President’s Message
A Message from José Manautou, December 2024
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Dear Colleagues,
As 2024 draws to a close, it is remarkable how quickly the year has flown by. Many of us find ourselves completing projects and meeting deadlines, preparing for the holidays, and reflecting on the accomplishments of the past year. Here in the northeastern United States, the holiday season brings snow-covered landscapes, holiday markets, and gatherings with family and friends.
I want to take this opportunity to highlight some of IUTOX’s recent successes and our upcoming opportunities. In less than two months, IUTOX will be in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the next Risk Assessment Summer School (RASS), taking place at the University of Sao Paulo from February 9 to 15, 2025. Organized by Maria Zaidan Dagli of Brazil (IUTOX Developing Countries Committee Chair) and Heather Wallace (IUTOX Education Committee Chair), our goal is to replicate the success of our previous RASS programs. Application information and program details for this upcoming RASS are posted on our website and applications are due by January 20, 2025.
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RASS is a uniquely formulated experience offering advanced training for selected postgraduate and postdoctoral toxicologists in risk assessment. Risk assessment is the ultimate purpose to which toxicological testing and evaluation is directed, providing information for decision making by industry and governments (on behalf of the population at large). The working group format of RASS and direct interaction with speakers and educators is a distinctive and personal training experience, with an average of 40-45 registrants coming from the surrounding region. RASS brings together participants from a broad spectrum of sectors and career stages, ranging from doctoral trainees to established scientists. This diversity fosters a dynamic and enriching environment, allowing participants to learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives, making RASS a uniquely valuable experience for all. The RASS courses are held in member countries around the world with the purpose of broadening the geographical base of toxicology as a discipline and a profession.
2025 will be a busy year for IUTOX, and it doesn’t stop with the RASS in February. My term as IUTOX president will be over in 10 months, and I am pleased to be co-chairing the Nominating Committee with past-president Peter Di Marco as we search for the next leaders of IUTOX. All member societies in good standing are invited to submit nominations before February 17, 2025, with the election of candidates taking place in October 2025 at the IUTOX General Assembly during the17th International Congress of Toxicology (ICTXVII) in Beijing, China.
The first-ever ICT to take place in China, the ICTXVII, cohosted by the Chinese Society of Toxicology (CST) from October 15-18, 2025, will feature an outstanding scientific program highlighting excellence and diversity in toxicology. The theme of ICTXVII is "Toxicology for Safe Environment and Healthy Life” and the Scientific Program Committee is in the final stages of program development. Registration will be opening soon, and the scientific program is already posted on the congress webpage. On behalf of the IUTOX Executive Committee, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Co-Chairs of the scientific program committee, Yuepu Pu (Chinese Society of Toxicology) and Martin Wilks (IUTOX President-Elect), Vice-Chair Chunying Chen as well as Huan Meng and Qian Bing who serve as liaison between the CST and IUTOX, and of course all committee members, for their exceptional work in creating a balanced scientific program that encompasses cutting-edge topics in toxicology, including innovative methodologies, global public health challenges, regulatory science, and advancements in risk assessment.
We have also started the process of selecting the host location of the ICTXIX in 2031. We have received preliminary proposals from Gesellschaft für Toxikologie (Society for Toxicology-Germany) and the Serbian Society of Toxicology to host the ICT in Leipzig and Belgrade, respectively. Members of the IUTOX Executive Committee will be traveling to those cities in early 2025 for site visits, and final proposals will be submitted to the membership for decision at the IUTOX General Assembly in Beijing.
During the closing ceremonies at CTDC12 in Santiago, Chile, we were treated to a presentation given by Anja Haverić highlighting our upcoming CTDC13 that will take place in Sarajevo in May 2026, hosted by the Genetic Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina (GENuBiH). We are also searching for the host location of the CTDC14 in 2030. Interested societies should send a written proposal to the Secretary-General of IUTOX. Congresses on Toxicology in Developing Countries (CTDC) are an integral part of the IUTOX mission and provide a forum for discussing toxicological problems facing developing countries in the future and exchanging views with toxicologists from all over the world.
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The IUTOX Education Committee has just announced the winners of the 2025 IUTOX-Administered SOT/SOT Endowment Fund Travel Awards. Congratulations to Anja Haverić (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Eduardo Rojas-Prado (México), Carla Brigagão (Brazil), Hande Sipahi (Türkiye), and Deepak Dhakal (Nepal). These travel awards help us to achieve one of the central goals of IUTOX: to contribute to the enhancement of toxicology education and the career development of young toxicologists, particularly in developing countries.
In closing, I hope to see many of you at the SOT 64th Annual Meeting & ToxExpo in Orlando in March 2025. And as always, I welcome your input as Member Societies of IUTOX on what is important to you regarding our IUTOX programs and services, allowing IUTOX to serve as a platform to promote international scientific collaboration and education in toxicology.
With the Holidays upon us, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a joyful season filled with peace and happiness. May the new year bring continued success and opportunities for collaboration within the global toxicology community.
