May 14, 2008
Seniors and graduate students studying toxicology in St.
John’s College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, held
their annual ToxExpo, April 30. This annual event dates from 1995
and continues to grow in significance and depth each year. One of
the highlights of the day-long event is the colorful and skillful
poster presentations by approximately 30 students. Such sessions
comprise one of the major mainstays of international scientific
conferences and meetings, so ToxExpo is a valuable foundation for
students who hope to pursue a career within toxicology whether in
academia or the pharmaceutical industry.
Sue Ford, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, comments that “ToxExpo started as a
two-hour poster session for undergraduate students in TOX 3406 to
share their work with each other and to gain experience in
communication of toxicological issues to the general public. Since
then it has expanded to fill a whole day which includes the poster
session, a keynote speaker, and a presentation by the senior class
of their capstone project at a simulated press conference. In
addition, we have a Tox Throwdown with junior, senior, and
graduate-student level competitions, and the announcement of the
annual student Toxicology awards in leadership, academic
excellence, and research.”
The College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions sponsors
this event in order to foster a sense of community among students
and faculty and to showcase the students' accomplishments at St.
John’s. Tau Omega Chi, the student toxicology club, as well
as graduate students and faculty of the Toxicology Program, plan
and organize ToxExpo together. This fosters cohesion and a sense of
professional community among the participants, but is particularly
valuable for the students.
Students availed themselves of the opportunity to chat
mid-morning with guest speaker Myra Weiner, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., an
internationally recognized toxicologist serving the pesticide,
commodity chemical, pharmaceutical and food additives
industries.
Gleaning from her 30 years experience working as a toxicologist,
Dr. Weiner provided St. John’s students with practical,
knowledgeable and compassionate career advice. She outlined for
undergraduates the different career paths that a master’s degree
from St. John’s in toxicology, business, law, and regulatory
affairs could create for them. Using anecdotes from her own
experience as a student and professional in toxicology, she gave
pithy insights into major life lessons she learned along the road.
She told students to have confidence in themselves, choose a mentor
with care, and always rely on yourself to succeed.
In Weiner’s main presentation, she discussed the importance of
the skills students are learning at St. John’s and how they will
use these skills in their future careers. The topics she covered
included tools that students will need to solve scientific and
regulatory questions in toxicology using the real-world industry
example of the synthetic pesticide pyrethroid. Dr. Weiner
also discussed the significance of the new Food
Quality Pesticide Act (FQPA) in regulating pesticides.
A Student-Centered
Event
Senior, Jeannie Ryu discussed the toxic effects of plastic garbage
in the ocean in her poster presentation. She is anxiously waiting
for her first job offer. “Ultimately, I want to work as a
consultant with the government in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Toxicology is a growing field and I’m excited about my future
prospects.”
Jovana Basaric’s poster presentation discussed the
scientifically tested premise that a diet based on organic food
significantly lowers a person’s exposure to chemicals. Basaric is
in the B.S./M.S. program. This combined-degree program allows
students who meet specified academic requirements to work on a
research project and take graduate courses while they are still
seniors. The program gives students the opportunity to finish a
master's degree in a shorter amount of time. “St. John’s is
excellent. That’s why I stayed here for my master’s
degree in toxicology, St. John’s professors are professionals
and experts who help us network in the field and who can put us in
the right place at the right time.”
The senior class presentation this year was “Risk Analysis of
the Ponceau S Food Contamination Incident,” referring to a future
hypothetical incident that occurs in February 2009. According to
the students’ presentation, they deduced that Ponceau S was not a
toxic chemical, contrary to what was originally believed when
theoretical subjects became sick after eating foods with a red dye
that contained the additive Ponceau S.
Dr. Ford believes the ToxExpo is a celebration of students’
achievement, a venue for nurturing an open, friendly community
among students and faculty, and an opportunity to provide students
with valuable career advice.
“Each year the posters and presentations get better as the
senior students serve as role models for the junior students.
We would like the students to come away with a sense of pride at
what they have accomplished during the semester and a realization
of what they are capable of as toxicologists.”