IIT-Affiliated Students Receive Awards at MI SOT Annual Fall Meeting
October 20, 2026
The Michigan Regional Chapter of the Society of Toxicology recently held their annual fall meeting, "Artificial Intelligence in Toxicology," on October 2, 2026. Four IIT-affiliated students received awards at this meeting.
IIT postdoctoral student Ashten Stambersky received the 2nd Place Postdoctoral Oral Platform Presentation Award for her presentation, "Pharmacokinetic Profiling of Mustard Vesicant Ocular Distribution Using Complementary Ex Vivo and In Vivo Rabbit Eye Models." Stambersky is mentored by Dr. Neera Tewari-Singh.
Stambersky's current research pursuits focus on chemical threat agent-induced ocular and skin injury, while investigating underlying mechanisms as targets for development of treatments. The projects investigate the effect of chloropicrin, sulfur mustard, nitrogen mustard, phosgene oxime, and UV light radiation exposure on corneal and dermal tissue damage and related biomarkers.
EITS graduate student Dayita Banerjee received the 3rd Place Graduate Student Oral Platform Presentation Award for her presentation, "Inducible fibrinogen deficiency delays liver repair in experimental acetaminophen heptotoxicity." Banerjee is mentored by Dr. James Luyendyk.
Banerjee's research primarily seeks to elucidate traditional and non-fibrinolytic roles of plasminogen activators in the progression of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. By studying mechanisms of coagulation proteins, she aims to uncover novel therapeutic targets for resolution of liver damage.
EITS graduate student Sarah Marks received the 2nd Place Graduate Student Poster Presentation Award for her poster, "Evaluating KRAS Mutation-Specific Responses to Exogenous Chemicals in an Isogenic PANC-1 Panel." Marks is mentored by Dr. Johnathan Diedrich.
Marks' research interests lie at the intersection of environmental toxicodynamics and precision pharmacology. Specifically, investigating how oncogenic KRAS mutations in pancreatic cancer influence cell signaling and therapeutic responses upon exposure to environmental contaminants.
EITS graduate student Alanis Torres-Berríos also received the 2nd Place Graduate Student Poster Presentation Award for her poster, "DDT’s Lasting Legacy: Endocrine Activity and Aquatic Developmental Toxicity of DDT+ and the Emerging Co-Contaminant Tris(4-chlorophenyl)methanol (TCPMOH)." Torres-Berríos is mentored by Dr. Karilyn Sant.
Torres-Berríos' research interests center on characterizing the toxicity of the understudied metabolites and byproducts of the legacy pesticide DDT. Using cell-based assays and zebrafish embryos, she focuses on reproductive and developmental toxicity, as these processes can be sensitive to endocrine disruption and these compounds have potential endocrine activity. Her ultimate goal is to better understand the hazards these compounds may pose to wildlife and human health.