IIT Affiliates Succeed at 64th SOT Meeting in FL

April 3, 2025

Students and faculty of the MSU Insti­tute for Integrative Toxicology were excited to attend and present at this year’s 64th annual Society of Toxicology (SOT) meeting held in Orlando, Florida.

The SOT annual meeting brings together 5,000 plus toxicologists and those working in areas related to toxicology to share the latest science and technology in the field, as well as to make new connections, gather with friends, and engage in mentoring and professional development. This year’s meeting was held from March 16-20, 2025.

The following students affiliated with IIT received recognition:

• Saamera Awali, training with Dr. Cheryl Rockwell, received the Immunotoxicology Specialty Section (ITSS) HESI Immunotoxicology Young Investigator Travel Award and the ITSS Best Presentation by a Student Award for her abstract, "The Nrf2 activator, tBHQ, blunts dendritic cell function upon influenza A infection."
  
  
• Brianna Finn, training with Dr. Norbert Kaminski, won the Out Toxicologists and Allies (OTA) Graduate Student Achievement Award, the Immunotoxicology Specialty Section (ITSS) Best Student Presentation Award, and the In Vitro and Alternative Methods Specialty Section (IVAMSS) Best Poster Award. Finn's abstract was, "Effects of cannabis use on inflammasome formation and IL-1β secretion in monocytes derived from HIV+ individuals: Implications for immune modulation in HIV-associated systemic inflammation."

• Samantha Musso, training with Dr. Jamie Bernard, received the Mechanisms Specialty Section Sheldon D. Murphy Student Endowment Award, first place for the CSS Environmental Carcinogenesis Merit Award for Graduate Students, and third place for the Clinical and Translational Toxicology Specialty Section Graduate Student Award for her abstract, "A Novel Role of Fibroblast Growth Factor-1 Modulation on the Enhancement of Kynurenine Uptake in an In Vitro Model of Estrogen Receptor Positive Tamoxifen Resistant Breast Cancer."
  
  
• Ebenezar Okoyeocha, training with Dr. Neera Tewari-Singh, received the Early Career Award from the Ocular Toxicology Specialty Section for his work with Dr. Singh developing a novel model of the eye to quantify corneal injuries. Okoyeocha's abstract for the meeting was, "Loss of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 Modulates Chloropicrin Induced Inflammatory response in the Corneal Tissue."
  
  
• Andrew Roney, training with Dr. Neera Tewari-Singh, received the SOT Dermal Toxicology Specialty Section Edgewell Personal Care Student Award for excellence in research relating to dermal toxicology for his abstract, "Investigation of Inflammatory Cytokines in the Long-term Toxicity Induced by Acute Cutaneous Nitrogen Mustard Exposure.”

And lastly, IIT-affiliated faculty member Dr. Karilyn Sant was appointed to serve as Co-Chair on SOT's Career Advancement, Mentoring, and Networking Committee (CAMAN). Dr. Sudin Bhattacharya was also apppointed as a member of CAMAN. 

Congratulations to all the IIT-affili­ated SOT award winners this year!