Mission Statement. Message from the President

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1 OPHSS Newsletter Winter 2016 Mission Statement The goal of the Occupational and Public Health Specialty Section (OPHSS) is to advance the integration of exposure, toxicological and epidemiological principles, and research approaches in addressing occupational, environmentally-related and public health issues. The OPHSS seeks to achieve this goal by: (1) identifying and encouraging integrative research to further the understanding of the impact of exposure to chemicals, pollutants and pharmaceutical drugs on the general and susceptible populations, and, in turn, (2) better informing regulatory decisions and actions that impact both individual and population health, (3) identifying and promoting the continual development and application of emerging methods, tools, and models, and (4) sponsoring and supporting activities to attract the next generation of scientists to occupational and environmental public health. Message from the President Joel Bercu PhD MPH DABT Welcome to the Winter edition of the newsletter. We have another jampacked issue and some exciting things to announce. First, we hope you were able to join us for the OPHSS hosted webinar Association between Arsenic Exposure from Drinking Water and Longitudinal Change in Blood Pressure among HEALS Cohort Participants. It was on Friday, November 18, 2016 from 12:00 to 1:30 EST. The speakers were Dr. Jeiying Jiang, and Dr. Yu Chen, our paper of the year winners. If you were unable to join us, it can be accessed by going through the SOT webinars site via ToxChange. ( 1

2 Mark your calendars on Wed., March 15, 2017 for our annual OPHSS SOT luncheon. Executive Council for OPHSS decided to change the format for our luncheon at the SOT Annual Meeting. Instead of an invited speaker, we have decided to use that time for more networking amongst the members of OPHSS. We can continue this style of format if members enjoy the extra networking time. However, we will continue to have our announcements that will include our winners of Paper of the Year, Best Abstract Student Award, and Best Manuscript Postdoctoral Award. More details of each award and their details are described further in the newsletter. We encourage everyone to get more involved with OPHSS as we gear up for The best way to get involved with OPHSS is to become an officer on the Executive Committee. I can personally tell you being on the Executive Committee is such a rewarding experience. I have gotten to know some highly enthusiastic colleagues in the field of public health who work hard for our specialty section. Also, it is a great way to know the inner workings of SOT and is a stepping stone for more potential leadership within the organization. We have three positions open: Vice President-Elect, Councilor, and Student Representative. Please nominate yourself or someone else, and be a part of our fabulous team! More details are in the newsletter. OPHSS Elections Call for nominees! The following OPHSS executive committee member positions are up for election this year: Vice President-Elect (1 year term)* Councilor (2 year term) Student Representative (2 year term) *Please note, there is also a commitment of 4 years to go through the presidential track (VP-elect, President elect, President, Past president) If you are interested in running for one of these positions or would like to nominate an OPHSS member, contact Marie Bourgeois at mbourgeo@health.usf.edu. 2

3 Thinking of running but need more information on what is involved? Vice President-Elect Duties of Officers Presides at all meetings of the Specialty Section and of the Executive Committee Coordinates, directs, and contributes to the review and selection of recipients for all OPHSS graduate student and post-doctoral awards presented at the annual meeting. Establishes a team to assist with this task. Councilor Coordinates, directs, and contributes to the review and selection of Best Paper Awards prior to the Annual Meeting. Establishes a team to assist with this task (note the Councilor on 2nd term will serve as the Chair of this Committee). Organizes the webinar associated with paper of the year Student Representative Represents graduate student interests to OPHSS and provides OPHSS information to graduate students Participates in Graduate Student Leadership Committee (GSLC) on behalf of OPHSS Contributes to the OPHSS newsletter as requested Actively recruits new graduate student members into OPHSS Designs and develops poster boards for annual student/postdoctoral reception and attends the reception to advertise OPHSS (with help from the Postdoctoral Representative) 3

4 SOT 2017 ANNUAL MEETING and TOXEXPO TM SAVE THE DATE Please joins us for the annual OPHSS meeting Luncheon Reception on Wednesday, March 15, 2017 from 12:00 1:30 PM at the Baltimore Convention Center Reminder - OPHSS Annual Meeting Awards Paper of the Year: This award is for midcareer/senior scientists whose research contributes to the area of occupational and public health. Winner receives a commemorative plaque. OPHSS members are welcome to nominate a paper published in 2016 in the peer-reviewed literature for the Paper of the Year Award up to the deadline of December 31 st. The publication does not have to be from an OPHSS member. If you would like to nominate a deserving publication, you can contact Shelley DuTeaux (shelley.duteaux@cdph.ca.gov) or Natalie Johnson (natalie.johnson@sph.tamhsc.edu). Best Abstract - Student Award: Nominations for the best abstract student award can be submitted up to the deadline of December 31 st, The abstract must be submitted to the current meeting by a student member, the student must be the first author, the nominator must be an SOT member, and the subject matter must be materially-related to occupational and/or environmental public health or an associated discipline. Submission requirements include an extended abstract no longer than 1 page and a letter of support from the advisor outlining the student's role in the research. Winner receives a plaque and a $500 cash award. If you would like to nominate a student for this award, contact Shelley DuTeaux (shelley.duteaux@cdph.ca.gov) or Natalie Johnson (natalie.johnson@sph.tamhsc.edu). Best manuscript - Postdoctoral Award: Nomination for the best manuscript postdoctoral award can be submitted up to the deadline of December 31st. The abstract must be published in a manuscript in the calendar year, the first author must be a postdoctoral member affiliated with a 4

5 recognized university or research institute during the period of time that the work was being conducted, and subject matter must be materially-related to occupational and/or environmental public health or an associated discipline. The nomination must come from an SOT member. Winner receives a plaque and a $500 cash award. If you would like to nominate a postdoctoral member for this award, contact Joel Bercu (Joel.Bercu@gilead.com) or Robin D. Smith (rdsmith@llu.edu). Reminder about the Paper of the Year Thank you again to our Paper of the Year selection committee members: Marie Bourgeois, Natalie Johnson, Bill Luttrell, Vincent Garry, Alex LeBeau, Janice Lee, Amanda Persad, Robin Smith, Arlene Weiss and Allison Stock. Renee Hartsook, Shelley DuTeaux, Natalie Johnson and I are already busy reviewing articles for the 2017 award. We wanted to let the section membership know that it is not too late to volunteer as a selection committee member. Members can also nominate papers for the Paper of the Year award. If you want to volunteer to either serve on the selection committee or nominate a paper, please contact councilors Shelley DuTeaux (shelley.duteaux@cdph.ca.gov) or Natalie Johnson (natalie.johnson@sph.tamhsc.edu). OPHSS Members: Any member is welcome to serve as a part of the awards committee designated for the best abstract student award and best manuscript postdoctoral award. If you are interested in serving, contact Amanda Persad (persad.amanda@epa.gov). 5

6 Don t worry if you missed the Webinar from our 2016 Paper of the Year Winner because you can find a recorded version at Association between Arsenic Exposure from Drinking Water and Longitudinal Change in Blood Pressure among HEALS Cohort Participants Jiang J1, Liu M, Parvez F, Wang B, Wu F, Eunus M, Bangalore S, Newman JD, Ahmed A, Islam T, Rakibuz-Zaman M,Hasan R, Sarwar G, Levy D, Slavkovich V, Argos M, Bryan MS, Farzan SF, Hayes RB, Graziano JH, Ahsan H, Chen Y. Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP) STEP awards are given to outstanding doctoral candidates who have identified areas of professional/scientific development, necessary for them to achieve their career goals, but outside the immediate scope of their graduate training and research program. Priority will be given to students proposing activities/courses distinct from those offered by their home institution. This additional training would be anticipated to elevate the applicant s probability of achieving his or her specific career goal. About three awards of up to $1000 each, administered by the Education Committee, will be given this award cycle to support travel and registration of highly meritorious applicants to attend professional development workshops and/or events. Eligibility Criteria The applicant must: 1. Be enrolled in a PhD program in toxicology or related field at the time of application and during the interval including the professional development activity. 2. The applicant must have successfully completed his or her comprehensive examination (or equivalent). This must be noted in the letter from the student s advisor. 3. Be a SOT student member. 4. Request a letter from his or her advisor indicating support of the applicant s participation in the defined professional development activity and describing the relevance and value to the applicant s career goals. This letter must indicate the date the applicant passed the comprehensive exam. 5. Provide evidence of commitment of institutional, personal, or other funds to cover costs of attendance in excess of $1000. For more information, contact Betty Eidemiller at SOT Headquarters (bettye@toxicology.org) or Marie Bourgeois at mbourgeo@health.usf.edu. 6

7 Catching up with Our Student and Postdoc Members You ll notice this space is empty. That s because we rely on our members to step up and tell us about their students and postdocs. Once they send us their names, we will hound them until they agree to sit for an interview A Reminder of Where Your OPHSS Membership Dollars Go Your membership fee ($20 for Full and Associate members, $15 for Student and Postdoc members) means a lot to us. Your attendance at the Annual Meeting is also very important. Not only does your membership fee go toward supporting the specialty section, but as a member of the specialty section, when you attend the SOT Annual Meeting, a portion of your Annual Meeting registration fee is contributed to our revenue. The funds from your specialty section membership and Annual Meeting registration pay for the Best Abstract and Best Manuscript student awards (plaque and monetary award) which mean a lot to our student and postdoctoral members. These funds are also used for room set up for the OPHSS Reception (audio-visual equipment, microphones, flip charts, etc.) and the food and drink at the reception. Our OPHSS funds can also be used to sponsor webinars through SOT to keep you up-todate on the latest research by award winners and members. The OPHSS council thanks each and every one of its members for these contributions! 7

8 News From Headquarters: Consider Organizing a Contemporary Concepts in Toxicology Meeting Contemporary Concepts in Toxicology (CCT) Meetings expand the opportunities and forums for members to engage in the exchange of ideas and information relevant to toxicology. CCT Meetings are one- to two-day focused, open registration, scientific meetings in contemporary and rapidly progressing areas of toxicological sciences. CCT Meetings also can be held as webinars. If you think that your research area could be enhanced by thought leader collaboration or that public health and safety could be improved by disseminating your research findings more broadly, please consider organizing an SOT CCT Meeting. The CCT Conference Committee and the SOT Headquarters staff are prepared to help move your meeting forward. The Society will underwrite all the liabilities of the CCT Meeting (up to the $25,000 in seed money) with the expectation that the meeting at least break even financially. Any profits from the meeting would be shared between SOT and the specialty section. For more information about CCT Meeting, please visit the SOT website. Newsletter Submissions: These newsletters are for you- the Member. We would like to send them quarterly, but we need your input to make it worthwhile. Please feel free to send in your comments, questions, ideas, articles, job openings, promotions or anything you want to share with Specialty Section members. In particular, we are looking for suggestions for the Member Spotlight! Send them to Marie Bourgeois (mbourgeo@health.usf.edu). This is your forum take advantage of it! Think green before you print! 8