The toxicology program at Texas A&M University received a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences sponsored Training Grant in 1992. The environmental toxicology training grant is utilized to support six graduate and two postdoctoral trainees in the toxicology program at Texas A&M University. All trainees are associated with one or more mentors and their corresponding departments and the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology (IFT). The IFT is responsible for administering the graduate degrees in Toxicology and readily facilitates the interactions of students, staff, faculty and postdoctoral fellows from other departments and colleges within the University.

The training faculty, listed below, are faculty members of both Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M Health Science Center, and are all members of the IFT.

Texas A&M University (TAMU)

    

      College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

Biochemistry & Biophysics

Jim Wild, Professor

      College of Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary Integrative Biosciences

Robert Burghardt, Professor

Larry Johnson, Professor

Tim Phillips, Professor

Weston Porter, Associate Professor

Evelyn Tiffany-Castiglioni, Professor

Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology

Philip Mirkes, Professor

Stephen Safe, Distinguished Professor

Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC)

     Institute of Biosciences & Technology

Richard Finnell, Professor

      School of Rural Public Health

K.C. Donnelly, Professor

The participating faculty have significant individual and collaborative research training expertise and excellent laboratory facilities are also available. The research interests of the training faculty are primarily focused on cellular and molecular mechanisms of toxicity and include the following:

• the development of analytical methods to detect and image dynamic microscopic processes in living cells and the effect of a wide variety of biological response modifiers and toxicants on these processes (Burghardt)

• the biodegradation and bioremediation of hazardous chemicals, evaluation of complex mixtures, and Risk Assessment (Donnelly)

• the molecular genetics of folic acid and environmental effects on neural tube and craniofacial defects (Finnell)

• the effects and mechanisms of action of testicular toxins on spermatogenesis and Setoli cell expression and function (Johnson)

• heat shock-induced neural tube defects and the role of apoptosis in the developing embryo (Mirkes)

• the in vitro toxicology of mycotoxins, industrial pollutants and other food borne toxins and the development and applications of methods for the detection and chemisorption of mycotoxins (Phillips)

• endocrine disruptors relating to breast and ovarian cancers (Porter)

• the toxicology, biochemistry and mechanisms of action of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and related compounds with particular emphasis on the characterization of the Ah receptor, antiestrogenic effects and the mechanisms of antagonists (Safe)

• the role of astroglia in various disease states, including exposure to environmental neurotoxicants and infectious agents; major focus on lead (Pb) neurotoxicity (Tiffany-Castiglioni)

• the application of molecular biology techniques for the development of enzyme immobilized systems for the breakdown of organophosphates (Wild)

The recruitment and acceptance of postdoctoral trainees into the program depends on their past research experience, letters of reference and potential overlap in their future interests with one or more of the training faculty.   Predoctoral trainees are admitted to the program based on their GRE scores, grade point average, letters of reference, scientific background and expertise.

The graduate training program consists of selected core courses in biochemistry, toxicology and statistics and several optional courses, a graduate/postdoctoral in-house seminar program, an invited speaker seminar program, attendance and participation at local, regional and national conferences and symposia. The graduate and postdoctoral trainees are monitored throughout the year and their progress is reviewed biannually by the Director (Dr. Safe).