Toxicology Track

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

November 2, 2009, Vol. 32, Number 41

Seminars / Events / Courses / Job Postings

Seminars

Tuesday, November 3
*The Department of Genetics presents Michelle Angrish, graduate student in Genetics, to speak on “The Role of Stearolyl-CoA Desaturase-1 in Dioxin-Induced Fatty Liver” on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. in 162 Food Safety and Toxicology Building.

Friday, November 6
*The Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation presents Tim Driver, DVM, PDI resident, to speak on “The role of veterinary clinical pathologists in the biopharmaceutical industry” on Friday, November 6, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. in 101 Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health.

*Fulfills seminar requirements for the Environmental and Integrative Toxicological Sciences Graduate Programs. Seminars that fulfill this requirement are archived at http://www.cit.msu.edu/Graduate%20Program/Seminars.html.

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, 5:15 - 8:00 p.m., in the Red Cedar Room at the MSU Kellogg Center.  The event will include dinner, student presentations and a poster session. Please RSVP by December 1 to Amy Swagart, swagart@msu.edu or call 353-6469.

Courses

Human-Environment Modeling with Agent-Based Modeling Focus - GEO 890, Sec 001, Spring 2010, Department of Geography & Environmental Science and Policy Program, Mondays 3:00pm-5:50pm, 201 Geography Building

Have you ever wondered how human impact on the environment changes in time and space? Would you like to explore the spread of Smallpox in fast motion? Do you find traditional modeling inadequate for representing an ever-changing world? The Human Environment Modeling course provides an opportunity to address all of these challenges. It has been designed as a hands-on course for every graduate student who seeks knowledge and skills useful in understanding and solving complex social-environmental problems. Specifically, it focuses on agent-based modeling of complex coupled human and natural systems.

You will be introduced to Python programming language, which provides a comprehensive and easy computational toolbox useful for rapid model development. Additionally, you will be exposed to a user-friendly open source GIS-based agent toolbox called Agent Analyst. A final project will involve developing tools and performing analyses that address a research problem of your choice. It is a great opportunity to make theoretical and practical advancements towards your thesis.

NEW: This edition will focus on exploring a variety of decision making architectures: from simple logic, through utility maximization, to evolutionary computation, and even more!

Contact Arika Ligmann-Zielinska, Assistant Professor, ligmannz@msu.edu, if you are interested.

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Role of the Expert Witness – ACR 891, Section  301, 1 credit, Daniel A. Bronstein, Professor
Wednesday, 8 – 9:50 a.m., starting March 17, 306 Natural Resources Building

The purpose of this course is to make the professional in any field familiar with the lawyer and the lawyer's viewpoints.  As society gets more complicated the role of professional, technically trained people in litigation continually grows, and their testimony is frequently decisive. Typical issues would be the value of a piece of art, the design of an automobile, appropriate medical treatment for a particular patient, the safety of a nuclear power plant, the source of a toxic chemical in groundwater or appropriate recovery plans for an endangered species.

Class will meet for 2 hours on Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. in Room 306 Natural Resources Building, starting March 17, 2010. The readings will be from the professor’s book, Law for the Expert Witness, 3rd Ed, 2007. The readings will then be discussed in class.

The final grade will be based 50% on classroom participation and 50% on the final paper from the student, which will be an outline of expert testimony on a subject of the student’s own choice.

Job Postings

Biologist/Toxicologist/Physical Scientist, GS-401/415/1301-12/13

This position is located in the Office of Research and Development (ORD), National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA)-Quantitative and Risk Methods Group (QRMG) in Arlington, VA or  Research Triangle Park, NC.

The incumbent will work in the fields of health and quantitative assessment and is responsible for serving EPA as an expert in the integration of data in these areas.  A specific area of focus in this position is detailed biological evaluation and analysis of quantitative data on the response of organisms to environmental stressors (especially toxic substances).  As such this work requires both development of expert evaluations of the quantitative biological data (including measurement methods and interpretation of test systems) as well as ability to apply mathematical modeling and statistical techniques to represent these data.

A more detailed description of the position and instructions to apply can be found on http://www.usajobs.gov. Enter the job announcement number RTP-MP-2009-0693 in the job title/keyword search area. The posting closes on November 16, 2009.

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Postdoctoral Research Position funded by NIH, ARRA, and Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Center

Postdoctoral research position will study mechanisms of regulation of pubertal mammary gland development by hormones, inflammatory processes and environmental exposures to chemical toxicants and/or diet. Using the mouse mammary gland model and breast cancer cell lines, in vivo and in vitro approaches, and gene knock-out mice, the project will investigate the specific molecular mechanisms of normal regulation, and perturbations caused by environmental exposures and subsequent effects on susceptibility to mammary cancer.

Ph.D. degree is required. Experience with biochemical and molecular approaches, histological techniques and immunohistochemistry, whole animal studies, and cell culture experience are desired. Position available immediately. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Applicants must currently reside in the U.S.

For more information and how to apply, contact Dr. Sandra Z. Haslam, Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Center, Department of Physiology: shaslam@msu.edu.