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

Impact Factor Trends

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

Regional Chapters Map

PNW NL

NCa

SCa

MtnW CS

GCSC

MWMI

OV

SE

NC

NCAC

NE

LOMA

AE

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

Thanks

● Clarissa Wilson and HQ Staff

● Debbie Wales

● Ernie Hodgson

● And all of my students, postdocs, technicians, colleagues, and family over the years who have helped me to be involved!