TOXICOLOGY - THEN AND NOW Linda S. Birnbaum, PhD, DABT, ATS Past President SOT/NCSOT Director, Experimental Toxicology Division, U.S. EPA
Dec 19, 2015
TOXICOLOGY -
THEN AND NOW
Linda S. Birnbaum, PhD, DABT, ATS
Past President SOT/NCSOT
Director, Experimental Toxicology Division, U.S. EPA
Toxicology is Old!
● First written records – c.1500 BC (Ebers)
● Hippocrates, Aristotle, Nicander, Galen, Ramazini, etc.
● Paracelsus: “The dose makes the poison”
Recognition of Toxicology as a
Distinct Discipline
● Originally, subsumed as part of medical and/or pharmaceutical curricula
● Toxicology - distinct and important fundamental and applied science with university departments and degrees
● SOT founded 45 years ago!
Prime mover for recognition of Toxicology
Long Range Plan – Goals
SOT will advance the science of toxicology to enhance human, animal, and environmental health.
● Increase excellence in science
● Increase the quality, standards, and scientific content of SOT meetings, programs, and communications
Long Range Plan – Goals
● Promote the use of science in regulatory and legislative decision making
● Encourage increased investment of resources in toxicology
Long Range Plan – Goals
SOT will be essential to the scientific and professional development of its members
● Increase access to relevant scientific and professional resources
● Increase diversity and inclusiveness of the organization
Long Range Plan – Goals
Ensure the long-term stability of the Society
● Exercise sound financial stewardship
● Maintain commitment to annual strategic planning
● Increase student awareness of toxicology, participation in SOT, and pursuit of careers in toxicology
● Continually improve organizational effectiveness
Long Range Plan – Goals
SOT will be a definitive scientific resource for human, animal, and environmental health
● Increase the impact of the discipline of toxicology within the scientific community and among the public
● Increase the impact of SOT publications and communications
● Increase the public relations competency of SOT
Then and Now
Founders at the 1st Annual Meeting in Williamsburg, VA. In 1961. Membership
consisted of 124 members.
Annual meeting attendees now number almost 6,000. Current membership is
5,795.
Sites of Annual Meetings
● Atlantic City –’62
● Cincinnati – ’63, 97
● Williamsburg – ’64-66, 69, 72, 75
● Atlanta – ’67, 70, 71, 76, 84, 89
● Washington, DC – ’68, 72, 74, 80, 87
● New York City – ’73
● Toronto – ’77
● New Orleans – ’78-79, 86, 93, 99, 05
● San Diego – ’81, 85, 06
● Boston – ‘82
● Las Vegas – ’83
● Dallas – ’88, 91, 94
● Miami Beach – ’90,
● Seattle – ’92, 98
● Baltimore – ’95, 04
● Anaheim – ’96
● Philadelphia – 2000
● San Francisco – ’01
● Nashville – ’02
● Salt Lake City – ’03
● Charlotte – ‘07
Annual Meeting Abstracts
Year 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
Abstracts Presented
1935 1907 1767 1874 1940 1805
Symposia/Workshops/Roundtable Abstracts
298 234 197 _ 201 165
Total 2233 2141 1964 1874 2141 1970
SOT Finances
● Current Expenses ~$5M
● Current Revenue and Income ~$6M
● Opportunities for New Programs, Reinvestments, Diversification
● Conservative Strategy
We’ve been in the red before (more than once!)
SOT Publications
● Communiqué
● Journals
Past
• Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
• Fundamental and Applied Toxicology
Present
• Toxicological Sciences
Toxicological Sciences
● Top Quality Papers that are Widely Distributed and Read
Over 5680 subscribers and institutions with journal access worldwide
Over 685,000 full-text downloads in 2005
● Highly Cited
4517 citations in 2004 alone
● High Impact Factor (3.391 in 2004)
One of the top toxicology research journals in the world
Growth in SOT
● Members
1962 – 124 from US
2006 – > 5795 from across the world
● Annual Meeting
1962 – Williamsburg, VA – < 200 participants
2006 – Charlotte, NC – > 6000
● Focus
1962 – Descriptive
2006 – Mechanistic; Risk/Safety Assessment; Molecular
Who Are Our Members?
● Academia ~35%
● Industry ~35%
● Government ~20%
● Consultants~10%
● Other ~5%
Membership Data
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Total
Full USA Members
Associate USA Members
Student USA Members
International Members
Growth in SOT (cont)
● Most important meeting in toxicology worldwide
● Extensive headquarters staff
● Officers; Executive Council; Committees
● Regional Chapters
● Specialty Sections
● Special Interest Groups
Committees
Strategic Committees
Science
Communication
Membership
Elected Committees:
● Awards
● Education
● Membership
● Nominating
Appointed Committees:
● Animals in Research
● Board of Publications (BOP)
● Career Resource & Development
● Committee on Diversity Initiatives
● Committee on K-12 Education
● Continuing Education (CE)
● Finance
● Historian
● IUTOX Councilors
Committees (cont)
Appointed Committees (cont):
● Post-Doctoral Assembly
● Program
● Regulatory Affairs & Legislative Assistance
● Science Strategy Committee
● Student Advisory Committee
● World Wide Web Advisory Committee
● Council Subcommittee for Non-SOT & Contemporary Concepts in Toxicology (CCT) Meeting
● Council Subcommittee for Regional Chapter Funding
Task Forces
● Endowment Implementation
● Mixtures
● NIH Funding
● Special Interest Groups
● 45th Anniversary
Specialty Sections
Biological Modeling
Carcinogenesis
Comparative & Veterinary
Dermal Toxicology
Drug Discovery Toxicology
Ethical, Legal & Social Issues
Food Safety
Immunotoxicology
In Vitro
Inhalation
Mechanisms
Metals
Molecular Biology
Neurotoxicology
Occupa & Public Health
Reg & Safety Evaluation
Repro/Devpmtl Toxicology
Risk Assessment
Toxicologic & Exploratory Pathology
Women in Toxicology (WIT)
Special Interest Groups
● Association of Scientists of Indian Origin
● American Association of Chinese in Toxicology
● African Society of Toxicological Sciences
● Hispanic Organization for Toxicologists
● Korean Toxicologist Association in America
Student Opportunities
● SOT provides student and career development resources
● Programs to recruit undergraduates to toxicology
● Travel support and fellowships for graduate students and post-docs
● Leadership opportunities in student groups (SAC, SSSRC, PDA)
● SOT On-Line Job Bank
● Career workshops at annual meetings
NC SOT
● One of the Largest Regional Chapters
> 300 members
● “Feed” to National Leadership
8 National SOT Presidents who were NCSOT Presidents
• Leon Golberg; Tom Miya; Bob Dixon; Jim Gibson; Roger McClellan; Jim Bus; Bill Greenlee; Linda Birnbaum
Many Executive Councilors
Many National Committee Members
NC SOT (cont.)
● Broad Membership
National vs Local
Full vs Student
Lifetime
● Award Programs
Student Travel – Best Poster
Postdoc Award – “PARC”
NC SOT Meetings
● Past - 3/year
Fall – Seminar
Winter – Poster Session and Symposia
• (Often) all day Saturday
Spring - Symposia
● Present - 2/year
Fall – Seminars or Symposia
Winter – Poster Session and Symposia
Get Involved!
● Activity in NC SOT National Recognition
● Volunteer
NC SOT
Specialty Sections/SIGs
Committees