

Dr. Lamont Booker

Dr. Darryl Hood

Dr. Frank Johnson

Dr. Kristin Noell