Project Summary
The goal of this application is to obtain support for the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of
Chemical Toxicology (TOXI) 2020 national meeting program, which will be held August 16-20, 2020, in San
Francisco, CA. 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. The theme for the ACS National
Meeting is “Moving Chemistry from Bench to Market” and TOXI programming is well aligned with this
theme. The TOXI programming will focus on the molecular mechanisms of environmental stress responses.
The goals of the TOXI division include providing a forum for communicating research in chemical toxicology,
encouraging research in chemical mechanisms of toxicity, and facilitating connections with other groups in
scientific areas of mutual interest, as well as leadership and professional development 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 program is organized around the theme of molecular
mechanisms of environmental stress responses. The program includes four thematic symposia, which will
feature invited oral presentations by a diverse group of established and emerging investigators with a range
of perspectives on each topic. The four thematic symposia are: (1) “Genome-wide Perspectives on the
Formation, Repair, and Consequences of DNA Damage,” which will examine how toxicant-induced DNA
adducts lead to specific mutations in cells; (2) “Metabolism of Fluorinated Compounds & Safety Relevance,”
co-promoted with the with Divisions of Medicinal Chemistry and Fluorine Chemistry, will focus on toxicity
that can result from metabolism of fluorinated compounds, which are widespread in the environment and
comprise a large number of newly-approved drugs; (3) “Chemical Exposures and Impact on Health” focuses
on neurotoxicology of environmental agents; and (4) “Toxicology of Antibody-Drug Conjugates,” co-
promoted with the Divisions of Medicinal Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, focuses on the mechanisms
and mitigation of dose-limiting toxicity of antibody-drug conjugates. The scientific program is clearly aligned
with the mission of NIEHS of discovering “how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier
lives.”