TEPSS Annual Report

August 1, 2006

Page 1 of 6

Toxicologic and Exploratory Pathology Specialty Section

of the Society of Toxicology

ANNUAL REPORT: 2006-2007

May 1, 2006 to April 30, 2007

I. Officers/Committees:

Officers:2006-20072007-2008

President:Lynda LanningPatrick Haley

President-elect: Patrick HaleyKaren Regan

Vice President:Karen ReganChuck Qualls

Secretary/Treasurer:Sandra EldridgeSandra Eldridge

Councilors:Glenn CantorGlenn Cantor Mark Cartwright Mark Cartwright

Past-PresidentJack HarkemaLynda Lanning

SAC Representative: Alison HegeShashikiran Donthamsetty

Committees:

SOT Program 2008

SOT Program 2007

Budget

Communications/Website

Membership

Nominations

Student Awards

Student Issues

II.Activities

2007TEPSS Annual Meeting Reception was held 26 March, at Charlotte, North Carolina during the annual SOT meeting. Approximately50people were in attendance.

The TEPSS Student Travel Award has continued to be well received. The abstracts submitted by these studentapplicants represented the tremendous diversity of toxicologic and exploratory pathology from a wide variety of universities, including many international ones. Applicants submitted their SOT abstract, a statement of support from their advisor, and a statement summarizing their research and outlining their professional goals. Two students were selected for awards. One of the awards was funded by Merck and the other by the TEPSS. Although awardees were selected in advance of the meeting, the TEPSS officers also tried to visit as many poster presentations as possible to meet the student applicants, learn more about their work, and encourage them in their scientific work.

The goal of TEPSS is to encourage scientific and educational programs that advance the science of toxicology through the tools of pathologists. We encourage student members, and membership in TEPSS is free to students who are already SOT members. A very important activity of the TEPSS is the selection of Student Travel Award winners. The TEPSS offers several travel awards to graduate and postdoctoral students each year. In 2007, the TEPSS awarded two Student Travel Awards. Each winner received $1000, an engraved plaque and a one-year subscription to Toxicologic Pathology (sponsored by Taylor and Francis). Merck Research Laboratories funded one of these awards in 2006 and 2007.

2007Student Award Winners: TEPSS presented two Student Travel Awards in the amount of $1,000 each to the following individuals:

Shashikiran Donthamsetty, “Hepatotoxicity sensitivity of nonalcoholic steatohepatic (NASH) mice to acetoaminophen is due to low PPAR”University of Louisiana, Monroe (advisor: Harihara M. Mehendale). Merk Travel Award in Toxicologic and Experimental Pathology.

Jaya Chilakapati,“CYP2E1 knockout mice are protected from thioacetamide-induces liver injury”MichiganStateUniversity (advisor: Robert A. Roth). TEPSS Travel Award in Toxciologic and Experimental Pathology.

2006 TEPSSOfficer’s Meeting was held March 26, 2007 in Charlotte, North Carolina during the SOT Annual Meeting. (Meeting minutes in Attachment 1)

The deadline to apply for the 2008 student travel awards is January 16th. Eligible applicants must send a copy of their abstract, a letter describing their research project (2 pages, maximum), and a letter of sponsorship from an academic advisor who is an SOT member to Donna Dambach.

Other Specialty Section 2006-2007 Activities:

SOT Annual Meeting 2007:

The TEPSS sponsored or co-sponsored seven scientific sessions at the 2007 Annual Meeting:

  1. Biliary Hyperplasia and Cholestasis: Relevance to Human Risk Assessment
  1. Toxicogenomics is a Team Sport
  1. Target-based toxicity of novel pharmaceutical targets
  1. The Vascular system as a target of metal toxicity
  1. Emerging technologies in imaging for toxicology
  1. Molds, Mycotoxins and Damp-building related illnesses
  1. Impact on drug development and regulatory review of the qualification of novel safety biomarkers by the predictive safety

In addition, the TEPSS sponsored or co-sponsoredxxx CE Courses at the 2007 Annual Meeting:

TEPSS Officers Meeting:

The TEPSS Officers held a meeting by teleconference on March 28, 2006 during which Officer transition plans, roles and responsibilities and status of the 2007 scientific proposals were discussed.

TEPSS Session Proposal Review:

The TEPSS will cosponsor a CE course in 2008 with the CVSS entitled: Introduction to Pathology for Toxicologists and Study Directors. The Chairpersons will be: LaureneM.Fomby (CVSS) and PatHaley (TEPSS). The speakers and the topics that they are presenting will include

-SarahHale, EPL, Raleigh, NC : Basic Concepts in Morphologic Pathology and the Roles of the Toxicological Pathologist

-PaulHowroyd, MDS Pharma, Lyon, France: Important Induced Lesions, And Interpretation Of Pathology Data In Non-Oncogenicity Studies

-KenSchafer,Vet Path Services, Mason,OH: Pathology Endpoints in Routine Repeated Dose Toxicology Studies: A Review of Global Regulations

-DianneCreasy, Huntingdon Life Sciences,East Millstone, NJ An Introduction To Pathology In Carcinogenicity Studies

In addition, the following presentations that have TEPSS support were selected for the 2008 SOT Annual Meeting.

-The 2007 Pet Food Related Toxic Nephropathy in Dogs and Cats; Roundtable; Tertiary endorsement

-Developmental Basis of Health and Disease: Persistence of Effects of Tobacco Smoke Exposure; Symposia; Quaternary endorsement

-Novel Biomarkers of Drug-Induced Toxicity: Outcomes and Predictive Toxicity and the Predictive Safety Testing Consortium; Symposia; Tertiary endorsement

-Host Susceptibility and Chemical Safety Testing: New Approaches to Estimate Risk tin the Human Population; Workshop; Quaternary endorsement

Attachment 1

Minutes of Meeting / Toxicologic and Exploratory Pathology Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology
Date of Meeting / 26 March 2007

Venue

/ SOT Annual Meeting

Purpose

/ TEPSS Officers' Meeting
Present / Lynda Lanning, Pat Haley, Glenn Cantor, Donna Dambach, Chuck Qualls, Jack Harkema, Sandy Eldridge, Alison Hege, Mark Cartwright

Apologies

/ Karen Regan

Circulation

/ TEPSS Officers

Prepared by

/ Sandy Eldridge

Next Meeting

/ Week of April 16, 2007 - Telecon
  1. Meeting was called to order at approximately 7 am despite NO BREAKFAST. SOT assured us that we would be credited for this oversight.

  1. Minutes from the 03/06/06 Officers’ meeting and the 03/28/06 Officers’ telecon were distributed and unanimously approved.

  1. 2007 financials and forecast were distributed and discussed; we agreed that during the SOT Officers’ meeting, we would assign responsibility for bringing an LCD projector and laser pointer to the following SOT as it saved us over $2,000 this year alone; Eldridge brought the projector this year and volunteered to bring it again next year. The newly created Endowment Fund was briefly discussed and decided to table the decision to fund it pending review of the description of the fund. We felt strongly, however, that TEPSS should maintain its own student travel awards, regardless of supporting the Endowment Fund. Regarding membership, it was noted that TEPSS stands at 122 members. We agreed to produce a professional membership brochure in time for distribution at STP in June 07.

  1. TEPSS-sponsored scientific sessions for SOT were discussed; we had 4 in 2007; there have been discussions that there are too many specialty sections and suggestions that perhaps the Comparative and Veterinary SS and TEPSS combine (per Roger McClellan to Eldridge). The proposal submission guidelines were distributed.

  1. The lack of 2007 student award applicants was discussed at length, as well as what can be done to increase awareness and number of applicants.

  1. TEPSS deadline calendar was distributed and responsibilities discussed.

  1. Karen Regan was not present to provide summary of SOT SS meeting in Chicago.

  1. 2008 proposal topics were discussed; everyone agreed that a scientific session on “pathology for the toxicologist” is a good idea but needs to be spun in a way that will be attractive for toxicologists.

  1. New business: Alison will be moving on to a bigger role in SOT as chair of SS student representatives. We will greatly miss Alison, but her contributions have made us a better SS. Her term ends in May and we need to recruit a new student rep.

  1. Meeting adjourned at approximately 8:40 am

Action Items:
  1. Eldridge to confirm credit for breakfast [UPDATE: Marcia Lawson confirming credit]
  2. Eldridge to confirm $1,000 Merck travel awards credited to our account for 06 and 07 [UPDATE: both travel awards were recorded in the general ledger and reflected in our budget]
  3. Eldridge to order plaques for outgoing officers (plaques were included in our budget but inadvertently not ordered in time for SOT – sorry guys and gals! [UPDATE: plaques have been ordered for Lynda, Glenn and Alison – to be sent to Lynda for distribution]
  4. Eldridge to distribute email describing Endowment Fund [UPDATE: email sent to officers]
  5. Eldridge to lead the effort in producing a new glossy, tri-fold membership brochure with corporate support
  6. Re-enforce student awards to mentors and students: Dambach to generate list of mentors that we add to and send out list mid-April; include travel awards in brochure; have SOT send mass email around the time SOT abstracts are due and immediately following SOT
  7. Tell Merck who received their travel award and thank them again. Eldridge to give contract info to Donna [Dr. Ganesh Balasubramanian, Merck Research Laboratories, Department of Safety Assessment, WP81-312, 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486]
  8. Alison to survey students regarding travel award
  9. Lynda to distribute TEPSS Deadline Calendar 2007-2008
  10. Donna, Pat and Glenn to brainstorm on the “pathology for toxicologists” scientific session
  11. Schedule telecom to discuss SOT 2008 proposals

The SOT Postdoc Assembly of the TEPSS has become an integral part of the TEPSS and the TEPSS continues to seek additional student members. The goal of TEPSS is to encourage scientific and educational programs that advance the science of toxicology through the tools of pathologists. We encourage student members, and membership in TEPSS is free to students who are already SOT members. A very important activity of the TEPSS is the selection of Student Travel Award winners. The TEPSS offers several travel awards to graduate and postdoctoral students each year. In 2007, the TEPSS awarded two Student Travel Awards. Each winner received $1000, an engraved plaque and a one-year subscription to Toxicologic Pathology (sponsored by Taylor and Francis). Merck Research Laboratories funded one of these awards in 2006 and 2007. At the TEPSS annual reception, award winners presented their research: Shashikiran Donthamsetty, “Hepatotoxicity sensitivity of nonalcoholic steatohepatic (NASH) mice to acetoaminophen is due to low PPAR”; Jaya Chilakapati, “CYP2E1 knockout mice are protected from thioacetamide-induces liver injury”. The deadline to apply for the 2008 student travel awards is January 16th. Eligible applicants must send a copy of their abstract, a letter describing their research project (2 pages, maximum), and a letter of sponsorship from an academic advisor who is an SOT member to Donna Dambach.

The past Student Representative to the TEPSS, Alison Hege, stepped down so as to be able to broaden her role in the SOT. We want to thank Alison for her excellent work and untiring enthusiasm in promoting the activities of the TEPSS. The TEPSS, after careful consideration has elected Shashikiran Donthamsetty from the Department of Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, the University of Louisiana at Monroe as the new Student Representative to the TEPSS. Congratulations Shashi; we look forward to a rewarding interaction between you and the TEPSS.