Faculty and students from the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Toxicology received a number of awards from the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, which was held March 15-19, 2020.

The Society of Toxicology is a professional and scholarly organization of scientists from academic institutions, government, and industry representing the great variety of scientists who practice toxicology in the US and abroad. The Society’s mission is to create a safer and healthier world by advancing the science and increasing the impact of toxicology.

Award recipients are listed below:

• Dr. Kathryn Miranda, PhD (Nagarkatti lab) received the Best Manuscript Award, from the Society of Toxicology (SOT) Occupational and Public Health Specialty Section March 2020.  Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.  Miranda K, Mehrpouya-Bahrami P, Nagarkatti PS, Nagarkatti M. Cannabinoid Receptor 1 Blockade Attenuates Obesity and Adipose Tissue Type 1 Inflammation Through miR-30e-5p Regulation of Delta-Like-4 in Macrophages and Consequently Downregulation of Th1 Cells. Front Immunol. 2019;10:1049. Published 2019 May 10. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.01049

• Postdoctoral Excellence Award from the Ethical, Legal, Forensics, and Societal Issues Specialty Section, Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020. Kathryn Miranda, Prakash S. Nagarkatti, and Mitzi Nagarkatti,  Mechanisms of Cannabidiol-induced immunosuppression mediated by myeloid-derived suppressor cells

• Dr. Kathryn Miranda, PhD (Nagarkatti lab) has been named the Postdoctoral Representative of  the Mechanisms Specialty Section, Society of Toxicology, (SOT) for 2020-21.   

• Shidal S., Singh NP, Nagarkatti P., Nagarkatti M.  MicroRNA-92 Expression in CD133 + Melanoma Stem Cells Regulates Immunosuppression in the Tumor Microenvironment via Integrin-Dependent Activation of TGFβ. 2019 Jul 15;79(14):3622-3635. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-2659. Epub 2019 Apr 23.  This was  selected for “Paper of the Year Award” by the Drug Discovery Toxicology Specialty Section at the  Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.  Drs. Chris Shidal and Narendra Singh shared $1000 award.

• Alkeiver Cannon, graduate student (Nagarkatti lab) received the SOT Graduate Student Travel Support Award to present the abstract titled Treatment with AhR Ligands Modulates Concanavalin-Induced T Cell-Mediated Liver Injury by miRNA Dysregulation by Cannon A, Nagarkatti PS, and Nagarkatti M. at the Annual Meeting of Society of Toxicology, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020. 

• Alkeiver Cannon, graduate student (Nagarkatti lab) also received the Toxicologists of African Origin (TAO) Endowment Fund Award for the above abstract from the Society of Toxicology, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.

• Alkeiver Cannon, graduate student (Nagarkatti lab) also received 3rd Place Award from the Drug Discovery Toxicology Specialty Section Student Competition at the Society of Toxicology, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.

• Dr. Hasan Alghetaa, PhD, (Nagarkatti lab) received a recognition and appreciation plaque from the Arab Toxicologist Association Special Interest Group (ATA-SIG) for being instrumental in founding this group in 2019 at the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.  Dr. Alghetaa was also elected as President of ATA for 2020-2021 year.

• Dr. Amira Mohammed, PhD, (Nagarkatti lab) received a recognition and appreciation plaque award from the Arab Toxicologist Association Special Interest Group (ATA-SIG) as part of Society of Toxicology for being part of founding this group in 2019 at the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.  Dr. Mohammed was also elected as Councilor of ATA for 2nd year 2020-2021.

• Muthanna Sultan, graduate student in Dr. Nagarkatti’s lab, was awarded the 2020 Graduate Student Achievement Award, Biotechnology Specialty Section of Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.  Sultan M, Prakash Nagarkatti P, Nagarkatti M. Endocannabinoids (Anandamide) attenuate Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)-mediated acute lung injury through regulation of micro-RNA that target the induction of Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells and T regulatory cells.

• Muthanna Sultan, graduate student (Nagarkatti lab) is the SOT Graduate Student Representative for Biotechnology Specialty Section (BTSS) of  Society of Toxicology 2019 - present.

• Muthanna Sultan graduate student, (Nagarkatti lab) was the session chair for Immunotoxicology poster session at Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.

• Muthanna Sultan, graduate student, (Nagarkatti lab) hosted the Graduate Student Leadership Committee (GSLC) at the  Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.

• Muthanna Sultan, graduate student, (Nagarkatti lab) served on the Proposal Review Committee  Biotechnology Specialty Section (BTSS) at Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.

• Dr. Courtney Culpepper (Nagarkatti lab) received the Mechanisms Specialty Section Postdoctoral Student Travel Award to attend the Annual SOT Meeting. Authors include: Culpepper CD, Miranda K, Wilson K, Nagarkatti PS, and Nagarkatti M.   Cannabidiol regulated microRNAs promote mast cell signaling via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ to protect against staphylococcal enterotoxin B-induced liver injury. Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, March 15-19, 2020.