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News Archive
2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001
Choi Receives AFS Best Publication Award
Molecular and Biochemical Toxicology 4th Edition is Now Available
Welcome Fall 2008 Graduate Students!
Toxicology Hosts 2008 Carolinas SETAC Meeting; Pandolfo Wins Best Student Platform Presentation
Smart is Invited Speaker at Gordon Conference
Buchwalter Research Published in PNAS
Graduate and Undergraduate Students Win Research Honors
Jae-Young Kim Wins Fellowship for Aging Research
Choi Receives AFS Best Publication Award
Dr. Kyoungju Choi, a graduate of the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at NC State University, was awarded the prestigious honor of Best Paper published in the AFS Journal of Aquatic Animal Health for 2007 at the Annual Meeting in Ottawa, Canada. The winning article was part of her Ph.D. research project on the modulation of immune function parameters in fish caused by sudden changes in dissolved oxygen and salinity. Her research was supervised by Dr. Mac Law, Associate Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State. Her other dissertation advisory committee members were Drs. Greg Cope, Craig Harms, and Muquarrab Qureshi. The complete citation for Ju’s winning article is K. Choi, D.W. Lehmann, C.A. Harms, and J.M. Law. 2007. Acute hypoxia-reperfusion triggers immunocompromise in Nile Tilapia. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 19:128-140. Dr. Choi was presented with her award in a special ceremony in the Toxicology Building in September 2008. Dr. Choi is currently a post-doctoral researcher in the NCSU Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology in the laboratory of Dr. Gerald LeBlanc.
Photo caption: Dr. Kyoungju Choi (center) receives her Best Publication Award from AFS Education Section President and NC AFS Chapter Member, Dr. Tom Kwak (right) and is congratulated by dissertation advisor Dr. Mac Law (left).
Molecular and Biochemical Toxicology 4th Edition is Now Available
Over the course of thirty years and three editions, Introduction to Biochemical Toxicology has been an important source for coverage of the ongoing quest to define the critical biochemical, cellular and molecular events induced by toxicants at the cell and organism levels. Now, as the principles and methods of molecular and cellular biology as well as genomic sciences play an ever increasing role in mechanistic toxicology, significant changes have been made to the book, resulting in this important new edition – now titled Molecular and Biochemical Toxicology, Fourth Edition. The latest edition is published by Wiley and edited by Dr. Robert C. Smart, Professor and Director of Graduate Programs and Dr. Ernest Hodgson, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and former Department Head. It also includes chapters authored by the editors and other NC State University Toxicology faculty, including: James C. Bonner, David B. Buckwalter, Nigel Deighton, Ernest Hodgson, Mac Law, Gerald A. LeBlanc, Nancy Monteiro-Riviere, Jun Ninomiya-Tsuji, Robert C. Smart, Yoshiaki Tsuji, and Andrew D. Wallace. Visit Wiley for more information about this important newly published and enhanced text: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-047010211X.html.
Toxicology Hosts 2008 Carolinas SETAC Meeting; Pandolfo Wins Best Student Platform Presentation
The Carolinas Chapter of the Society of Environmental
Toxicology and Chemistry held its 2008 Annual Meeting on
April 3-
5, 2008 in Morehead City, NC. The meeting was
hosted by the North Carolina State University’s
(NCSU) Center for Marine Sciences and
Technology (CMAST) and coordinated by Environmental and Molecular Toxicology faculty member Dr. Patricia McClellan-Green and Duke University graduate student Michelle Blickley. Meeting sponsors were
Bayer CropScience, BASF, Syngenta, Sea-Caps Environmental, and the Department of
Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at
NCSU.
Highlights of the meeting included a short
course entitled “Sampling Techniques and
Innovations for Aquatic and Marine Environmental
Research” by Dr. Bill Kirby-Smith
of Duke University,
keynote entitled “Risks and
Benefits of Engineered Nanomaterials” by Dr. James Bonner of
NCSU Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, and technical sessions. Of 15 platform presentations, 11 were presented by students, while all 10 posters were presented by students. The winners of the student presentation
awards for best platform were: 1st place,
Tamara Pandolofo (NCSU), 2nd place, Ross
Garner (The Citadel), 3rd place, Michelle
Blickley (Duke University), and for best poster:
1st place, Joshua Osterberg (Duke University),
2nd place, Carrie Fleming (Duke University),
3rd place, Deanna Howarth (Duke University).
Each student received a cash award and choice
of a SETAC publication. Tamara Pandolfo is a Master of Science graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Greg Cope.
Smart is Invited Speaker at Gordon Conference
Dr. Robert Smart, Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the Department, was an invited speaker at the 2008 Gordon Research Conference held at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine from 7/27-8/1/08. The conference was entitled Mechanisms of Toxicity - Toxicant-Risk Factor Interactions in Chronic Disease. Dr. Smart presented a seminar entitled The Multifaced Role of C/EBPs in the DNA Damage Response Network and Skin Carcinogenesis. Rakesh Ranjan and Elizabeth Thompson, PhD candidates in the Smart laboratory, attended the meeting through the support of travel scholarships provided by the Gordon Conference.
This Gordon Research conference addressed the "new frontier in environmental sciences and human health [that] is being defined by research into toxicant-risk factor interactions in chronic disease etiology and pathogenesis." Research presentations and discussions at the conference focused on the interplay between environmental exposures and disease risk factors on the development and progression of chronic diseases.
Buchwalter Research Published in PNAS
A study by Dr. David Buchwalter, Assistant Professor in the Department, was published online this June in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It shows that examining an insect's "family tree" might help predict a "cousin" insect's level of tolerance to pollutants, and therefore could be a reliable way to understand why certain insect species thrive or suffer under specific ecological conditions.
Read the full story: http://news.ncsu.edu/news/2008/06/098mkbuchwalterpnas.php
Graduate and Undergraduate Students Win Research Honors
Congratulations to Christopher Sistrunk, a Ph.D. student in Dr. Rodriguez-Puebla's laboratory, for winning honors at the 3rd Annual Graduate Research Symposium. Sistrunk was awarded first place in the Life Sciences category for his poster presentation on “Skp2 deficiency induces hair follicular apoptosis through p53 stabilization mediated by CBP/p300.” His research involved determining “whether the reduce tumorigenesis in Skp2 (-/-) mice is dependent of stage carcinogenesis protocol.” His results “suggest that Skp2 is an oncogenic protein that plays an important role in deregulation of cell proliferation...highlighting the potential use of Skp2 as a therapeutic target.” The goal of the symposium is to showcase the outstanding quality and diversity of graduate-level research at NC State. Each Director of Graduate Programs was invited to nominate up to five graduate students from their department. Winners were announced from each of five categories. The Symposium was held March 19, 2008 at the McKimmon Center.
Congratulations to two undergraduate research scholars in Dr. Andrew Wallace's laboratory who won awards. Ashley Smith, Senior Biological Sciences student won
an NCSU 2007 Undergraduate Summer Research Award for her project
entitled "Promoter Analysis of the Human Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) Gene".
Peter Thompson Senior Biochemistry student won a
2007-2008 Undergraduate Research Award Grant from the
Office of Undergraduate Research of NC State University for his project
entitled "Biological Activity of DEHP Metabolites".
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| Chris Sistrunk | Ashley Smith | Peter Thompson |
Jae-Young Kim Wins Fellowship for Aging Research
Jae-Young Kim, a PhD student in Dr. Jun Ninomiya-Tsuji's lab won a Fellowship from the American Foundation for Aging Research (AFAR) for his proposal Calorie restriction (CR) has been shown to enhance longevity of organisms ranging from yeast to mammals. The $2000 GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Award from the AFAR will support Kim's research exploring the role of TAK1 MAP3K on aging-related stress signaling. Kim has found that TAK1 kinase critically regulates CR-induced apoptosis. In this project, he will delineate the role of TAK1 signaling on apoptosis induced by CR and its role on aging. As part of the award, Kim is invited to present his work at the American Foundation for Aging Research Biennial GlaxoSmithKline Foundation of North Carolina Symposium on November 8, 2008.
An Integrated Approach to Developing a Total Facility
Estrogen Budget at a Swine
Farrowing CAFO
Dr. Seth Kullman, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
EPA STAR Grant
3/18/08 to 3/19/11
Award: $663,532
Little information is available regarding the concentration, release, fate and transport of estrogenic compounds in animal waste treatment and storage facilities. Naturally occurring estrogens in animal wastes present an emerging risk to terrestrial and aquatic environments through their potential release and action as endocrine disruptors. Given the trend in agriculture toward concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO's) and the extensive volume of waste generated, the potential for environmental impact cannot be overstated. Little data has been generated evaluating operation specific generation, concentrations and fate of these hormones, their conjugates and metabolites throughout these facilities. These data gaps will be addressed by creating a hierarchical assessment of estrogen fate throughout a swine CAFO. Two specific aims will be addressed 1. Establish total facility estrogen budget based upon composite measurements of natural estrogenic compounds throughout a swine farrowing facility 2. Develop a Bayesian network model that will characterize causal relationships for a total facility estrogen budget in a probabilistic manner. Our experimental approach is designed as "proof of principle" to test the hypothesis that a mass balance for total estrogen equivalents from swine CAFOs can be predicted based on quantitative input and modeling of estrogen concentrations.
Morphogenic Signal Transduction in a Crustacean
Dr. Gerald LeBlanc , Department Head and Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
R01 from National Science Foundation
1/1/2008 to 12/30/2013
Award: $457,347
The chemical methyl farnesoate is increasingly recognized as a major
hormone in crustaceans. We will test the hypothesis that methyl
farnesoate regulates gene expression by interaction with a nuclear
receptor protein. The hypothesis will be tested by definitively
establishing the identity of the methyl farnesoate receptor (MfR) and
evaluating the complimentary roles of methyl farnesoate and its receptor
in regulating hemoglobin gene expression. Hemoglobin is strongly
regulated by methyl farnesoate and its induction can be easily measured
using various biochemical and molelcular techniques. Next, MfR protein
will be expressed using standard molecular approaches and used to
characterize binding interactions between potential ligands and the
receptor, as well as, the ability of the ligand/receptor complex to bind
to responsive genes. Finally, the ability of the ligand/receptor complex
to activate gene transcription when stimulated by methyl farnesoate will
be evaluated. This research holds significant promise in: (a) identifying
the receptor that mediates the action of one of the most influential
hormones in crustaceans,(b) providing new knowledge and technologies for
increasing productivity of crustacean aquaculture; and, (c) identifying
targets through which environmental pollutants can disrupt normal
physiology. This program will also provide opportunities for training
students in communities that are underrepresented in graduate education.
Role of C/EBP in Cell Survival and Neoplasia
Dr. Robert Smart, Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
RO1 from National Cancer Institute (NCI)
7/1/2007 to 6/30/2012
Award: $862,000
The goal of this grant is to understand the molecular mechanisms through which C/EBPbeta influences the neoplastic process in epithelia and regulates tumor cell survival.
Therapeutic Strategies for Environmental Lung Diseases
Dr. James Bonner, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
R21 from National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
10/1/2007 to 9/28/2009
Award: $275,000
The aim of this study is to investigate monoclonal antibodies to growth
factor receptors and bioavailable analogs of vanadium as potential
therapies for pulmonary fibrosis in mice.
Pesticides and Farmworker Health: A Toolkit to Enhance Pesticide Safety Training for Hispanic Workers
Dr. Greg Cope, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
Julia Storm, Agromedicine Information Specialist
Catherine LePrevost, Research Associate
Pesticide Environmental Trust Fund, NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
1/1/2008-6/30/2011
Award: $223, 785
The investigators will develop and evaluate a low literacy, illustrated crop sheet in Spanish and English and accompanying lesson plans for commonly used pesticides in eleven hand-labor intensive crops. The goal is to increase the understanding of pesiticide toxicity, symptoms and exposure prevention among Hispanic/Latino farmworkers.
Endocrine Disruption of the Hypothalamic Signaling that
Regulates Puberty
Dr. Heather Patisaul, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Associate Faculty member, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (R01) from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
7/1/2007 to 6/30/2012
Award: $1,967,588
The ONES Award is intended to identify outstanding scientists who are in the early, formative stages of their careers and who intend to make a long term career commitment to research in the mission areas of the NIEHS and assist them in launching an innovative research program focusing on problems of environmental exposures and human biology, human pathophysiology and human disease.
Dr. LeBlanc Named Permanent Head of the Department
Jae-Young Kim Wins Fellowship for Aging Research
Congratulations, Fall 2007 Graduates
Successful Conference Explores Determinants of Genome Stability and Human Disease
Cope to Lead Conservation Society
Bonner, Kullman and McCulloch Join Faculty
Ninomiya-Tsuji Joins Journal of Biological Chemistry Editorial Board
Welcome Fall 2007 Graduate Students!
Loomis Organizes Successful Blood Drives
Tracy Wins Honorable Mention in 2007 Undergraduate Research Symposium
Congratulations, Spring 2007 Graduates
Toxicology Team Runs for Habitat
Bethany Reeves Wins Carolinas SETAC Award
Randy L. Rose Memorial Symposium Held March 14, 2007
Dr. LeBlanc Named Permanent Head of the Department
Dr. Gerald LeBlanc, interim head of the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology since 2006, has been named permanent Head of the Department effective January 1, 2008. Dr. LeBlanc joined the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty in 1989 in what was then the Department of Toxicology, since renamed the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. During his tenure in the department he has achieved the rank of Professor and has served as Director of Graduate Programs, Assistant Department Head, Assistant Director of the Department’s
NIEHS training grant and Director of the Department’s Environmental Toxicology Program. Dr. LeBlanc holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of South Florida, a master's degree in biology from Bridgewater State College and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Massachusetts. He completed post-doctoral training in biochemistry and molecular toxicology at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. LeBlanc's career has focused upon basic and applied research into the mechanisms by which environmental stressors can adversely impact ecosystems and human health. He has published over 119 scientific articles and several text book chapters; twenty-five graduate students have been trained directly under his guidance. Dr. LeBlanc's current research involves elucidating the endocrine regulation of sex determination, differentiation, and reproduction and evaluating the impact of environmental chemicals on these processes.
Jae-Young Kim Wins Fellowship for Aging Research
Jae-Young Kim, a PhD student in Dr. Jun Ninomiya-Tsuji's lab won a Fellowship from the American Foundation for Aging Research (AFAR) for his proposal Calorie restriction (CR) has been shown to enhance longevity of organisms ranging from yeast to mammals. The $2000 GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Award from the AFAR will support Kim's research exploring the role of TAK1 MAP3K on aging-related stress signaling. Kim has found that TAK1 kinase critically regulates CR-induced apoptosis. In this project, he will delineate the role of TAK1 signaling on apoptosis induced by CR and its role on aging. As part of the award, Kim is invited to present his work at the American Foundation for Aging Research Biennial GlaxoSmithKline Foundation of North Carolina Symposium on November 8, 2008.
An Integrated Approach to Developing a Total Facility
Estrogen Budget at a Swine
Farrowing CAFO
Dr. Seth Kullman, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
EPA STAR Grant
3/18/08 to 3/19/11
Award: $663,532
Little information is available regarding the concentration, release, fate and transport of estrogenic compounds in animal waste treatment and storage facilities. Naturally occurring estrogens in animal wastes present an emerging risk to terrestrial and aquatic environments through their potential release and action as endocrine disruptors. Given the trend in agriculture toward concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO's) and the extensive volume of waste generated, the potential for environmental impact cannot be overstated. Little data has been generated evaluating operation specific generation, concentrations and fate of these hormones, their conjugates and metabolites throughout these facilities. These data gaps will be addressed by creating a hierarchical assessment of estrogen fate throughout a swine CAFO. Two specific aims will be addressed 1. Establish total facility estrogen budget based upon composite measurements of natural estrogenic compounds throughout a swine farrowing facility 2. Develop a Bayesian network model that will characterize causal relationships for a total facility estrogen budget in a probabilistic manner. Our experimental approach is designed as "proof of principle" to test the hypothesis that a mass balance for total estrogen equivalents from swine CAFOs can be predicted based on quantitative input and modeling of estrogen concentrations.
Morphogenic Signal Transduction in a Crustacean
Dr. Gerald LeBlanc , Department Head and Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
R01 from National Science Foundation
1/1/2008 to 12/30/2013
Award: $457,347
The chemical methyl farnesoate is increasingly recognized as a major
hormone in crustaceans. We will test the hypothesis that methyl
farnesoate regulates gene expression by interaction with a nuclear
receptor protein. The hypothesis will be tested by definitively
establishing the identity of the methyl farnesoate receptor (MfR) and
evaluating the complimentary roles of methyl farnesoate and its receptor
in regulating hemoglobin gene expression. Hemoglobin is strongly
regulated by methyl farnesoate and its induction can be easily measured
using various biochemical and molelcular techniques. Next, MfR protein
will be expressed using standard molecular approaches and used to
characterize binding interactions between potential ligands and the
receptor, as well as, the ability of the ligand/receptor complex to bind
to responsive genes. Finally, the ability of the ligand/receptor complex
to activate gene transcription when stimulated by methyl farnesoate will
be evaluated. This research holds significant promise in: (a) identifying
the receptor that mediates the action of one of the most influential
hormones in crustaceans,(b) providing new knowledge and technologies for
increasing productivity of crustacean aquaculture; and, (c) identifying
targets through which environmental pollutants can disrupt normal
physiology. This program will also provide opportunities for training
students in communities that are underrepresented in graduate education.
Role of C/EBP in Cell Survival and Neoplasia
Dr. Robert Smart, Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
RO1 from National Cancer Institute (NCI)
7/1/2007 to 6/30/2012
Award: $862,000
The goal of this grant is to understand the molecular mechanisms through which C/EBPbeta influences the neoplastic process in epithelia and regulates tumor cell survival.
Therapeutic Strategies for Environmental Lung Diseases
Dr. James Bonner, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
R21 from National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
10/1/2007 to 9/28/2009
Award: $275,000
The aim of this study is to investigate monoclonal antibodies to growth
factor receptors and bioavailable analogs of vanadium as potential
therapies for pulmonary fibrosis in mice.
Pesticides and Farmworker Health: A Toolkit to Enhance Pesticide Safety Training for Hispanic Workers
Dr. Greg Cope, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
Julia Storm, Agromedicine Information Specialist
Catherine LePrevost, Research Associate
Pesticide Environmental Trust Fund, NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
1/1/2008-6/30/2011
Award: $195,000
The investigators will develop and evaluate a low literacy, illustrated crop sheet in Spanish and English and accompanying lesson plans for commonly used pesticides in eleven hand-labor intensive crops. The goal is to increase the understanding of pesiticide toxicity, symptoms and exposure prevention among Hispanic/Latino farmworkers.
Endocrine Disruption of the Hypothalamic Signaling that
Regulates Puberty
Dr. Heather Patisaul, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Associate Faculty member, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (R01) from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
7/1/2007 to 6/30/2012
Award: $1,967,588
The ONES Award is intended to identify outstanding scientists who are in the early, formative stages of their careers and who intend to make a long term career commitment to research in the mission areas of the NIEHS and assist them in launching an innovative research program focusing on problems of environmental exposures and human biology, human pathophysiology and human disease.
Congratulations, Fall 2007 Graduates
| Doctor of Philosophy Graduates | |
| Robin M. Sternberg, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral NRC Associate, USEPA |
| Dissertation: The roles of androgen, estrogen, and retinoid signaling in reproductive recrudescence of the eastern mud snail (Ilyanassa obsoleta) : Implications for the mechanism of tributyltin-induced imposex |  |
| Under the direction of: Dr. Gerald LeBlanc | |
| Leslie M. Tompkins, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy |
| Dissertation: Identification and characterization of a novel promoter for steroid and xenobiotic receptor (SXR) variant 2 |
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|
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| Kiros Hailemariam, Ph.D. | Fellow, Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education, USFDA |
|
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| Under the direction of: Dr. Yoshi Tsuji | |
| Sarah J. Ewing, Ph.D. | Biology Lecturer, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College |
Dissertation: Functional relationship between Ras and C/EBP-beta in cell survival and sking tumorigenesis (graduate of Comparative Biological Sciences program) |
 |
| Under the direction of: Dr. Robert Smart | |
| Amber Goetz, Ph.D. | Technical Expert II, Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. |
| Dissertation: Toxicogenomic study of triazole antifungal modes of action |
|
| Under the direction of: Dr. David Dix | |
| Master of Science Graduates | |
| S. Thorne Gregory, III | |
| Master's Thesis: Impact of Vegetation on Sedimentary Organic Matter Composition and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Attenuation in Sedimentary Compartments at a Variety of Naturally Revegetated Sites |
|
Under the Direction of: Dr. Elizabeth Nichols |
|
| Caitrin Martin | Peace Corps Volunteer, Senegal, West Africa |
|
Delineating Sources and Estimating Cadmium Bioaccumulation & Susceptibility Differences Among Aquatic Insects Under the Direction of: Dr. David Buchwalter |
 |
| Jennifer Flippin | |
| Master's Thesis: Environmentally-Relevant Mixtures of Thyroid Disrupting Chemicals: Testing Additivity of Hepatic Inducers and Thyroperoxidase Inhibitors Under the direction of: Dr. Jerry LeBlanc and Dr. Kevin Crofton |
|
| Sharon Prochazka | |
Master's Thesis: Evaluation of Pesticide Genotoxicity with Freshwater Mussel Hemolymph Under the direction of: Dr. Greg Cope |
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| Master of Toxicology Graduates | |
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| Catherine LePrevost | Brent Gilbert |
Successful Conference Explores Determinants of Genome Stability
and Human Disease
This fall brought regional scientists and their students together with national invited speakers to communicate exciting new structural and mechanistic studies on genome stability and their relationship to complex and integrated response patterns. Held at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Saturday, October 13, 2007, the conference was sponsored jointly by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, North Carolina State University, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Abcam, Inc.
Dr. Robert Smart, Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at NCSU, organized the conference in collaboration with Marila Cordeiro-Stone of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sue Jinks-Robertson of Duke University and Thomas A. Kunkel of NIEHS. The conference featured keynote speakers Samuel H. Wilson of NIEHS, Peggy Hsieh of NIDDK, and Lawrence A. Loeb of the University of Washington, Seattle. Dr. Smart joined fellow scientists William K. Kaufmann of UNC and Sue Jinks-Robertson and Thomas D. Petes of Duke as featured speakers.
The conference agenda focused on the topic of DNA transactions that determine genome stability, and how defects in these processes pose risks to human health. The meeting was a huge success, drawing over 100 participants. In addition to the 7 invited platform presentations, 46 poster presentations contributed to the scientific discussion covering structural and mechanistic approaches to genome stability, their relationship to response patterns, and the resultant protection of organisms against disease.
Cope to Lead Conservation Society
Dr. Gregory Cope, associate professor and department Extension leader in the Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Department at North Carolina State University, has been elected president-elect of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS) for 2007-2008. He joined the FMCS Executive Committee in 2007 as president-elect and will assume leadership of the society in 2009 for a two-year term.
With about 375 members from throughout North America and the world, the FMCS is dedicated to the conservation of freshwater mollusks, North America's most imperiled animals, through research, education, and outreach. Membership in the society is open to anyone interested in freshwater mollusks and who supports the mission of the society, including advocating for conservation of freshwater molluscan resources, serving as a conduit for information about freshwater mollusks, promoting science-based management of freshwater mollusks, and promoting and facilitating education and awareness about freshwater mollusks and their function in freshwater ecosystems.
Bonner, Kullman and McCulloch Join Faculty
The Department welcomed Drs. Bonner, Kullman and McCulloch to the faculty in September 2007. Dr. Jamie Bonner joins the deparment as an Associate Professor, while Dr. Seth Kullman and Dr. Scott McCulloch join the Department as Assistant Professors.
Dr. Bonner's research interests focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of lung injury in response to metal oxides, particles and nanoparticles. Dr. Bonner earned his Ph.D. from Mississippi State University and completed postdoctoral training at NIEHS. His career has also included senior scientific positions with NIEHS and CIIT Centers for Health Research.
Dr. Kullman's research focuses on molecular, computational and comparative/functional genomic approaches to examine gene environment interactions. Dr. Kullman received his doctoral and postdoctoral training at the University of California at Davis. Prior to his joining the NCSU faculty, he served as Associate Research Professor at the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment.
Dr. McCulloch's research investigates the biochemistry of translesion DNA synthesis and the regulation of DNA polymerases. Dr. McCulloch completed doctoral studies at the University of Kentucky and postdoctoral training at NIEHS.
Dr. Jerry LeBlanc, Interim Department Head, commented: "Our new faculty will add a new dimension to research within the
Department that will broaden the training opportunities available to
students and will strengthen the Department's collaborative research initiatives. "
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|---|---|---|
Bonner |
Kullman |
McCulloch |
Ninomiya-Tsuji Joins Journal of Biological Chemistry Editorial Board
Dr. Jun Ninomiya-Tsuji, Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at NCSU, has accepted the invitation to join the Editorial Board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Ninomiya-Tsuji will serve a 5 year term.The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with over 11,900 members, publishes the journal. Dr. Herbert Tabor, JBC Editor-in-Chief, told Dr. Ninomiya-Tsuji, "We are very anxious to have the advantage of your expertise both in the immediate area of your own research and in the various related fields." The Department congratulates Dr. Ninomiya-Tsuji on this honor.
Welcome Fall 2007 Graduate Students!
| Student | Degree Sought | Previous University | Degree Earned/Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Anick | Ph.D. | Framingham State College | B.S./2006 |
| William Randall Lampe | Ph.D. | University of North Carolina-CH | B.S./2000 |
| Samuel Suarez | Ph.D. | Tulane University | B.S./2006 |
| Phillip Bost | M.S. | Mars Hill College | B.S./2005 |
| Victoria Youn | MTOX | Michigan State University | B.S./2006 |
| Supriya Vasudevan | MTOX | SIES College of Arts, Sciences. & Communication, Mumbai , India | B.S./1999 M.S /2001 |
Loomis Organizes Successful Blood Drives
Kari Loomis, a graduate student in the department, organized two successful blood drives, one in August and another in November 2007. She was commended by American Red Cross staffers for encouraging excellent participation (35 donors) for the department's first ever drive in August. November's turnout was equally impressive. Department members and others from Centennial Campus appreciated the convenience of on-site donation and the friendliness of the competent Red Cross staff. The mobile facility is equipped to accept donations of whole blood and platelets. To learn more about donating blood through the American Red Cross visit the Give Life website.
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|---|---|---|
| Graduate student John House returns to the lab fueled by soft drink and snacks after completing his donation. | A Red Cross staffer (L) congratulates Loomis (R) on a successful drive. | |
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| A Red Cross nurse attends to department bookkeeper Susan Olsen. | Graduate student Natalie Hirons steps up to donate. | Research Assistant Jeanne Barr relaxes during blood donation. |
Tracy Wins Honorable Mention in 2007 Undergraduate Research Symposium
Undergraduate student Erin Tracy, a student working in Dr. Greg Cope's lab, won honors in the Ecology, Environmental, Conservation, Botanical category of the 2007 NCSU College of Agriculture and Life Science's Undergraduate Research Symposium for her paper Development and
Validation of Methods to Quantify Steroid Hormones in Native Freshwater
Mussels.
Congratulations, Spring 2007 Graduates!
Dr. Wei-Chun HuangFu participated in graduation ceremonies with Dr. Jun Ninomiya-Tsuji, her doctoral advisor.
| Elizabeth MacKenzie, Ph.D. | ||
| Dissertation: | Regulation of ferritin H in the cellular response to stress | |
| Under the direction of: |
Dr. Yoshi Tsuji | |
| Christopher Brynczka, Ph.D. | ||
| Dissertation: | Nerve growth factor regulation of transcription factor p53 activity | |
| Under the direction of: |
Dr. Alex Merrick | |
| Wei-Chun HuangFu, Ph.D. | ||
| Dissertation: | Osmotic Stress Activates JNK While Blocking NF- k B Pathway, and Modulates Immune Responses | |
| Under the direction of: |
Dr. Jun Ninomiya-Tsuji | |
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| Dr. Brynczka | Dr. HuangFu | Dr. MacKenzie |
| Beth Wasilak Cooper |  |
|
| Master's Thesis: | Glucocorticoid Regulation of the Pregnane X Receptor is a Key Determinant in the Magnitude of CYP3A Induction by Xenobiotics |
|
| Under the direction of: |
Dr. Andrew Wallace | |
| Jian-Li Huang |
Master of Toxicology | |
| Sabrinia Dawn Rogers | Master of Toxicology | |
Toxicology Team Runs for Habitat
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| Standing: Rakeesh Ranjan, John House, Caitrin Martin, Eva House, Aly Burr, Jeanne Burr. Kneeling: Vikrant Vijay, Elizabeth Thompson, Bethany Reeves, Dominique Williams. (not pictured: Chris Sistrunk) | Elizabeth crosses the finish line, winning the women's 26-35 age group! | |
On Saturday, April 21, 2007, members of the Toxicology Department and family and friends participated in the 8th Annual NCSU House Your Neighbor 5K Race and Fun Run. There were 360 total participants, who together raised $8600 for Habitat for Humanity to help build a home for a deserving family. We are proud to announce that Elizabeth came in first place for the female age group 26-35 with a finish time of 22:35 . Other Toxicology members, who were timed, were Bethany (24:50) and Caitrin (25:33). Dominique Williams, who organized the team, says: "I would like to again thank those who participated. We all had a great time. We will keep you informed of more races to come." For a full listing of the results, please go to http://www.active.com/results/viewresults.cfm?e_id=1389300 .
Reeves Wins Carolinas SETAC Award
PhD student Bethany Reeves, who is working under the direction of Dr.
Gerald LeBlanc, won 3rd place for her poster "Mechanistic evaluation of
the developmental toxicity of nitrogen oxides" at the 2007 Carolinas
SETAC meeting. The meeting was held at the University of Georgia,
Athens. Bethany is studying the ability of environmental nitrates to
disrupt hormone signaling processes.
Memorial Symposium Honors Rose's Dedication, Contribution to Science
A symposium to honor the memory and scientific contribution of Dr. Randy L. Rose was held on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at the Toxicology Building on the NC State University Centennial Campus. Dr. Rose was an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology until his tragic death in an automobile accident on May 24, 2006. (See Department Mourns Death of Dr. Randy Rose.)
Human Metabolic Interactions of Environmental Chemicals was the symposium theme, chosen to reflect Rose's recent research areas and the fundamental basis on which such studies are based. Dr. Frank Gonzalez of the National Cancer Institute and Dr. F.P. Guengerich of Vanderbilt University delivered keynote presentations. The symposium featured other invited toxicologists who share Rose's field of research and with whom he collaborated. Dr. Ernest Hodgson, Rose's long-time colleague, noted: "The symposium centered on what Randy believed in: excellent science -- both fundamental and mission-oriented. It was a day he would have thoroughly enjoyed. "
Approximately 100 colleauges, alumni, students and family members attended the day-long event. In addition to presentations, the day included poster sessions of research conducted by students, post-doctoral fellows and faculty of the department. Papers and abstracts from the symposium will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology. A poster of the proposed Rose Memorial Garden design, to be located on the Toxicology Building Grounds, was also exhibited at the symposium. A department committee is moving forward with plans for university approval, fund-raising and installation of the memorial garden.
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| Dr. Fred Guengerich | Speakers (L-R): Ross, Hodgson, Wallace, Guengerich, Cherrington, Hines, Cashman, Furlong |
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| Dr. Frank Gonzalez | Alumnus Nathan Cherrington and Rose family members |
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Symposium Agenda:
Introduction: The Career of Randy Rose in Science - Ernest Hodgson, NC State University
Keynote: Molecular Genetics of Cytochrome P450 - Frank Gonzalez, National Cancer Institute
Keynote: Mechanisms of Substrate Oxidation - F. P. Guengerich, Vanderbilt University
Flavin-Containing Monooxygenases -John Cashman, Human BioMolecular Research Institute
Cytochrome P450 in Human Development - Ron Hines, Medical College of Wisconsin
Human Metabolic Interactions of Environmental Chemicals – A collaborative project - Ernest Hodgson , NC State University
PON1 - Clem Furlong, University of Washington
Mechanisms of P450 Induction - Andrew Wallace, NC State University
Human Carboxylesterases - Matt Ross, Mississippi State University
Transporters - Nathan Cherrington, University of Arizona
Kari Loomis, a PhD student in the Functional Genomics Program working in the lab of Dr. Robert Smart , won the 1st place award for her poster at the annual meeting of the North Carolina Chapter of the Society of Toxicology (NCSOT) on March 19, 2007. Her poster was entitled Genetic Ablation of C/EBPalpha in Epidermis Reveals its Role in Suppression of Epithelial Tumorigenesis.
Congratulations, 2006 Graduates!
Charlotte Hosts SOT Annual Conference
Dr. Cynthia Rider Receives 2006 Graduate School Dissertation AwardWelcome, Fall 2006 Graduate Students!
PhD Student HuangFu's Paper Featured as Science STKE Editor's Choice
New Leadership: Dr. Shea Assumes Role as Interim Zoology Head; Dr. Jerry LeBlanc Becomes Interim Department Head
Department Bids Farewell to Dr. Oleksiak
Department Mourns Death of Dr. Randy Rose
Congratulations, 2006 Graduates!
| J. Michael Sanders, Ph.D. | ||
| Dissertation: | Mechanisms of toxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers | |
| Under the direction of: |
Dr. L.T. Burka | |
| Jin Ah Park, Ph.D. | ||
| Dissertation: | Role of PKC delta in airway mucin secretion | |
| Under the direction of: | Dr. Kenneth Adler | |
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| Dr. Sanders (left), Dr. Park (right) | Dr. Shea congratulates Sanders, Park | Dr. Park and Dr. Smart |
| Chad Blystone, Ph.D. | ||
| Dissertation: | Conazole pesticide disruption of testicular steroidogenesis during different stages of male development |
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| Under the direction of: |
Dr. Gerald A. LeBlanc, Dr. L. Earl Gray | |
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| Dr. Gray, Dr. Blystone and Dr. LeBlanc celebrate Chad's success. | ||
| Richard Casabar, M.S. , Captain, USAF | ||
| M.S. Thesis : | Endosulfan induces CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 by activating pregnane X receptor | |
| Under the direction of: |
Dr. Andrew Wallace | |
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| Captain Casabar and Dr. Wallace | Dr. Hodgson, Captain Casabar, Dr. Wallace, and Dr. LeBlanc | |
| Steven O. Simmons, Ph.D. | ||
| Dissertation: | Biochemical and functional analysis of homeoprotein Nkx3.1 | |
| Under the direction of: |
Dr. Jonathan Horowitz | |
| Jonathan P. Jackson, Ph.D. | ||
| Dissertation: | The role of nuclear reeptors CAR and PXR in the drug induced transcriptional regulation of the murine CYP2C subfamily of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases | |
| Under the direction of: |
Dr. Joyce A. Goldstein | |
| Daniel Wade Lehmann, Ph.D. | ||
| Dissertation: | Oxidative stress in the aquatic environment: effects of polychlorinated biphenyls in bivalve mollusks |  |
| Under the direction of: |
Dr. Jerry McHugh Law and Dr. Gerald A. LeBlanc | |
| Dr. Lehmann | ||
| Cynthia V. Rider , Ph.D. | ||
| Dissertation: |
Development and Application of Mixture Toxicity Models |
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| Under the direction of: |
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| Dr. Rider and Dr. LeBlanc | ||
Charlotte, NC Hosts SOT Annual Conference
Charlotte, North Carolina, the “Queen City”, is the host-city for the Society of Toxicology's 46th Annual Meeting. Scientific Sessions will be held at the Charlotte Convention Center during the week of March 25–29, 2007. The Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting is the largest toxicology meeting and exhibition in the world, attracting approximately 6,000 scientists from industry, academia, and government. The program includes a plenary and other special lectures, symposia, workshops, roundtable discussions, and platform and poster presentations. The meeting also offers continuing education courses ranging from basic to advanced levels. In addition, the Society presents annual awards to recognize outstanding achievements in toxicology.
Important deadlines:
Early Bird Registration Jan. 31, 2007
Housing Reservation Feb. 21, 2007
Standard Registration Feb. 28, 2007
Cancellation Mar. 21, 2007
More: http://www.toxicology.org/ai/meet/am2007/index.asp
Dr. Cynthia Rider Receives 2006 Graduate School Dissertation Award
Dr. Cynthia Rider was awarded the 2006 Graduate School Dissertation Award for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. This prestigious award is sponsored by the NC State Universtiy Graduate School and is designed to reward outstanding scholarly research that has a positive impact on both the North Carolina economy and the quality of life for all its citizens. Dr. Rider will be recognized at the Annual North Carolina State University Fellowship Recognition Dinner scheduled for November 6, 2006.
Dr. Ryder graduated with a Ph.D. in Toxicology in May 2006; she completed her graduate studies in the lab of Dr. Jerry LeBlanc. Her dissertation is entitled Development and Application of Mixture Toxicity Models. Dr. Rider is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at US EPA's National Health & Environmental Effects Research Laboratory in the Reproductive Toxicology Division/Endorcrinology Branch lab of Dr. Vickie S. Wilson in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Welcome, Fall 2006 Graduate Students!
Brent Gilbert, University of Rochester
Natalie Hirons, University of Georgia
John House, University of Tennessee
Bo-Wen Huang, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan
Randall Lampe, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Catherine LePrevost, Wake Forest University
Shad Moser, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Kelly O'Neal, Purdue University
Michelle Oh, North Carolina Sate University
Tamara Pandolfo, University of North Carolina at Asheville
Paul Ray, Northeast Louisiana University
PhD Student HuangFu's Paper Featured as Science STKE Editor's Choice
Each week the editors of Science's STKE (Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment) scan the literature for newly published papers of particularly broad interest. A recent article published by Dr. Jun Ninomiya-Tsuji's research team entitled Osmotic stress activates the TAK1-JNK pathway while blocking TAK1-mediated NF- 
B activation: TAO2 regulates TAK1 pathways (J. Biol. Chem . 2006; 281 :28802-28810) was featured as Science magazine's STKE editor's choice. PhD student Wei-Chun HuangFu was lead author of the article. Science's description of the research along with a link to the original article may be accessed at: http://stke.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/sigtrans;2006/355/tw340. (View the full text pdf)
Science's STKE emphasizes information selected and vetted by authorities in the field, prudently supplemented with automated functions where appropriate. The high editorial standards that have been the benchmark for Science are applied to selection of material for Science's STKE .
New Leadership: Dr. Damian Shea Assumes Role as Interim Zoology Head; Dr. Jerry LeBlanc Becomes Interim Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Department Head
In mid-September, 2006, the administrative leadership of the Department of Enviromental and Molecular Toxicology changed. Dr. Damian Shea, Professor, served as department head for 6 years. He stepped down as head in order to serve the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as interim head of the Department of Zoology, as well as to continue as Head of the Biological Sciencies Program. Dr. Shea will continue his faculty appointment and research program in toxicolgoy. Under Dr. Shea's leadership, the faculty and grant resources of the deparment expanded, including the development of the Metabolomics/Proteomics Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Nigel Deighton.
Dr. Jerry LeBlanc, Professor and Coordinator of the Environmental Toxicology Concentration, indicated that he steps into the role of Interim Department Head of Enviromental and Molecular Toxicology with great enthusiasm. A member of the department since the late 1980's, Dr. LeBlanc has served the department in a number of administrative roles during his tenure, as well as maintaining a thriving research and teaching program. His goals as department head are to continue the expansion of the department and enhance its research, teaching and outreach programs.
Department Bids Farewell to Dr. Oleksiak
In September, 2006, the Department bid a fond farewell to Dr. Margie Oleksiak, who accepted a faculty position at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Dr. Oleksiak joined the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicolgoy in2002. Dr. Oleksiak's research interests involved the evolution of gene expression in stressed environments using microarray techniques to study both polluted and non-polluted populations of the teleost fish, Fundulus heteroclitus. Her successful research program included grant awards from the National Science Foundation. Now at the University of Miami as an Assistant Professor in Marine Biology and Fisheries, Dr. Oleksiak conducts research in the area of marine & freshwater toxins as one of 19 researchers associated with the NIEHS-funded Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center. Dr. Oleksiak will continue to advise NCSU Environmental and Molecular Toxicology graduate students Goran Bozinovic and Larissa Williams on their Ph.D. thesis projects. Dr. Oleksiak may be reached via e-mail at m.oleksiak@miami.edu.
Reeves Awarded Prestigious EPA Fellowship
Bethany Reeves, a graduate student in the lab of Dr. Jerry LeBlanc, received the prestigious EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship in July of 2006. The fellowship was awarded for her proposal to investigate the developmental toxicity of nitrates in Daphnia magna. Reeves' work will explore the mechanistic link to nitric oxide production; work on the project is underway. Reeves will present a poster of her research at the 2006 EPA Fellows Conference in Washington D.C. Under the EPA STAR Fellowship Program, doctoral students may be supported for three years. The fellowship program provides up to $37,000 per year of support.
Loomis Wins 2nd Place in University-wide Graduate Student Research Competition
Kari Loomis, a PhD student in the Functional Genomics Program and working in the lab of Dr.Robert Smart won second prize for the life sciences category at NCSU's First Annual Graduate Research Symposium, held in March 2006. Ms. Loomis' winning presentation was entitled"C/EBPa is a tumor suppressor gene in epithelial tumorigenesis." Two graduate students from each department or program in the university were invited to present a poster in one of four major categories: math and physical sciences, life sciences, humanities, and engineering. For more information on the symposium, visit http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/grad_fellows/symposium / . Next year's symposium will be held in March 2007.
Summer, 2006
DEPARTMENT MOURNS DEATH OF DR. RANDY ROSE
Dr. Randy L. Rose, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, died on May 23, 2006 in a tragic automobile accident; he was 52. Dr. Rose was an internationally renowned researcher, a respected mentor and a valued colleague. His research focused on the characterization of the molecular basis of pesticide metabolism and resultant interaction in mammals and insects. Although he worked in many areas of xenobiotic research, his recent studies on the human metabolism of environmental chemicals used in agriculture, military deployments and industry were significant scientific advances, important to the understanding of gene-environment interactions in the development of chronic diseases such as cancer. At the time of his death, Dr. Rose had been invited to deliver presentations of his research at international meetings in Japan and Maryland . Dr. Rose was a member of the Society of Toxicology and the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics.
A native of Utah , Rose earned his 1979 bachelor's and 1981 master's degrees in biology from Utah State University and his 1988 Ph.D. in entomology from Louisiana State University . He joined NC State University in 1988 as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Ernest Hodgson's laboratory. In 1989, he helped found the Department of Toxicology, now the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. Rose had served as a faculty member in the department since 1992.
Reflections of Department Members and Colleagues
Dr. Ernest Hodgson, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, a long-time collaborator and colleague or Dr. Rose's, concluded his memorial service tribute to Randy with words that captured his admiration for Randy both as a research colleague and a friend by saying: “. . . a life worth celebrating is one worth emulating.” Dr. Hodgson worked tirelessly to help the members of Randy's lab transition in the face of tremendous loss and sorrow and to make sure that his pending professional commitments were handled. Dr. Hodgson commented that the scope of Dr. Rose's work “spanned the realms of basic and applied, or mission-oriented, research” and his professional legacy is that his research “will serve to improve human health risk assessments for many years to come.”
Dr. Damian Shea, Professor and Department Head, said of Randy: “He set an example for living a life that we all admired and tried to emulate. Randy excelled as a researcher, scholar, and educator. Yet he also touched so many lives through his community service, his extraordinary kindness, and his love for his fellow man. Although Randy will be deeply missed, his positive influence on the world will last a very long time and will be a constant reminder to us of what makes a truly great man.”
Dr. Jerry LeBlanc, Professor and Director of the Environmental Toxicology Program, commented: “Randy was one of those rare individuals that you could always depend upon. ‘No' wasn't part of his vocabulary.”
Dr. Andrew Wallace, Assistant Professor, offered these reflections: "Randy and I worked closely over the last three years mentoring students, working in the laboratory, and writing a number of research grants together. Whether it was aiding students or helping me as a new faculty member, he was always generous of his time and knowledge. Randy's scientific contributions and his dedication and enthusiastic positive influence on family, community, and profession are legacies that will continue to inspire us."
Carolyn McNeill, Graduate Secretary, shared the following story: “I was one of those people Randy helped with their vehicles – to start – no ac, leaking oil, shuddered and clanked – 5pm and everyone is leaving work to go home. Randy noticed my car would not start and came over to offer assistance. He went to his car and got his tools, put up the hood and tinkered here and there – lo and behold my car started. Randy told me to call my family to get a ride home so he could drive my car to his home for further repairs. He would not take ‘no' for an answer. Randy was a genuinely nice person – a gentle man. Hardly a week goes by that my children don't hear me recall about the nice professor who stopped to help me.”
Students valued Dr. Rose's teaching and mentorship and gravitated to the courses he taught and to his lab to work under his direction. Many students shared stories of the impact Dr. Rose had on their lives and their graduate careers.
Dr. Rose's current Ph.D. student, Ed Croom, offered his thoughts: “Dr. Rose was one of the most ethical people I have ever met. He was always thinking about others. He was particularly concerned that his students understand their field. He told his Insecticide Toxicology class that he expected us to be able to identify anything we might find in a store. By the end of the class I could.”
Another of Randy's students, Richard Casabar, a recent graduate of the department, shared these thoughts about his former advisor: "I have known Dr. Randy Rose to be a quiet man and one of the kindest persons I have ever met. As my research advisor, he was very committed to my needs and success in my project. He took time from his busy schedule to help me on several occasions to troubleshoot and fix my HPLC instrument. Without hesitation, he procured costly materials such as primary human hepatocytes for the completion of my project. Just before he passed away, he helped me publish my first scientific paper in Drug Metabolism and Disposition. I feel extremely blessed to have my life touched by Dr. Rose, who I will forever remember as a great man, an excellent teacher, and a true friend."
Beth Cooper , a Ph.D. student in Dr. Wallace's lab and former President of the Toxicology Graduate Student Association, said: “Dr. Rose was a very warm and kind person. He was so approachable; you felt as if you could go to him to talk about anything. As a student, you just always felt like he was on your side. I feel fortunate to have known him for the short time that I did.”
Bethany Reeves , a Ph.D. student in Dr. LeBlanc's lab, shared these sentiments: “Dr. Rose will be greatly missed in this department. I was lucky to get to know him through rotating in his lab, taking his courses, and having a desk just outside his office door. He was an incredibly kind person who did whatever he could to help anyone. I very much appreciated all the efforts he made in classes and in the lab to make sure his students were able to be their best. He will be remembered as a very kind and compassionate professor, mentor and person.”
Leslie Tompkins , a Ph.D. student in Dr. Wallace's lab, had these reflections: “Dr. Rose was a member of my advisory committee for his xenobiotic metabolism and P450 expertise. Even after the focus of my research moved toward molecular biology and away from his area of expertise, Dr. Rose took every opportunity—whether in committee meetings, my oral preliminary presentation, or simply weekly lab meetings—to understand the ‘what' and ‘why' of my project. He was also a very supportive man. On one occasion, after a particularly grueling committee meeting, Dr. Rose approached me to say how proud he was at how I handled myself in the face of criticism. He was always willing to help. He was a refreshing, supportive soul in an academic environment that is often dominated by arrogance and competition . . . and he is sorely missed.”
Julia Storm, Extension Specialist, commented: “You knew from Randy's actions that he cared about people and about all life. From rescuing a Cooper's hawk trapped inside the Method Road building to explaining his research to me on multiple occasions, his patience and kindness always shone through. The last time I saw Randy, which turned out to be the day he died, he had generously agreed to make time in his morning to show an international visitor around his lab and discuss his research. When I returned to Randy's office to escort the visitor to his next appointment, Randy greeted me with a huge smile, exclaiming, ‘We discovered we have endosulfan in common!' Randy will always live for me as an example of what a joy life can be when lived with genuine curiosity and compassion.”
Randy's brother Scott Rose and Scott's wife Anita visited the Toxicology Building the day after the memorial service to see Randy's lab and learn more about his work. Later, Scott offered this eloquent summation of Randy's approach to his work: “I can see why Randy enjoyed his work so much. It was more about the people than academia, more about connections than metabolic research, more about life than things.”
A Life of Contribution to Family and Community
Randy's impact on many lives was evident in the outpouring of support and remembrances following his death; over 1000 people attended the family visitation and 600 attended his funeral service. Randy is survived by his wife, Eileen G. Rose; daughter, Karen Rose and sons Brian Rose, Alan Rose, Gordon Rose and Oran Rose, all of Clayton, NC; parents Wayne and Joy Rose of Salt Lake City, UT; sister Sharon Crockett of Highland, UT; brothers Larry Rose and Scott Rose of Bountiful, UT, Keith Rose of Vernal, UT, Craig Rose of South Jordan, UT and Glen Rose of Cedar Hills, UT. Funeral services were held Monday, May 29, 2006 at the Garner Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, while interment was at Maplewood Cemetery in Clayton , NC .
As family and friends shared their remembrances of Randy at his funeral, a picture of Randy's whole life and his influence on those around him emerged. For those of us who knew him primarily through our connection at work, the treasured memories of family, friends and community members added new dimensions to the portrait of Randy we hold in our hearts. His older brother described their shared experiences cross-country skiing in the Utah backcountry and surviving an avalanche that made them appreciate life and their love for one another all the more. Other brothers told stories of their admiration for Randy's artistic and academic gifts, while his younger brother and sister shared memories of how ecstatic they were when Randy took the time, as he often did, to play games with them in their childhood. We were reminded how much we admired Randy for his generosity and sense of fairness and equality with his wife's stories about their shared approach to marriage and family life, tackling everything from finances to car repair together, side-by-side. We learned from Randy's children how much they looked up to their father, and how much he supported and encouraged them in developing their own strengths and dreams. We learned from friends and church leaders how Randy shared his love of sports participation, nature appreciation, artistic expression and religious values through coaching Little League, being a Scout leader, serving as an active church member and leader and lending a helping hand to neighbors and strangers alike.
Memorials
Dr. Rose and his dedication to science, his enthusiasm for life and his generous spirit will be greatly missed. A departmental committee is developing plans for a memorial garden to be located on the grounds of the Toxicology Building on Centennial Campus. Plans for a research symposium focusing on xenobiotic metabolism and dedicated to Dr. Rose's memory, to be held in early 2007, are under way. A memorial fund has been established at the State Employees Credit Union in Clayton , NC . Donations may be sent to Randy's wife, Eileen Rose at 2315 Huntsbridge Drive, Clayton , NC 27520 ; checks should be made payable to Eileen Rose, indicating “in memory of Randy Rose” on the memo line.
In June, the Agromedicine Research Forum, where Dr. Rose was to have been a presenter, was dedicated to his memory. Dr. Ernest Hodgson delivered his research presentation at the event, sponsored by the North Carolina Agromedicine Institute's NIOSH-funded Southern Coastal Agromedicine Center. Members of Randy's family were present at the Forum for the tribute to Randy's professional life and contribution. [Click here to view the presentation.]
Congratulations, Graduates!
Cynthia V. Rider, Ph.D.
Dissertation:
Development and Application of Mixture Toxicity Models
Under the direction of Dr. Jerry LeBlanc
Dr. Rider is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at US EPA's National Health & Environmental Effects Research Laboratory in the Reproductive Toxicology Division/Endorcrinology Branch lab of Dr. Vickie S. Wilson in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Dr. Rider's dissertation won a prestigious award.
Katrina E. White, Ph.D.
Dissertation:
Bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hyrocarbons in sediment
Under the direction of Dr. Damian Shea
Dr. White is currently a Chemist in US FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in the Division of Chemistry Research and Environmental Review in College Park, Maryland. katrina.white@fda.hhs.gov
Wendy N. Jefferson, Ph.D.
Dissertation:
Neonatal Exposure to the Phytoestrogen, Genistein Alters Ovarian Differentiation and Development
Under the direction of Retha Newbold, NIEHS
Dr. Jefferson is currently a Biologist at in the Developmental Endocrinology Group at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, NC.
Alumni, Faculty, Friends Reunite at SETAC
Weisbrod Present Fall Alumni Seminar
Cherrington Presents Spring Alumni Seminar
Dr. Oleksiak's Research Featured on Cover of Nature
Dr. LeBlanc's Daphnid Research: Sex or No Sex?
Dr. Nigel Deighton Directs New Metabolomics/Proteomics Laboratory
Department Hosts Carolinas SETAC Meeting; NCSU Tox Students Take Home Awards
Kyoungju Choi
Seoul, South Korea
Modulation of Immune Function Parameters in Fish Caused by Sudden Environmental Changes
Under the direction of W. Gregory Cope and Jerry McHugh Law
Dr. Choi is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Hodgson laboratory in the NC State University Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology.
Eun-ah Cho
Pusan, South Korea
Bioturbation as a Novel Method to Characterize the Toxicity of Aquatic Sediment
Under the direction of W. Gregory Cope and Damian Shea
Dr. Cho is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Fukuoka University in Japan.
Rebecca Marie Heltsley
Glasgow, Kentucky
Novel Methods for Monitoring Chlorinated Contaminants in Aquatic Environments
Under the direction of Damian Shea
Dr. Heltsley is currently an NRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Standards and Technology Institute.
Master Of Toxicology
Lamont Booker
Kimberly Dawn Hamlet
Kristina Lynn Powers
Dominique Janel Williams
Master of Science
Rachel Nichole Murrell
Toxicology Faculty, Alumni and Friends Reunite at SETAC National Meeting, November 2005
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Pat McClellan-Green, Shea Tuberty, Goran Bozinovic, Margie Oleksiak, Lisa Bain, Eimen Zhou, Bill MacCreahan, Mary Bednar, Damian Shea, Rebecca Heltsley, Pete Lazaro, Chris Hofelt, Greg Cope, Robert Bringolf, David Buchwalter and Larry Curtis enjoyed catching up over dinner while attending the North American SETAC Annual Meeting in Baltimore. |
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Dr. Annie WeisbrodPresents Fall 2005 Alumni Seminar, Discusses Career Development with Grad Students
Congratulations to Jin-Ah Park, Wade Lehmann, and Wei-Chun HuangFu who
were each awarded a $1,000 Merck Travel Award through the Department
of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology.Jin-Ah presented her work at the American Thoracic Society's ATS 2005 International Conference, Wade at the National Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and Wei-Chun at the Gordon Research Conference on Stress Proteins. The Department is proud to have had these individuals represent the Department at these venues.
Dr. Nathan Cherrington Presents Spring 2005 Alumni Seminar
Dr. Nathan Cherrington, a Ph.D. graduate of the department, delivered a research seminar entitled Xenobiotic Transporters and Hepatoprotection in Cholestasis on Tuesday, January 25, 2005. During his visit to the department, Dr. Cherrington, now an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arizona, held research discussions with members of the Hodgson, Rose and Wallace labs. He visited with graduate students over lunch to share his views on career development.
Since his graduation in 1997 from the department, Cherrington has continued to collaborate with his graduate research advisors, Drs. Hodgson and Rose, as well as carving out new research directions. His current research focuses on the molecular mechanisms involved in the transcriptional regulation of drug transporters and drug metabolizing genes. Two recent Drug Metabolism and Disposition publications, XENOBIOTIC AND ENDOBIOTIC TRANSPORTER MRNA EXPRESSION IN THE BLOODTESTIS BARRIER and INDUCTION OF MULTIDRUG RESISTANCE PROTEIN 3 (MRP3) IN VIVO IS INDEPENDENT OF CONSTITUTIVE ANDROSTANE RECEPTOR, explore these themes. Dr. Cherrington's seminar covered four main areas: 1) an introduction to xenobiotic transporters, 2) the regulation and management of toxic response to chemicals, 3) the mechanism of chemically-mediated modulation of xenobiotic transporter gene expression and 4) the role of xenobiotic transporters in cholestatis (build up of bile acids in the liver). One of the ultimate goal's of Cherrington's research is to reduce toxicity during liver disease by pharmacologically inducing certain hepatic transporters. 
At the outset of his research seminar, Nathan expressed thanks to the faculty for the great training and mentoring they provided him during his time at NCSU. He also indicated that he enjoyed meeting with graduate students and touring the Toxicology Building . In his characteristic upbeat approach to life, Nathan shared an exchange he and his wife (Jana Cherrington, also a Ph.D. graduate of the department) had over the phone: Jana asked: “Is your visit [to the Tox department] like being home?” Nathan replied: “No! It's not at all like the Method Road building we worked in; this is a fantastic facility!” Graduate students Eddie Croom and Leslie Tompkins reflected on their discussions with Dr. Cherrington. 
Eddie, a graduate student in the Rose lab took home a couple of messages from Nathan's view of finding the right postdoctoral position: " It was comforting to hear him describe how post-docs are in short supply and that we should be well prepared by the time we graduate to find a position. He also stressed the importance of picking people to work with based on the way they treat their colleagues and staff. Basically, he said that two years is too long to spend with someone who views you more like a robot than a researcher." He added that Cherrington pointed out that "people will assume that you are like the people you have chosen to work for; those should be people who work well with others." 
Leslie Thompkins, a senior graduate student in the Wallace lab was impressed that Dr. Cherrington "has been successful in his career and has a family and has a sense of humor!" Leslie echoed Nathan's take-home message: "find a post-doc with someone who you like and respect in addition to the lab's research being a good fit." Ms. Thompkins appreciated Dr. Cherrington's commendation of Dr. Hodgson for his contribution to the department, his mentoring of students and his contribution to the field of toxicology, as well as his appreciation for Dr. Rose's mentorship. 
Cherrington received his BS in Zoology in 1993 from Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. in Toxicology from NC State University in 1997. He completed a Postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Dr. Curtis D. Klaasen in Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Cherrington has been at the University of Arizona since 2001. For more information: Nathan Cherrington, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology
College of Pharmacy , University of Arizona http://www.pharmacy.arizona.edu/copdirectory/dispperson.pl?person=cherring
http://toxtraining.pharmacy.arizona.edu/faculty_pages/cherrington.html
Dr. David Owens Delivers First Seminar of Alumni Series
Maintaining ties to the program where one received his or her graduate training isn’t necessarily automatic. Most graduates and faculty advisors maintain professional relationships following graduation through informal gatherings and scientific exchanges at professional meetings. The Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology is providing another opportunity to maintain and encourage those ties. Each semester a graduate of the department’s Ph.D. program will be invited to present at the department’s research seminar. On November 16, 2004, Dr. David Owens, a 1996 graduate of the department who conducted his doctoral research under the direction of Dr. Robert Smart, delivered the first seminar in this series. Dr. Owens presented a seminar entitled Integrins and the Epidermal Tumor Microenvironment, based on work published in the Journal of Cell Science, 116 (18) 3783-91. “I love coming back to NC State University and the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. I value and take pride in the training I received here,” says Dr. Owens, now an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Dermatology and Pathology at Columbia University Medical Center.
In addition to presenting a research seminar, visiting alumni are invited to visit with faculty and meet with current graduate students over lunch. Dr. Owens met with Drs. Oleksiak, Tsuji, Wallace, Ninomiya-Tsuji, Smart and Rose for research discussions. “It’s nice to see your old department flourish,” commented Dr. Owens. Reflecting on his meeting with the graduate students he commented: “I hope I didn’t discourage you too much; I wanted to give you a realistic view of a career in academics. If the freedom of the job and hypothesis testing are important to you, then academics is the place to be.” Beth Wasilak, a student in Dr. Wallace’s lab and Vice-President of the Toxicology Graduate Student Association said she found the visit with Dr. Owens valuable. “It’s encouraging to see someone who graduated from your department go on to be so successful. The lunch discussion was a relaxed atmosphere for asking questions,” commented Ms. Wasilak. She indicated that students had lots of questions for Dr. Owens, especially about career development, such as how to go about finding a post-doctoral position. Although applying for positions advertised in scientific journals is one approach, Dr. Owens suggested that students choose 5 places where they would like to work as a post-doc and send a CV. “At least 3 of these will get back to, and you will get an offer. It’s more important to go where you fit than to choose based on the reputation of the institution,” he added. Ms. Wasilak looks forward to other visiting alumni speakers who can provide perspectives on careers in industry and government positions as well. Dr. Owens, a native of Augusta, Georgia, entered the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology in 1992 with a BS from St. Andrews Presbyterian College in North Carolina. He won several national student awards and published three papers while working on his Ph.D. Following graduation in 1996, Dr. Owens held a post-doctoral position in London, England at Cancer Research UK (formerly the Imperial Cancer Research Fund) in Dr. Fiona Watt’s lab, one of the premiere labs in keratinocyte stem cell research. Dr. Owens joined the Columbia University Medical Center as an Assistant Professor in 2003.
Congratulations, December 2004 Graduates!
Dr. Cope congratulates Dr. Choi following graduation ceremonies.
Doctor of Philosophy
Kyoungju Choi
Seoul, South Korea
Modulation of Immune Function Parameters in Fish Caused by Sudden Environmental Changes
Under the direction of W. Gregory Cope and Jerry McHugh Law
Master of Science
Rachel Nichole Murrell
Wilmington, NC
Welcome New Students!
Nine students embark on graduate degree programs in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology this fall. The department welcomes two students into the masters degrees program: Richard Casabar and Christopher Spivey, and seven students into the doctoral degree program: Edward Croom, Jae Young Kim, Melanie Pooler, Rakesh Ranjan, Bethany Reeves, Christopher Sistrunk and Elizabeth Thompson. The students hail from a number of academic backgrounds and from across the country and the world. Richard Casabar is a Captain in the US Air Force and graduated with a BS from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Edward Croom and Christopher Spivey both received BS degrees from NC State University. Kim Jae Young graduated with a BS from Seoul National University and received a Master's degree from Catholic University of Korea. Melanie Pooler received a BS from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and a Master's degree from North Carolina Central University. Rakesh Ranjan graduated from Acharya College in India. Bethany Reeves received a Bachelor's degree from Marist College in New York. Christopher Sistrunk received a BS from Winston-Salem State University and a Master's degree from North Carolina Central University. Elizabeth Thompson graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a BS and from the University of Minnesota with an MS. Welcome to the department and best wishes for a successful and engaging experience in graduate study.
Congratulations to Hailemariam and Yoon for Research Honors
Two Molecular and Cellular Toxicology graduate students have been honored for their research, Kyungsil Yoon and Kiros Hailemariam. The department congratulates both Kyungsil and Kiros for their research excellence.
Kyungsil Yoon, now a PhD graduate of Dr. Robert Smart's lab, won a student merit award from the North Carolina Society of Toxicology for her research presentation entitled C/EBPalpha is a DNA-damage inducible p53-regulated mediator of growth arrest in keratinocytes at the 2004 winter meeting. Kyungsil received a $500 award, supporting her travel to the 2004 meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research.
Kiros Hailemariam, a student in Dr. Yoshi Tsuji's lab, will present his research at the Minority Trainee Research Forum, an invitational scientific meeting showcasing doctoral trainees engaged in biomedical research. His abstract HIPK2 is an ATF1 Binding Protein and Regulates Transcription of Ferritin H Gene Through an Antioxidant Respone Element was one of twelve selected in the national competition. The Minority Trainee Research Forum will be held September 22-26, 2004 in North Miami, Florida.
Congratulations 2003-2004 Graduates
Master
of Science
Amber Kristina Goetz
Master
of Toxicology
Donna
McMurtry McLaughlin
Doctor of Philosophy
Samantha
Jane Jones
Pesticide Residues in Surface Waters of North Carolina Rural
and Urban Watersheds: Studies to Determine and Reduce Residues in
Drinking Water. Under the direction of Ross B. LeidyXueyan
Mu
Anti-ecdysteroidal Activity and Associated Toxicity of Environmental
Chemicals in the Crustacean Daphnia magna
Under the direction of Gerald LeBlanc
John Floyd Couse
The Role of Estrogen Receptor-alpha and Estrogen Receptor-beatain
the Hyperluteinized Mouse Ovary
Under the direction of Robert Smart and Kenneth
Korach
Kyungsil
Yoon
CCAAT/Enhancer
Binding Protein-alpha (C/EBPalpha) is a DNA Damage Inducible P53 Regulated
Mediator of the G1 Checkpoint
Under the direction of RobertSmart
Jason
Ralph Pirone
Stochastic Modeling of Transcription Factor Binding Fluctuations
Under the direction of Charles Eugene Smith, Robert
Smart and Timothy C. Elston
Dr.
Greg Cope Receives Best Presentation Award
Dr.
Greg Cope, Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental
and Molecular Toxicology and Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Program
Faculty Member received the W. Don Baker Memorial Award for Best Platform
Presentation by a Professional Member at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the North
Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries Society held February
4-5, 2004 in Asheville, NC. The presentation was entitled Assessing
the presence of estrogenic chemicals with sentinel fish and was
co-authored by Dr.
Gerald LeBlanc of the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology,
Larry McMillan with the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department,
and Scott L. Van Horn of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Pictured are Dr.
Cope (far right), Dr. Jim Rice (far left) of the NCSU Zoology Department
and Chair of the NC AFS Awards Committee, and Dr. Tom Kwak (center)
of the NCSU Zoology Department's NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research
Unit and current President of the NC AFS Chapter.
Congratulations, Cynthia!
Cynthia
Rider, a graduate student in the lab of Dr.
Gerald LeBlanc in the Department of Environmental and Molecular
Toxicology, was awarded 1st Honorable Mention in the Best
Student Platform Presentation competition at the 24th Annual
Meeting of SETAC North
America held in Austin, Texas in November 2003. Cynthia's presentation, The
Search for a Simple Approach to a Complex Problem: Modeling Mixtures
Toxicity, was judged second among 117 student platform presentations.
A cash award of $150 accompanied the prestigious award.
McClellan-Green Brings Coastal Connection to Toxicology
Dr.
Patricia McClellan-Green, who graduated from NCSU with a Ph.D.
in Toxicology in 1989, holds a unique faculty position in the department.
Since 2000, she has been a Research Assistant Professor in the Department
of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at NC State University
and an adjunct faculty member at Duke University. Her research interests
include natural and synthetic toxicants in the marine environment
and their effects on the metabolic activities of marine organisms.
She couldn't ask for a more perfect research setting for these interests--the
Outer Banks area of North Carolina. Although Pat is currently located
at the Duke University Marine Laboratory near historic Beaufort,
she will be moving her laboratory a short distance down the coast
to the Center for Marine Sciences
and Technology (CMAST) in Morehead City in early 2004.Pat
was born and raised on a farm near Concord, NC. She hesitates to provide
an exact date, but indicates she “was too young for Woodstock
I and too old for Woodstock II.” Her lifelong interest in understanding “what
makes things tick” took her to East Carolina University on a
Cannon Scholarship, where she graduated with honors, majoring in biology.
She completed her graduate research for a Ph.D. in toxicology at NC
State University under the direction of Dr. Joyce Goldstein of NIEHS.
After moving to the coast, Pat switched her research emphasis from mammalian
systems to marine organisms. Currently, she has projects going in her laboratory
working with various marine species. For example, one study funded by the USEPA
looks at the causes of endocrine disruption in gastropods (snails) by contaminants
from the boating and shipping industry. Others studies are focusing on pollutant
effects in shellfish, fish and most notably endangered sea turtles.
<Graduate
student Jocelyn Romano is a natural in the field.
>Undergraduates
Kristan Ferguson
and Tristan Bird are learning to love snails.
Pat and her husband, David P. Green (also an alumnus of NCSU, Ph.D. 1989) married in 1982. During graduate school, Pat juggled family and graduate study. Joseph, their oldest son was born while Pat was hard at work on her research. She was pregnant with their youngest son, William, when she defended her Ph.D. Pat is active in her community, serving as a merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts, Moderator of Worship at First Presbyterian Church in Morehead City, NC, and citizen member and community co-chair for the Environmental Restoration Advisory Board at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station.
Advancing the Science of Toxicology and Entomology: A Symposium Honoring the Distinguished Career of Dr. Ernest Hodgson
A
Symposium honoring the retirement of Dr. Ernest Hodgson was held Friday,
September 19th, 2003 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention
Center in Research Triangle Park, NC. Over 150 participants gathered
to honor the scientific and academic accomplishments of Dr. Hodgson's
42 year career at NC State University. The event kicked off with a
morning poster session, including contributions from faculty and graduate
students from Toxicology and Entomology at NCSU and scientists from
BASF, EPA, NIEHS, Dow AgroSciences, and the University of Memphis.
Student posters were judged by faculty panels from both departments.An afternoon session
featured invited speakers representing the breadth of toxicology and
entomology associated with Dr. Hodgson's career. Speakers and topics
included:
- Dr. John Casida of the University of California at Berkeley, Insecticide evolution: mechanisms of selectivity and changing concepts of safety Dr. Janice Chambers of Mississippi State University, OP insecticides and developing systems: how do we protect the childrenDr. Fred Gould of North Carolina State University, Autointoxication for pest controlDr. Bruce Hammock of the University of California at Davis, From bugs to blood pressure
- Dr. Randy Rose of North Carolina State University, Pesticide metabolizing enzymes: from insects to mice to humans.
Student poster winners from the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology included Rebecca Heltsley for Sources, detection, and exposure of the TCDD structural analogs 3,3',4,'-tetrachloroazabenzene and 3,3',4,4'-tetrachloroazobenzene in the environment and Kyungsil Yoon for CCAAT/Enhancer binding protein-alpha (C/EBPalpha) is a p53-regulated DNA-damage inducible mediator of growth arrest. Ms. Heltsley and Ms. Yoon tied for 1st place honors. From the Department of Entomology, Matthew Vanderherchen won first place honors for Trypsin modulating oostatic factor (TMOF) and non-peptidic analogs as novel insecticides and arthropod repellents and Chad Gore won second place honors for Integrated management of German cockroach infestations: laboratory and field evaluations of water solutions of boric acid and sugars.The luncheon banquet provided Dr. Mike Roe and Dr. Ron Harper of the Department of Entomology, Dr. Ron Kuhr, Emeritus Director of the NC Agricultural Research Service, and Dr. Damian Shea of the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology an opportunity to express appreciation to Dr. Hodgson for his contributions to NC State University and to inject some humor into the proceedings, as well. Dr. Hodgson's family was well represented and expressed appreciation for the celebration.Despite the unwelcome (not to mention untimely) winds and rain of Hurricane Isabel, a welcome reception for those colleagues, family and friends spirited enough to weather the storm was held on Thursday, September 18 at the Toxicology Building on NCSU's Centennial Campus. The reception was hosted by NCSU Toxicology and Entomology Graduate Student Associations; refreshments were plentiful and tasty. Remarks by Dr. James Harper, Head of the Department of Entomology and Dr. Damian Shea, Head of the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology highlighted the many milestones of Dr. Hodgson's career at NC State University. A special presentation honoring Dr. Hodgson as one of the three founders of Toxicology at NC State University was unveiled. Portraits created for this special event of the three founders, Dr. Hodgson, Dr. Guthridge and Dr. Dauterman, will hang in the reception area of the Toxicology Building on NCSU's Centennial Campus.
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund, BASF, a University Graduate Student Association Block Grant, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Department of Entomology and the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at NC State University sponsored the event.
Chris
Hofelt Returns to NC State as Undergraduate Program Coordinator
The Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology welcomes alumnus Chris Hofelt (1998) back to North Carolina. Chris joined the Department in July 2002 as a Visiting Assistant Professor. He will be teaching and conducting research, as well as managing the day-to-day operations of the Exposure Assessment Laboratory.
Building on past successes in developing passive environmental sampling devices, Hofelt and Damian Shea, Department Head, are developing a prototype of a water and air sampling device for organic contaminants. The device is essentially a "sandwich of polyethylene sheets with a solvent filling." Hofelt and Shea plan to patent the device.
Chris is also excited about developing and teaching in the Undergraduate Program in Environmental Toxicology. In addition to developing both traditional and web-based courses for the undergraduate minor, Chris will be drawing on his own undergraduate degree in history to develop a new course for non-science majors. Although the course is still in the idea stage, Chris says it will focus on the history of the fascinating people and events that have evolved into the science whose premise is "the dose makes the poison."
Since
graduating from NC State in 1998 with a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology,
Chris held positions as a Post Doctoral Fellow at Wichita State University
and as a Toxicologist with the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality (formerly the Texas Natural
Resource Conservation Commission). While there, he conducted multi-pathway
risk assessments for hazardous waste combustion facilities seeking
permits and provided scientific reviews of air and water quality
issues for human health concerns. He developed a metabolism factor
for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for use in a risk assessment
model that improved the accuracy of the model for predicting contaminant
concentrations in the food chain. This work is published in Regulatory
Toxicology and Pharmacology 33, 60-65 (2001). While he feels
his study in toxicology at NC State prepared him well for the scientific
challenges of work in regulatory toxicology, Chris developed an appreciation
for risk communication and the unenviable position of the government
toxicologist: "if everybody's mad at you, then you're doing
your job right."
Toxicology Building dedication is milestone event for College
The
October 2001 dedication of the new Toxicology Building on N.C.
State’s Centennial Campus was a day of significant milestones
for the College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences. The building houses the Department of Environmental
and Molecular Toxicology and is the College’s first building
on Centennial Campus. The dedication ceremony was the occasion for
the announcement of the Ernest
Hodgson Toxicology Education Endowment, created in honor of William
Neal Reynolds Professor Hodgson, who served as the department’s
first head. And Dr. Damian Shea, the current department head, announced
the planned creation of an undergraduate minor degree program in environmental
toxicology.
Dr. James L. Oblinger, College dean, hosted the event. The science of toxicology “is
the driving force behind fundamental advances in the life sciences,” Oblinger
said. “There has been a tremendous need for this building.” Oblinger
explained that, since the department’s founding in 1989, the faculty
had worked in seven locations across the university campus. The new building,
he said, “will now provide a home for relevant, responsive programs in
toxicology research, teaching and extension, here at the center of the biosciences
neighborhood on Centennial Campus.” 
The
new building stands next to Partners II biotechnology complex, which
houses bioinformatics research facilities and the Genomic Research
Laboratory. Built with a $14 million appropriation of state funds,
the Toxicology Building includes research laboratories and offices,
a small-animal facility, an aquatics research facility, a high-hazard
laboratory, a 20-workstation computer classroom and an auditorium. The Environmental
and Molecular Toxicology Department studies the effects of chemicals
on human, animal and environmental health. Through the North Carolina
Cooperative Extension Service, it educates people about pesticide safety,
environmental contaminants and food safety, household chemical hazards,
contaminants in surface water and groundwater, and related topics.
The Toxicology Extension Program is one of just six in the United States.
Its innovative agromedicine program, part of the NC
Agromedicine Institute, operated with East Carolina University
and North Carolina A&T State University, helps improve the health
of North Carolinians involved in agriculture. The Institute was recently
awarded a five-year, $3-million center grant by the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health. Chancellor Marye
Anne Fox told the group that the research taking place in the new facility
will address the challenges this nation will be meeting in the next
few years and will enable our country to respond to challenges that
come to us at home and from abroad. “We will be improving the
quality of human life and the health of the environment with the work
we do here,” Fox said. Damian Shea, department
head, said, “Locating the new building on Centennial Campus will
strengthen the toxicology department’s interaction with government
agencies and private industries.” He mentioned the department’s
service to all three missions of the College, noting the stellar graduate
and research programs and the extension toxicology program, “one
of the few such programs in the country,” as well as announcing
that “undergraduates will not be forgotten: We’ll soon
be offering an undergraduate minor in environmental toxicology.”
Hodgson, responding
to Oblinger’s announcement of the endowment in his honor, reminisced
about the days when “we started the department as impetus to
get a building” and paid tribute to the Toxicology Extension
program. “Our Extension service is really a model for toxicology
and one that other programs would do well to emulate,” Hodgson
said. He then acknowledged his late department colleague, Dr. Frank
Guthrie, and Guthrie’s role in establishing the program by saying, “We
all look forward to the next phase.”