Where Are The Jobs and How Can EMS Help Me Get Them? The market for Ph.D.’s in EMS-related fields has changed. Academic positions are more difficult to get. There are fewer positions in some of the traditional industries our membership has tended to populate. In spite of this, the value of our education and science background has never been more valuable. This workshop is designed to help students, postdocs, and early career scientists better navigate the new world.

The workshop will have a mixture of presentations and roundtable discussions with representative from both traditional and non-traditional career paths. By the end of this workshop you should:

1. Have an overview of career possibilities for PhD’s in EMS-related fields.
2. Know how to create an individual development plan.
3. Have information on the nature of the work in different career fields.
4. Be aware of the near- and long-term job prospects in these fields.
5. Learn of resources available to find jobs.
6. Develop contacts with people in each of the fields.
7. Learn of open postdoctoral and other positions where your expertise would be of value.

New technology is now allowing us to understand our complete genetic make-up and make personalized medicine a reality.  Talks will address what can be learned about our future health based on knowledge of our personal genome, how this knowledge can be used to fight diseases such as cancer, and the latest genome sequencing technologies that will bring costs down.

Small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) are the regulatory molecules involved in the processes of normal cell growth and differentiation as well as in response to environmental stress. This symposium will describe the role of small RNAs in signalling in response to and protection against stresses such as ionizing radiation, chemicals, pathogens exposure as well as the process of cancer.

This symposium will focus on exposures of pregnant women and young children to sources of environmental contamination that include phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides.  All of these exposures have been reported to impact cognitive function and/or intellectual capacity in children.  This important scientific question, is currently surrounded by some controversy, however the data suggest the need for regulatory action if connections can be validated.  We have invited folks who have recent data that elucidates this issue with the intention of generating critical discussion that will allow members of the participating audience to reach an informed conclusion. 

The ultimate goal of this forum is to design a genotoxicity testing strategy for nano-sized materials, including standard assays and/or new technologies. If current knowledge is not sufficient, we will seek to identify appropriate research or validation studies that would assist in developing such a strategy.

Nanomaterials toxicology is a subject of increasing interest and regulatory concern. Several studies have indicated that nano-sized materials test positive in some genotoxicity assays, particularly in non-standard assays such as the in vitro comet assay. It is generally agreed that the physical and surface properties of nanomaterials are relevant to their biological activity and this aspect has received considerable attention. However, the present workshop will focus on strategies and relevant systems for testing of nanomaterials as potential genotoxic hazards. Are the current standard genotoxicity assays appropriate for evaluating the carcinogenic potential of nanoparticles? If not, what is needed?

The workshop will begin with summaries of current knowledge and relevant issues related to the assessment of nano-sized materials. Break-out sessions will critique the standard in vitro (Group 1) and in vivo (Group 2) genotoxicity assays in terms of their relevance and appropriateness for testing of nano-sized materials. A third break-out session will investigate the suitability of non-standard assays and new technologies and whether they could be integrated into a de novo test battery or a strategic approach. After the breakout sessions we will re-join for summaries and then work to develop consensus on aspects of a genotoxicity testing strategy for nanomaterials.

In order to facilitate progress in meeting workshop goals, it is anticipated that discussions of the workshop topics will begin in advance of the meeting, via e-mail or chat room involving registered participants.

With recent advances in genomic and bioanalytical techniques, it is now possible to investigate thousands of genes and proteins and their various expression levels and states of epigenetic and postranslational modifications. Such analysis can be done over a wide range of experimental and clinical conditions in order to identify biomarkers of radiation and toxicant exposure, early onset of disease and for predictive and prognostic markers of patient response to therapy. This approach commonly requires high-dimensional data sets consisting of differential profiles in order to identify and validate signatures. Novel assays and devices are in development for biothreat agents, emerging diseases and for point of care clinical applications. Unfortunately, very few of the current and developing assays have been rigorously validated due to the costs and limitations associated with clinical trial design and execution. In the future, development of in vivo model systems will be a crucial step for validating both the biology and the instrumentation. This symposium will focus on describing the process for identifying and validating biomarkers in cells, tissues and whole organisms and incorporation of these markers into state-of-the-art assays and devices.

Dr. Carrie Wolinetz, Director of Scientific Affairs and Public Relations, FASEB, will be speaking on “The Leaky Pipeline of Women in Science: Patching the Pipe or Rebuilding the Infrastructure?” She will be discussing the ongoing gender disparities in science and what can be done to solve the problem.

We often talk about the impact of our members work on science and society. The work of Sheldon Wolff, a former president of EMS, provides a good example of the enduring impact of our membership. In this symposium, we will highlight Shelly’s most important contributions to science and illustrate how they underlie some of the most spectacular research being published today. In addition, we will address Shelly’s mentoring skills and how they have impacted EMS.

Fragile-X syndrome is the most common inherited cause of mental impairment and the most common known cause of autism. The X-linked nature of the disease was described by Martin and Bell in 1943, the increase in chromosome breakage on the X-chromosome (fragile-site) of lymphocytes cultured from patients with the syndrome was recognized in the 1970s and 1980s, and the FMR1 gene was identified in 1991. The syndrome results from the expansion of triplet repeats which can lead to the silencing of the X-linked FMR1 gene. In this symposium, experts will discuss and present current knowledge of the DNA repair defect associated with fragile-X, the molecular nature of the pre-mutation and full mutation forms of fragile-X syndrome and the accompanying clinical symptoms, a clinical approach for the treatment of the syndrome, a translational approach for effective drug design in the treatment of fragile-X syndrome, and a transgenic mouse model which is providing data on the expression of the FMR1 protein in fragile-X syndrome. This symposium presents not only an excellent overview of our current understanding of fragile-X syndrome, but also serves as a model for the application of basic research findings in DNA repair and epigenetics to disease intervention and therapy.

This symposium will discuss environmental contaminant exposure and its effects on the DNA of wildlife and laboratory animals exposed to ambient environmental conditions. We will be trying to understand how exposure and DNA damage may impact natural populations, as well as use this information to predict possible health effects for humans. This symposium will be of interest to agencies with an environmental or conservation focus, as well as those interested in the relationship between environment and human health.