Newswise — Reston, Va.; March 17, 2014 — Several outstanding scientists are being honored with awards from the Society of Toxicology (SOT), a professional association of more than 7,700 toxicologists. Each year, the Society recognizes scientists who have made impactful contributions to the field of toxicology. This year’s award winners represent the global state of toxicology and a diversity of specialties, including mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis, discovering clinical biomarkers for kidney injury, understanding the adverse effects of chemicals on the male reproductive system, and the impact of airborne toxicants on human health. The award winners will be recognized at SOT’s 53rd Annual Meeting and ToxExpo in Phoenix, Ariz., on March 23, 2014.

“Toxicologists around the world are doing vital work to improve human health by investigating how humans and the environment interact with chemicals,” says Lois D. Lehman-McKeeman, PhD, ATS, 2013-2014 President of the Society of Toxicology. “By honoring the scientists at the forefront of their fields or ones who have contributed a lifetime of work to our toxicological understanding, we are encouraging continued efforts and rewarding extraordinary ones to help further the science of toxicology.”

The 2014 SOT Award winners are:

  • Achievement Award: Matthew J. Campen, PhD, MSPHThe University of New Mexico professor is awarded the 2014 SOT Achievement Award—given to a professional within 15 years of achieving his/her last degree—for his research on airborne toxicants, which has included more than 65 published papers.
  • Arnold J. Lehman Award: B. Bhaskar Gollapudi, PhDThe Exponent, Inc., employee is receiving the 2014 SOT Arnold J. Lehman Award—recognizing work in risk assessment or the regulation of chemicals—for his genetic toxicology research, specifically his work challenging the notion that there are no thresholds for genotoxic chemicals.
  • Distinguished Toxicology Scholar Award: Richard E. Peterson, PhDThe University of Wisconsin-Madison professor wins the 2014 SOT Distinguished Toxicology Scholar Award—awarded for active research that has made significant contributions to toxicology—for more than three decades of groundbreaking research on dioxin.
  • Founders Award: John A. Thomas, PhD, ATSThe Indiana University School of Medicine professor is awarded the 2014 SOT Founders Award—honoring efforts to improve the ability to make distinctions between safe and unsafe levels of chemical exposure—for his breadth of research on xenobiotic chemicals’ effect on the male reproductive system.
  • Leading Edge in Basic Science Award: Vishal S. Vaidya, PhDThe Harvard Medical School professor is receiving the 2014 SOT Leading Edge in Basic Science Award—bestowed for research contributing to the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of toxicology—for his work on a biomarker for kidney injury known as Kim-1.
  • Merit Award: Jay I. Goodman, PhD, ATSThe Michigan State University professor wins the 2014 SOT Merit Award—given for a lifetime of contributions to toxicology—for his research about epigenetic mechanisms involved in the maintenance and transmission of alternative states of gene activity.
  • Translational Impact Award: Timothy D. Phillips, PhD, ATSThe Texas A&M University professor is awarded the 2014 SOT Translational Impact Award—recognizing research improving human health in areas of toxicological concern—for his study of dioctahedral smectite clays in the US and Africa.

Beyond the awards, four of the 2014 SOT Award winners, Drs. Peterson, Vaidya, Goodman, and Phillips, will also be sharing their insights and research with the more than 7,000 expected attendees at the SOT Annual Meeting through special award lectures.

As part of its 2014 Awards, an SOT sponsor is awarding two toxicologists with special research grants. Colgate-Palmolive Grants for Alternative Research winners are:

  • Patricia E. Ganey, PhD, Michigan State University
  • Matthew Troese, PhD, MB Research Laboratories in Spinnerstown, Penn.

To bring diverse research and experiences to its 53rd Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, SOT has also awarded a number of senior scholars from around the globe with travel awards through the help of sponsors AstraZeneca, the SOT Endowment Fund, and IUTOX. The winners of 2014 SOT/AstraZeneca/SOT Endowment Fund/IUTOX Travel Awards are:

  • Samir Abbès, PhD, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Béja, Tunisia
  • Wafa Hassen, PhD, University of Monastir, Tunisia
  • Gopabandhu Jena, PhD, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, India
  • Sameeh A. Mansour, PhD, National Research Centre, Egypt
  • Siti N. Mubarokah, MSc, University of Islam Malang, Indonesia
  • Olufunke E. Ola-Davies, PhD, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
  • Iyekhoetin M. Omoruyi, MSc, Benson Idahosa University, Nigeria
  • Ishiaq Omotosho, PhD, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
  • Muneeb U. Rehman, PhD, University of Kashmir, India
  • Yang Song, PhD, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, China
  • Jing Zhang, MSc, Shanxi Medical University, China

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About SOTFounded in 1961, the Society of Toxicology (SOT) is a professional and scholarly organization of more than 7,700 scientists from academic institutions, government, and industry representing the great variety of individuals who practice toxicology in the US and abroad. SOT is committed to creating a safer and healthier world by advancing the science of toxicology. The Society promotes the acquisition and utilization of knowledge in toxicology, aids in the protection of public health, and has a strong commitment to education in toxicology and to the recruitment of students and new members into the profession. For more information about SOT and toxicology, visit the Society online at www.toxicology.org, follow us on Twitter @SOToxicology, and like us on Facebook.