I Look Forward to Seeing All of You at SOT 2004 in Baltimore!

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Dear Students,

Welcome to the spring edition of the SOTudent e-Letter, a biannual publication distributed by the Society of Toxicology’s Student Advisory Committee (SAC). In this issue you will discover everything you need to know about Student/Post-doctoral Member activities at SOT 2004 in Baltimore! Also, you will find announcements regarding activities in your Regional Chapter!

SOT 2004 will be my last SOT meeting as an active member and Chair of the SAC. I have truly enjoyed serving on the SAC, and will miss the experience. I have a great deal of confidence in our current Co-chair, Christina Wilson of the Midwest SOT, who will be taking over as Chair in May 2004. I expect the SAC will continue to grow under her leadership.

I look forward to seeing all of you at SOT 2004 in Baltimore!

James Luyendyk

SAC Chairperson

SOT 2004

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

SATURDAY

Still deciding which career path to take in Toxicology? If so, don't miss out on a unique opportunity at this year's annual meeting.

"Life as a Toxicologist - A Graduate Student and Post-doc Primer to Careers in Toxicology"

This special session will be offered Saturday evening, March 20 from 6:00pm-8:30pm at the Convention Center room 316 for those who preregister. This session will familiarize graduate students and post-docs with the day–to-day responsibilities, scientific challenges and activities of practicing toxicologists in various professional fields of employment. Toxicologists from the chemical/agrochemical, pharmaceutical, contract & consulting, and governmental arenas will provide perspectives on the specific activities, use of toxicology data, and scientific challenges associated with these careers in toxicology. A reception for registrants will be provided free of charge beginning at 5:30 PM. SEATING IS LIMITED!! For more information, contact Rita at

Lunch with an Expert

“LWAE”

Register now!!!

LWAE is quickly becoming one of the most popular activities for SOT Student Members at the National meeting. LWAE gives small groups of students and post-doctoral fellows the opportunity to meet with career toxicologists for informal discussions over breakfast or lunch. Typically about six students are grouped with each expert based on research interests. Students will meet at the LWAE poster (near the SOT registration counters) and will proceed to the restaurant of the expert’s choice. Participants are required to pay for their own meals.

Registration information:

Registration is easy and can be completed online at the SOT 2004 registration site:

On-site registration is available, but spaces are limited. Attend the Student Mixer on Sunday, March 21 to find out more!

NEW THIS YEAR! Students will meet experts at the LWAE poster (near the SOT registration counters) at least 10 minutes prior to their scheduled meeting time.

Student/Post-doc Mixer 2004!

Sunday, March 21, 7:30 PM–8:30 PM

Baltimore Convention Center–Room 325

Without a doubt, this is the event to write home about! Each year the student/post-doctoral mixer grows in attendance and energy. This year will be no different! Don’t miss out on FREE FOOD and a chance to mingle with the SOT Student Membership.

Last chance registration for LWAE will be available while spots last. In addition, if you download a Student Planner and registered, you might win a prize. You must attend the mixer to claim your prize! 

Tickets to this event are complimentary!

Get yours:

-by checking the box on your SOT 2004 registration

-at the SOT registration counter while they last

Student Symposium on

Effective Presentation

Monday, March 22, 12:15 PM–1:15 PM

NEW THIS YEAR!

Endorsed by:

Education Committee

National Capital Area Chapter

Placement Committee

Student Advisory Committee

Women in Toxicology Specialty Section

The ability to deliver an effective presentation is a critical academic and career skill. In this Scientific Session Roundtable, the speakers will cover general concepts of communication, provide practical hints for organizing and conveying information in posters and oral presentations of various lengths, and discuss the skills needed to effectively answer questions and comments from the audience.

Placement-Career Development Seminar

Job Search Skill Workshop

Monday, March 22 4:30-6:00 PM

Sponsored by the Placement Committee

Targeted for job seekers, especially first-timers, the first portion will include Q & A about the current market, employment in different fields, and skills needed to be successful The second part will involve break out sections so that participants can have resumes reviewed and practice other techniques.

In Vitro Toxicology Lecture

In vitro Methods for Dermatotoxicology

Tuesday, March 23, 12:00-1:15 PM

Lecturer: Robert L. Bronaugh, Ph.D., USFDA, Laurel, MD.

Hosted by:The Colgate-Palmolive Company

The lecture will address in vitro methods for skin corrosivity, skin sensitization, skin phototoxicity and skin absorption that are widely used in the safety assessment of topical products. These alternative methods can reduce and sometimes replace the need for animals. Methods for skin corrosivity and skin sensitization have been validated by both the ICCVAM (Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods) and the ECVAM (European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods). ECVAM is poised to begin a validation study to assess the adequacy of three methods for dermal irritation measurements. Further efforts are being made to clarify controversial areas in skin
absorption methodology with regard to the skin reservoir, skin metabolism, and other issues.

REGISTRATION:

Students must register for this event on the annual meeting registration form; a $5 deposit per ticket is required and will be exchanged for the ticket at the luncheon. Seating is limited. If you have already registered, you may contact SOT Headquarters directly to add this lecture to your schedule—.

SOT Council Meeting with Graduate Students and Post-docs

Wednesday, March 24, 4:45 PM–5:30 PM

All students and post-doctoral fellows are encouraged to attend this meeting, which serves as a two-way dialog between SOT Council and students. Come get all of your questions answered and suggest improvements to SOT Council in an informal, no pressure atmosphere. SAC representatives will also be present to answer questions.

Come make your voice heard!

Volunteer Opportunities for Graduate Students

For more information on volunteer opportunities for Student Members at SOT 2004, contact Jim Luyendyk at , Betty Eidemiller at , or visit .

PLACEMENT SERVICES

For any students/post-docs looking for a job, the Society of Toxicology On-line Placement Service provides you with the opportunity to establish contacts relating to your specific needs and areas of interest. In addition to its online year-round service, Placement Services will be available at the 2004 Annual Meeting in Baltimore. Services include assistance with scheduling of interviews. Candidates will have the opportunity to view job announcements and message boards will be available to facilitate communication between employers and candidates. On-line registration is encouraged and is free to all students prior to the meeting. Registration will also be accepted at the Annual Meeting, however you will be charged a fee. Register on line at:

Reminders for anyone using the service:

In order to reduce overhead expenses, Placement Services in Baltimore will have only 4 computers linked to the SOT Job Bank Web site. Therefore, computer use will be limited to short searches for updates or new information. SOT Job Bank Web site users should plan ahead and input resumes prior to the meeting, and to search for and compile lists of jobs prior to the meeting.

As a job candidate attending the Annual Meeting, you are encouraged to bring multiple copies of your personal resume for interested interviewers.

All job placement activities at the Annual Meeting will be carried out via the Placement Service. No employer will be allowed to advertise positions elsewhere at the Annual Meeting.

Online registration prior to the meeting is free for all students.

DON’T FORGET SEMINARS!

"Life as a Toxicologist - A Graduate Student and Post-doc Primer to Careers in Toxicology"

Saturday, March 2004, 6:00 PM–8:30 PM

“Job Skills Seminar”

Monday, March 22, 4:30 PM-6:40 PM

SOT 2004

Graduate Student Event Planner

Overwhelmed by planning for SOT 2004?

Scheduling headaches?

Afraid you’ll miss Student Events??

These questions and more can be answered by just one click!

In 2003 the SAC created the Graduate Student Event Planner, a printable calendar of Student Events at the National SOT meeting. Not only that, we included tips on surviving your first National SOT meeting, room numbers and maps, and descriptions of events SOT hosts for its Student Membership.

In March 2003, nearly 200 people downloaded this innovative guide!

The SAC has carried the success of this planner into 2004! In this year’s issue you will find:

-Tips for surviving SOT 2004

-Session Descriptions

-Calendar and description of Events for Student Members

-Regional Chapter Meetings

-Specialty Section Meetings

-Placement Services Information

…and don’t forget that all events listed in the planner are coded so you can find your way using the INTEGRATED BALTIMORE CONVENTION CENTER MAP!!

Plus, new in 2004!

When you download the planner in 2004 you will be asked, if you wish, to put your name in a drawing! Names will be drawn at the Student Mixer Sunday evening. You must attend to claim you prize!

-First Prize: $100 for the textbook of your choice

-Other prizes include SOT merchandise such as mouse pads, t-shirts, and coffee mugs will be given away

DON’T MISS OUT!

Regional Chapter Announcements

Gulf Coast

The Gulf Coast Regional Chapter of the SOT is having a reception at the national meeting on Monday, March 22nd, at 7:30pm. All student and post-doc attendees that are members of, or are interested in, the GCSOT are invited to join us at the Hyatt Regency Frederick room! For more information, contact Danyel Tacker at

Michigan

The MISOT Fall Meeting at the Kellogg hotel and conference center was a success again in 2003! Winners of the graduate student poster competition were Darrell Boverhof and Jim Luyendyk of Michigan State University. In addition, the research staff award was presented to Shaila Kulkarni of Pfizer. Abstracts for award winners can be seen in the January issue of the MISOT Newsletter. XinWen Yu was the winner of MISOT’s annual post-doctoral poster award, and will have the opportunity to give a 20 minute presentation at the MISOT Spring Meeting! Speaking of the MISOT Spring Meeting…MPI Research is graciously sponsoring the meeting, to be held at Brook Lodge: . Be watching your mail for registration information. Don’t miss out on the event of the year! For more information on MISOT student activities, please contact Jim Luyendyk at: .

Mid-Atlantic

Our spring meeting is coming! Present your poster from SOT for a chance to win a prize of up to $1000!!! Details about location and date of the meeting will be posted on the website ( If you would like to become a student member, fill out the application form on the website. Any questions, contact Jessica at: .

Midwest

The Midwest Regional Chapter 2003 Fall Meeting was a well-attended success! The topic of this meeting was “Imaging Techniques with Applications to Toxicological Research.” One of the exciting student highlights of this meeting was the presentation of the first Midwest Regional Chapter Young Investigator Award. This award consists of a $1500 cash prize to the student who submits the best toxicology-based research proposal. This fall, the winner was Tisha King Heiden, from the University of Wisconsin (Milwaukee), for her proposal entitled “Modulation by Dioxin of Reproductive Function by Zebrafish.” Congratulations Tisha! The 2004 Spring Meeting of the MRC-SOT will be held in May. Details regarding the meeting are to be announced soon.

For MRC student members attending the 2004 SOT meeting in Baltimore:

The MRC-SOT will be hosting a breakfast at the SOT meeting in Baltimore. The breakfast will be on Wednesday, March 24th, at 7:30am in the Patapsco Severn Room of the Marriott.

If you have any questions regarding student membership, the Midwest Regional Chapter, or if you are attending the 2004 SOT meeting in Baltimore, please contact me!

Hope to see you in Baltimore!

Christina Wilson

National Capital

On November 18, 2003 the NCAC held its annual Fall Symposium at Howard University. The title of the Fall Symposium, which was open to all chapter members, was “Animal models for safety and efficacy testing of agents that cannot be tested in humans.” A bevy of speakers explained the ethical, practical, and scientific issues surrounding the USFDA’s Animal Rule, which specifies the conditions for the use of animals for drug safety and efficacy testing when the conduct of such studies in human populations would be considered unethical. On the following day (Nov. 19), graduate students and post-docs from the University of Maryland, Virginia Tech, Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, and the USFDA converged on Howard once again (or for the first time) to attend the second annual NCAC Career Enhancement Day. Attendees were treated to a day of talks and Q&A on the skills necessary for interviewing successfully for post-graduate positions in the private and public sectors. To see the full list of speakers for the day, as well as the programs from previous years, visit the NCAC website at

Put these dates on your calendar! The NCAC-SOT Spring Symposium will be held on June 8, and the Fall Symposium will be held on November 2 at the National Library of Medicine, Lister Halll Auditorium, Bethesda, MD. Topics for the meetings will be announced soon.

Rob Mitkus (University of Maryland) and Melinda Pomeroy (Virginia Tech) are the current Student Representative and Vice-representative, respectively.

North Carolina

Annual Spring Meeting,

Thursday, March 11, 2004

Environmental Protection Agency

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Topic: Analysis of High Throughput Data

There will be a pre-doctoral student poster competition with several cash awards going to the winners. It is open to pre-doctoral students who are members of the North Carolina Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology. Keep informed via the NCSOT homepage through the national site at: Additional details for the pre-doctoral awards can be found if you click on the upcoming meetings link or the link for the Spring 2004 meeting. If you would like to become a student member you can also go to the NCSOT homepage to get all of that information. Any questions, please contact Wendy Jefferson at: .

Northeast

The next meeting of the NESOT will be held at University Of Southern Maine. Stay tuned for more information!

Northland

The Northland Regional Chapter of SOT will be holding its Spring meeting at the end of May (a specific date has not been chosen yet). It will be held at the Minnesota Department of Health Metro Square Building, 121 East 7th Place, St. Paul, MN 55164-0975. The Spring meeting will include the annual Student Poster presentation with awards of $150, $100, and $50 going to the top three posters as judged by a panel of full members. The meeting will also include morning and afternoon scientific presentations and discussions. Lunch will be provided. Check the NL-SOT webpage for further updates concerning date and time.

Ohio Valley

The 2003 annual meeting of OVSOT was held on November 7, 2003 at the Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center in Cincinnati, OH. There were over a hundred attendees and around thirty student posters on this meeting. This year’s meeting focused on the issues surrounding genetic variation in the response to toxicants. OVSOT has increased the number of student platform presentations to six from last year’s three, emphasizing the importance of supporting the student members in their research endeavors. Three student awards were presented this year. The Best Student Award offered a $500 cash award to the student making the best presentation (poster or platform) at the meeting. This award also carries an invitation to be the student liaison to National SOT SAC and $250 support to the National meeting. The Best Student Poster and the Honorable Mention awards convey $250 and $100, respectively.

Soma S. Ray* from University of Kentucky won the Best Student Award for her presentation entitled “Elucidation of dioxin’s tumor promoting activities: use of microarray analysis to identify genes targeted during keratinocyte differentiation and senescence.” Because Ms. Ray is about to graduate from UK, the new student liaison to National SOT for the next two years will be Yu Zang from University of Louisville, who won the Best Poster Award with her poster entitled “Enhanced protein degradation in a human N-acetyltransferase 2 variant enzyme encoded by a T341C (Ile114Thr) single nucleotide polymorphism possessing allele.” Another student from University of Louisville, Jian Li, was offered Honorable Mention for her work on “Mitochondrial metabolism: the root of hyperoxic cell damage”.

* The latest news about Soma is that she just got a job interview at Eli Lily because, guess what? The interviewer happened to be one of her poster judges at an OVSOT annual meeting!

More information about this meeting can be accessed online at:

There will still be a mixer for the Ohio Valley Chapter at the national SOT meeting this year. The mixer has been scheduled for March 23 at the top floor bar in the Hyatt from 10 PM, so people can still attend specialty section meetings before that if they wish. Detailed information or any possible change to this meeting will be included in an OVSOT newsletter before the national meeting.

Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest Regional Chapter will be holding its business meeting on Tuesday, March 23rd, from 6:00-8:00 PM. It will be held at the Hyatt Regency in the Frederick room. There will be food and drinks, and this is an excellent opportunity to mingle and meet people within the region. All members are encouraged to attend.