Center for Integrative Toxicology at Michigan State University

Toxicology Track

Weekly Newsletter of the MSU Center for Integrative Toxicology
Director: Dr. Norbert Kaminski / Editor: Lauren St.John

September 21, 2009, Vol. 32, Number 35

Seminars / Events / Workshops / Courses / Fellowships / Job Postings

 

Seminars

Wednesday, September 23
The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology presents Dr. Timothy Zacharewski, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MSU, to speak on "Comparative toxicogenomic analysis of the hepatotoxicity of TCDD” on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. in B448-49 Life Sciences Building.

 

Events

Tuesday, December 8
The Center for Integrative Toxicology will host our annual Research Evening to showcase trainees in the Environmental and Integrative Toxicological Sciences Training Program and their accomplishments on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 in the Red Cedar Room at the MSU Kellogg Center.  The event will include dinner, student presentations and a poster session. Mark your calendars and look for more information coming soon!

 

Workshops

Leading Through Teamwork: How to be a Successful Professional – Prep Graduate School FREE Workshop

Saturday, September 26, 2009, from 8:45 am - 3:30 pm at the Kellogg Center

This interactive workshop for graduate students and post-docs will focus on identifying the skills underlying successful collaborations and learning to put them into practice. Research on professional success in academic and non-academic environments identifies teamwork and collaboration as key survival skills. Studies of new faculty indicate that although they are hired for their individual expertise, their job satisfaction and promotion often depend on how quickly they learn to be collaborators in research, teaching, and service. In non-academic settings, most projects evolve as group efforts.  Some psychologists have even argued that the most important new ideas are the product of "group genius," not individual brilliance. Through a diversity of activities presenters will engage participants in learning about how the so-called "soft-skills" of teamwork and leadership come into play in academic and non-academic settings. By the end of the workshop, participants should come away with concrete strategies for:  creating and sustaining collaborations in academia and beyond, managing teams, communicating effectively in and across diverse environments. 

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED 
To register send an email to: gradwrsp@msu.edu. Please include your name, department, e-mail address, name of the workshop, and date of the workshop.  Also indicate if you will need a vegetarian option for lunch.   If your plans change, email gradwrsp@msu.edu as soon as possible so that others can participate or we can cancel the ordered meal.  Parking passes will be provided for the Kellogg Center parking structure. Thank you!

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ILSI Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) Workshop on State of the Science: Evaluating Epigenetic Changes

Date:  October 28-30, 2009
Location:  NIEHS Campus, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Program Co-Chairs: Dr. Jay Goodman, Michigan State University and Dr. Karen Augustine, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Who Should Attend: Epigenetics is an emerging issue that is rapidly gaining traction and interest in a range of scientific and regulatory communities. The program is designed to be informative to scientists who are seeking to learn more about the field of epigenetics as well as those who are actively engaged in this arena. Scientists from industry, academia, and government are encouraged to participate.

Is there a Fee to Attend? The workshop is open at no-cost for all interested, registered parties until workshop capacity is reached (approximately 150 registrants).

How do I Register? Online registration information is available here. 

Where Should I Stay While Attending the Meeting? Research Triangle Park and the surrounding Raleigh-Durham area offer numerous lodging and recreation options. A room block for workshop attendees has been secured, please contact Ms. Cyndi Nobles for more information (cnobles@ilsi.org ).

 

Courses

Computational Systems Biology and Dose Response Modeling Short Course
PHM 870, Section 301, 1 credit (fulfills the EITS Topics in Toxicology requirement)

Date: October 7-9, 2009 (all day Oct. 7 and 8, half day on Oct. 9)

Location: Food Safety and Toxicology Building, room 164

Instructors: Qiang Zhang, Sudin Bhattacharya, and Melvin E. Andersen, Division of Computational Biology, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences; and Rory Conolly US Environmental Protection Agency.

Course Description: In this short course, you will learn:

  • Current computational modeling techniques for the quantitative investigation of how biological systems respond to perturbations at the cellular level.
  • Common themes in signal transduction and gene regulatory networks that underlie systems-level cellular behaviors including homeostasis, adaptation, threshold response, binary cell fate decisions, and irreversible differentiation.
  • How molecular circuits comprising genes and proteins give rise to different dose response behaviors.
  • To use these techniques to develop computational models for understanding and predicting dose response behaviors of drugs and environmental agents.

The course comprises lectures and hand-on computer simulation exercises. Students will be required to bring a PC laptop computer each day to the course as there will be sample data sets for them to model.

Please visit http://www.thehamner.org/education-and-training/drm_workshop.html for a full description of a one-week version of this course. Contact Dr. Norbert Kaminski, kamins11@msu.edu, with questions.

Please contact Diane Hummel, hummeld@msu.edu, in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology for course registration/override.

 

Fellowships

Nominations Sought for Environmental Health Sciences - ‘Science Communication Fellows’

Environmental Health Sciences (EHS), publisher of EnvironmentalHealthNews.org and DailyClimate.org, seeks nominations for Science Communication Fellows. The 12-month appointments are open to postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty at research universities that have active research programs related to environmental health sciences.

Most of the public and many reporters are unaware of how profoundly the environmental health sciences have advanced in the past decade, and they often lack a basic understanding of the significance or context of new results. The Science Communication Fellows program addresses this gap, working with up to 10 researchers a year to develop and hone their communication and outreach skills early in their professional careers, while also publishing accessible summaries of important new research findings.

Nominations are being accepted now for the competitive, one-year fellowships that will further enhance the researchers’ communication skills and offer a strong peer network with the Science Communication Fellows from prior years. Fellowship training provides participants the tools with which to communicate environmental health research to the media, policy makers and the public.

Duties: With assistance from skilled communication experts and EHS staff, Science Communication Fellows appointed for the 2010 calendar year will:

  • Identify every month two important new scientific findings within his or her area of expertise.
  • Submit short written summaries that translate the findings for reporters and a broader public.
  • Report on those findings via a monthly conference call.
  • Occasionally, expand the summaries into longer, more detailed synopses.
  • Contribute short reviews critiquing media coverage of environmental health findings.
  • Attend a two-day national conference to meet one another and Environmental Health Sciences staff, network with professionals in related fields, attend media training and discuss research and policy issues in environmental health.

Compensation: $5,000 stipend and paid expenses for media training conference.

Nomination: Department chairs or deans will nominate successful candidates. Applications are due October 15, 2009, and must be submitted electronically to sciencefellows@environmentalhealthnews.org.

Applications:

  1. A letter of recommendation from the applicant's department chair or dean;
  2. A letter from the nominee describing qualifications and why he or she wishes to participate; and
  3. The nominee’s CV with three sample publications in PDF format.

Selection and Notification: A selection committee will review nominations and select up to 10 fellows for the 2010 calendar year. Participants will be notified before December 15, 2009.

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Department of Homeland Security Honors Fellowship

Would you like to be a part of an exceptional team of bright professionals who are dedicated to protecting our nation?  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking to hire a handful of students from the nation’s best graduate programs.  Those selected to join the department will have a unique opportunity to put their academic achievements, intellect and professional experience to use during a critical time in American history.  As honors fellows, you will provide direct assistance to top policymakers throughout the department.  Fellows will work side-by-side with professionals with expertise in areas such as Policy Development, Strategic Planning, Private Sector Policy, International Affairs, Bioterrorism, Science and Technology, Immigration Policy, Law Enforcement, Cargo and Maritime Policy, Emergency Preparedness, Customs Enforcement, Financial Investment/Trade, and Intelligence and Analysis.

We seek applicants who have keen analytical skills, a demonstrated ability to write well, and the judgment and discretion needed to operate in a vibrant, highly visible, and challenging environment.  Those exceptional candidates who are selected as honors fellows will serve for two years.  Upon completing the fellowship, you will have the opportunity to convert to a permanent position at DHS.  

How do I apply?  Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to The Graduate School at gradschool@grd.msu.edu by November 20, 2009.  DHS will work with The Graduate School to schedule an on-campus informational session and interviews.  You will be required to go through multiple rounds of interviews with departmental officials on your college campus and at DHS headquarters.  If selected, we will present you with an offer letter to join the department.  Some key requirements that must be met are U.S. citizenship, background investigation, and master’s degree or higher.

 

Job Postings

Research Investigator, Environmental Modeling Scientist (2984090827)       
                                                                           
For 75 years, DuPont Crop Protection has been serving production agriculture with products for the grain and specialty crop sectors as well as forestry and vegetation management, including global herbicide, fungicide and insecticide products and services.  Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, DuPont Crop Protection is part of the overall Agriculture & Nutrition business of the DuPont Company.  Our mission is to best satisfy the world's need for food and nutrition by transforming the ways renewable resources are grown, processed and distributed.            
                                                                            
The Environmental Safety Assessment Group is looking for a highly motivated scientist to work in our Newark, Delaware, research facility. The successful candidate will be leading the development and application of environmental fate models, mathematical tools and statistical approaches to support optimization, commercialization and stewardship of crop protection chemicals. The specific job duties will include the following.                                                                 

  1. Proactively participate in the development of environmental risk assessment strategies for the registration of new crop protection chemicals.
  2. Collaborate with environmental fate, eco-toxicology technical experts and the product registration teams to conduct the environmental risk assessments and establish safe and sustainable uses for DuPont agrochemicals.                                      
  3. Serve as study/program monitor for environmental modeling studies conducted at contract research organizations to fulfill international regulatory requirements and support product modeling and risk assessment strategies.                                    
  4. Participate in external industry committees and other professional societies to develop guidance and best practices in environmental modeling.                                                          
  5. Interface with worldwide regulatory agencies on technical issues, develop and present responses to their questions and requests.      

                                                                           
 Qualifications                                                            

  1. A Ph.D. degree (or equivalent experience) in engineering or science with experience in the areas of environmental fate, soil science, biology, chemistry and computer modeling.      
  2. Demonstrated technical leadership skills with a desire to contribute towards team success and a willingness to promote the potential for growth among team members at all levels.     
  3. Experience with environmental fate modeling is essential.
  4. Experience with common programming languages (e.g. Visual Basic and Fortran), and GIS-based software programs is beneficial.                      
  5. Demonstrated ability to prepare scientific publications and presentations on agrochemicals research.                           
  6. Experience with global pesticide registration guidelines.           
  7. Excellent oral and written communication skills.                   
  8. Excellent project management skills.                                

                                                                           
For more information and to apply online, please visit: https://dupontimpl.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=40661.

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Principal Investigator, Global Regulatory Ecotoxicologist (3035090827)     
                                                                            
For 75 years, DuPont Crop Protection has been serving production agriculture with products for the grain and specialty crop sectors as well as forestry and vegetation management, including global herbicide, fungicide and insecticide products and services.  Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, DuPont Crop Protection is part of the overall Agriculture & Nutrition business of the DuPont Company.  Our mission is to best satisfy the world's need for food and nutrition by transforming the ways renewable resources are grown, processed and distributed.            

The Global Regulatory Eco toxicologist will be leading the development and application of ecological risk assessments to support optimization, commercialization and stewardship of crop protection chemicals. The specific job duties will include the following:                        

  1.  Proactively participate in the development of ecological risk assessment strategies for the registration of new crop protection chemicals.
  2.  Collaborate with environmental fate, modeling technical experts and the product registration teams to conduct the environmental risk assessments and establish safe and sustainable uses for DuPont  agrochemicals.  
  3. Serve as study/program monitor for ecotoxicology studies conducted at contract research organizations to fulfill international regulatory requirements and support product risk assessment strategies. 
  4. Participate in external industry committees and other professional societies to develop guidance and best practices in ecological risk assessments.  
  5. Interface with worldwide regulatory agencies on technical issues, develop and present responses to their questions and requests.      

                                                                            
 Qualifications                                                            

  1. A Ph.D. degree (or equivalent experience) in biological sciences with ecotoxicology experience (aquatic or terrestrial invertebrate or vertebrate species; aquatic or terrestrial plants, etc).
  2. Demonstrated technical leadership skills with a desire to contribute towards team success and a willingness to promote the potential for growth among team members at all levels.
  3.  Knowledge of common PC-based software is expected, including word processors, spreadsheets, databases, web browsers, and statistical/mathematical software.    
  4. Demonstrated ability to prepare scientific publications and presentations on agrochemicals research.
  5.  Experience with global pesticide registration guidelines.
  6. Excellent oral and written communication skills.                   
  7. Excellent project management skills.                                

                                                                           
For more information and to apply online, please visit: https://dupontimpl.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=40662

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Biology/Microbiology/Toxicology, GS-401/403/415-12/13

The Cardiopulmonary and Immunotoxicology Branch at the U.S. EPA in Research Triangle Park, NC, is recruiting for a principal investigator to plan execute and report on an independent research program to improve methods for assessing the effects of environmental contaminants on the development and expression of immune responses.  Someone who has used molecular methods to understand problems in toxicology or environmental health would be ideal as the immediate need is to apply molecular and high throughput technologies to develop new approaches for identification of chemical sensitizer and address specific chemical sensitizer issues of interest to the Agency, and more generally to design research that is responsive to the issue of Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century in the context of immunotoxicology.  The job is at the GS12 (someone finishing a postdoc) or GS13 level (someone with slightly more experience). 

In order to apply, go to the USAJOBS website, http://www.usajobs.gov, and type in the vacancy number, RTP-DE-2009-0228. The announcement closes September 21, 2009.

__________

Assistant or Associate Professor in the Environmental Science Program at Carthage College

Carthage College invites applications for a renewable three-year Assistant or Associate professor appointment in the Environmental Science Program. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in Environmental Science or related field by September 2010. Preferred specialization is Environmental Toxicology or Environmental Chemistry, but strong applicants from the other areas of environmental science will be considered.

The successful candidate must demonstrate an enthusiastic commitment to teaching undergraduate students and to conducting faculty-student research within a liberal arts college environment. The ideal candidate will teach courses in the core of the environmental science program and facilitate faculty-student research. Opportunities to teach/develop courses in other areas of interest also will be available.

More information about the environmental science program can be found at: www.carthage.edu/dept/envs/.

Application materials should include a cover letter outlining teaching philosophy and research interests, three letters of recommendation, and curriculum vitae. Send to: Professor Kevin Crosby, Chair, Division of the Natural Sciences, Carthage College, 2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha, WI, 53140-1994. For full consideration, complete applications should be received by September 25, 2009.

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Public Health Specialist II for the Public Health Division of Alaska
This recruitment seeks an environmental and/or public health scientist with formal education and experience in the field of toxicology.

This position serves as a health assessor for the Environmental Public Health Program within the Section of Epidemiology. The incumbent will evaluate the health significance of chemicals in the environment in Alaska, considering the chemical and physical nature of the chemicals, site conditions, toxicological properties, and relevant exposure pathways. The incumbent will evaluate contaminants in fish and other subsistence foods, perform health assessments for communities impacted by contaminated sites, conduct lead exposure surveillance, and respond to a variety of other environmental health concerns. This position provides a unique opportunity to improve the health status of Alaskans by reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals. The starting salary for this position is $4976 per month.

We are looking for candidates with the following knowledge, skills, experience and strengths:

  • Demonstrated knowledge of environmental toxicology principles
  • Experience evaluating the health impacts of environmental contaminants
  • Demonstrated knowledge of the fate and transport of chemicals in the environment
  • Experience communicating the results of scientific information to peers, both through oral presentations and publication in peer-reviewed scientific literature
  • Ability to communicate complex information in a simplified manner that is understandable to the lay public
  • Ability to communicate professionally, effectively and diplomatically while under pressure
  • Knowledge of risk communication theory and practice
  • Strong critical thinking skills
  • Strong writing skills (both scientific and for lay public)
  • Experience working effectively as a member of a team

For more information about the position and to apply online, please visit: http://notes4.state.ak.us/wa/postapps.nsf/3fce5e59a6a3b75189256443007a8ed2/f1aaadfd1fe8c0d1892576260079c1a1?OpenDocument.
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Assistant Professor of Biology/Cell Biology at Hofstra University

Hofstra University invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track, assistant professor position in the Department of Biology. The successful candidate will be qualified to teach cell biology and ideally one other of the following subject areas: immunology, environmental toxicology, or bioinformatics. The successful candidate should be able to teach courses at a variety of levels, i.e. non-majors, undergraduate majors, Master's. Faculty in Biology must maintain an active and productive research program accessible to both undergraduate and master's research students. The specific areas of research are open.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, experience in course development and design, and demonstrated teaching ability. An interest in and/or experience with innovative teaching techniques is desirable. Post-doctoral experience is preferred.

Interested individuals should: (1) submit a curriculum vitae (indicating specific teaching experience, (2) statement of research interests, (3) statement of teaching experience, interests and philosophy, and (4) have letters from three references sent to: Faculty Search, Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549-1140, or email application documents (in PDF format) to Robert.W.Seagull@hofstra.edu.

The Department of Biology is a medium-sized, diverse, and growing department. Additional information about the department, faculty, facilities, etc. is posted on the web at: http://hofstra.edu/biology. Application materials should be received by December 1, 2009. Starting date: September, 2010.

 

This newsletter is produced and distributed weekly by the Center for Integrative Toxicology. To be added to the e-mail list or to make suggestions regarding information that might be included in this publication, contact: Lauren St.John, Editor, Center for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, 165C Food Safety and Toxicology Building, East Lansing, MI 48824; lstjohn@msu.edu; 517/432-2435(phone), 517/355-4603(fax).