News

During a recent Virtual Visit with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director and the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, it was noted that Dr. Nathan Vanderford's "The Cancer Crisis in Appalachia" was prominently displayed on the NCI Director's desk. Congratulations to Dr. Vanderford and the contributing students! 

With the ongoing pandemic, we've had to transition some courses to online instruction so that our students continue to make progress toward their degrees. For the Master's of Forensic Toxicology & Analytical Genetics program, one such course is TOX 880: Ethics and Professional Practice in Forensics Science and Analytical DNA. This course trains students in professional practices as they relate to forensics scientists in a modern crime laboratory or DNA testing laboratory (public or private).

Jonathan Gallup is a second year Masters of Forensic Toxicology and Analytical Genetics student. Below is a little about Jonathan and why he chose our program: “My name is Jonathan Gallup and I’ve always had a passion for chemistry; however, my interest in toxicology wasn’t really present until my senior year of college at Clemson University. I took my first toxicology class as an elective that year and it opened a world of possibilities for me, which led me to come to the University of Kentucky for my Master's in Forensic Toxicology.

The Department of Toxicology & Cancer Biology is proud to have two of our Master's of Forensic Toxicology & Analytical Genetics students selected as recipients of the Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship. These fellowships are competitive fellowships awarded through the UK Graduate School, which includes stipend and tuition scholarships. Congratulations, Jordan and Kaleigh! Jordan Brown is a Brandywine, Maryland native and a first year Forensic Toxicology and Analytical Genetics Master’s candidate.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 11, 2020) – The University of Kentucky’s Nathan Vanderford received the 2020 Excellence in Science Education and Outreach Award from the Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) last Friday.

Dr. Nathalia Vitoria Pereira Araujo has successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on 11/4/20. Congratulations to her mentor, Dr. Vivek Rangnekar, and her committee members. Special thanks to our outside examiner, Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Latif.

The Department of Toxicology & Cancer Biology is excited to announce internal Graduate Student and Post-Doctoral Scholar Fellowship Opportunities for the Spring 2021 semester. All current graduate students and post-doctoral scholars in the department are eligible and encouraged to apply. Please review the attached documents regarding the award categories and criteria. The submission deadline for all opportunities is November 30, 2020.

Henrietta Lacks’s “HeLa” cells continue to influence scientific discovery even after her death from cancer in 1951. These cells have been used to study cancer growth, learn more about viruses, and study drug effects on the body. They even helped develop the polio vaccine.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 3, 2020) – The Society of Research Administrators International will be presenting its 2020 Hartford-Nicholson Award to University of Kentucky faculty Nathan Vanderford. 

The Society of Research Administrators International will be presenting its 2020 Hartford-Nicholson Award to University of Kentucky faculty Nathan Vanderford. Vanderford, an assistant professor in the Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology in the UK College of Medicine, will receive the award at the SRAI Virtual Annual Meeting in October. He was chosen for the award due to his advocacy, dedication and continuous contributions of knowledge to SRAI as the editor-in-chief of its Journal of Research Administration.

The survey below is entirely voluntary. We are creating a way for students to anonymously self-report a positive COVID status for themselves or having had close contact with an individual who has a positive COVID status. It was developed to assist faculty in the Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology in determining the need to have classes in-person or online. COVID testing results are protected by HIPAA and faculty may not be contacted by contact tracers.

Congratulations to all of our doctoral students that have passed their Qualifying Exams! Pratik Thapa (Mentor: Dr. Qiou Wei) Jenni Ho (Mentor: Dr. Daret St. Clair) Yanning Hao (Mentor: Dr. Qiou Wei) Xiaojing Cui (Mentor: Dr. Ying Liang) Sapta Ganguly (Mentor: Dr. Vivek Rangnekar) Alston Zhang (Mentor: Dr. Xiaoqi Liu) Special thanks to the mentors committee members that assisted all of our students.

The events of the several months have brought the ideals of Diversity, Inclusion & Equity to a fine focus. Our Department recognizes that we can improve and we are committed to doing so. Our ultimate goal is to foster an environment where diversity of all types is recognized and respected, and where we can all feel comfortable being our most authentic selves. The mission of DTCB remains to train the future generations of scientists and to produce high quality biomedical research.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Jian Fu has been appointed to serve as a member of the NIH Innate Immunity and Inflammation Study Section, for the term beginning July 2020 and ending June 2024. NIH study section members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors.

Congratulations to Dr. Alexandra Arenas on a Successful Defense! Dr. Arenas successfully defended her PhD thesis on July 9, 2020. Also, congratulations to her mentor, Dr. Haining Zhu, and her other committee members. A special thanks to the outside examiner, Dr. Henry LeVine.

Dr. Jeremy Johnson has successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation, "Examination of the Role of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase as a Therapeutic Modality for Triple Negative Breast Cancer." Congratulations to him, Dr. Mark Evers (mentor), committee members, and outside examiner. Also, thank you all who attended the seminar via Zoom during these unusual circumstances.

Lung cancer is a complex and devastating disease, especially in the Commonwealth. In fact, Kentuckians are twice as likely as the rest of U.S. citizens to develop squamous cell carcinoma and small-cell lung cancer, both of which are very serious cancers that typically have low survival rates.

We are pleased to announce that we are still accepting applications for our Master's of Forensics Toxicology & Analytical Genetics program. The Master’s in Forensic Toxicology & Analytical Genetics program is a professional degree program, which educates and prepares students to enter the workforce as working professionals. The program curriculum contains two internships, which provides our students with hand-on experiences necessary to exit the program and be competitive in the job market.

Congratulations to Dr. Diane Begemann on successfully defending her PhD thesis on March 25, 2020. We could also like to thank and congratulate her mentor, Dr. Natasha Kyprianou, her committee members, and outside examiner.

Dr. Daret St. Clair was nominated and selected as the recipient of the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine Distinguished Alumna Award for Achievement for her pioneering work in molecular biology and free radical biology, and for her efforts as a mentor and role model to the next generation of cancer biologists.