# Training Grant in Environmental Toxicology

> **NIH NIH T32** · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2020 · $684,012

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The goal of this training program in environmental toxicology is to produce scientists and engineers
professionally qualified to make original contributions to improved understanding of the impacts of
environmental agents, especially hazardous chemicals, on human health. This program has supported 112
predoctoral and 94 postdoctoral Trainees since its inception in 1975. During that same time period, 356 PhD
or ScD degrees have been awarded to all students in the MIT toxicology program (Trainees plus non-
Trainees). Of our pre-doctoral and post-doctoral Trainees over the past 15 years, 8 out of 66 (12%) are in
academic positions and 42 (64%) are in industry or government, with the balance continuing in training.
Trainees pick projects from the following areas: (1) analysis of genome-, proteome- and glycome-level
responses to toxins and toxicants; (2) characterization of mutagenic responses to carcinogens as expressed
hierarchically at the genome, cell, tissue, organism and population levels of organization; (3) construction of
novel animal models for determining the effects of exposure of mammals to environmental agents; (4) systems
biology of kinase-mediated signaling cascades triggered in response to toxic agents, and during neoplastic
transformation; (5) characterization of the chemistry underlying the reaction of toxins and toxicants with cellular
macromolecules and other targets; (6) mechanistic assessment of the contribution of DNA damage to genetic
disease, and identification of the cellular defenses (e.g., DNA repair strategies) that protect against heritable
damage; (7) engineering-based design of novel model systems for evaluating responses to toxic agents; (8)
unraveling the underlying biology of environmental chemical-infectious agent interactions; and (9) development
of analytical methods for monitoring hazardous chemicals in the environment, and determining of how those
agents chemically change over time. In the previous period of support, 29% of the PhD students supported
were from underrepresented groups, and 59% were female. Regarding postdocs, 18.2% were from
underrepresented groups, and 55% of the cohort was female. More than 600 students apply for the pre-
doctoral program annually, allowing for good program selectivity.
Highlights of the program are a well-structured and constantly updated academic toxicology Certificate
Program taken by PhD students, a pre- and post-doctoral mentoring program, numerous toxicology-focused
seminar programs and a large emphasis on research collaboration. We created a course entitled
Fundamentals of Toxicology and Environmental Health to cross-train our diverse group of engineers and
scientists. It includes formal toxicology lectures, training in responsible conduct of research, authentication of
reagents, rigor and reproducibility, data science and community outreach.
This proposal requests funding for seven predoctoral and six postdoctoral trainees.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9936503
- **Project number:** 2T32ES007020-46
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN M ESSIGMANN
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $684,012
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1975-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9936503

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9936503, Training Grant in Environmental Toxicology (2T32ES007020-46). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9936503. Licensed CC0.

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