Advances in toxicological mechanisms through interdisciplinary research

About This Grant

Project Summary/Abstract The goal of this application is to obtain support for the American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Toxicology (TOXI) at the Fall 2026 National Meeting program, which will be held August 23-27, 2026, in Chicago, IL. The mission of the Division of Chemical Toxicology is to improve human health and public welfare by promoting the understanding of chemical mechanisms that govern disease processes and the toxicity of drugs, environmental agents, and endogenous chemicals. Our goals include providing a forum for communicating research in the field of chemical toxicology, encouraging research in chemical mechanisms of toxicity, and facilitating connections between academia, industry, and policy in scientific areas of mutual interest. We are also committed to developing the leadership and professional development skills of scientists at all levels. Thus, the requested funds will be used to support travel awards and expenses for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and junior faculty. The overall TOXI program is organized around the theme of “New Problems and New Solutions in Toxicology” with a timely focus on microplastics and AI tools and Big Data in modeling. The program includes three thematic sessions, which will feature invited oral presentations by a diverse group of established and emerging investigators with a range of perspectives on each topic. The three thematic sessions are: (1) “Advances in Toxic Risk Assessments from Microplastics”, co-organized with the Division of Environmental Chemistry (ENVR), will highlight news areas of research focused on the assessment and mechanistic understanding of health risks posed by microplastics; (2) “Transformative AI in Environmental Toxicology,” co-organized with the Division of Environmental Chemistry (ENVR), will discuss recent advances in solutions using AI and Big Data to identify and deepen an understanding of toxicological mechanisms as well as inform decision making on environmental regulations; “Advancing PROTAC Drug Discovery: Bridging Medicinal Chemistry and PK/PD Modeling for Safer Drugs,” co-organized by the Division of Medicinal Chemistry (MEDI), will tackle new challenges and foster new solutions through collaboration and knowledge exchange between medicinal chemists and experts in PROTAC enzymology, pharmacology, PK/PD modeling, and mechanistic toxicology. This collaborative approach for crosscutting themes for several joint sessions led topics align with multiple NIEHS Research Areas of Emphasis from the Strategic Plan for 2025-2029, such as Mechanistic Biology and Toxicology and Data Science and Computational Biology.