Dear Prospective Students,
Toxicologists are vital to safeguarding populations from emerging environmental contaminants. This indispensable role is balanced by the need for toxicologists to support the development of new commercial products. Comprehensive training is required in order to generate a pipeline of talented and creative leaders in toxicology to advance global societal goals and protect human health. As a discipline, toxicology is undergoing remarkable transformation. Groundbreaking advances in biomedical research have brought new methodologies such as genomics, proteomics, epigenetics and informatics to the forefront of toxicology research. At the same time, traditional biomedical disciplines of biochemistry, animal and systems physiology, and pathology are undergoing a renaissance as essential elements in toxicology education.
The Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology (JGPT) is an interdisciplinary graduate program whose long-standing mission is the education and training of scholars in mechanistic toxicology and its application to environmental health sciences. The program accomplishes this goal through comprehensive didactic and ‘hands-on’ training. Courses and activities foster scientific inquiry, original research and innovation. Team- and case-based instruction provides ‘real world’ application of key concepts in toxicological sciences and emphasizes the use of interdisciplinary approaches. The JGPT is rooted in its excellent faculty base with over 50 total faculty members who span diverse research areas. New research collaborations are fostered and existing relationships are strengthened through JGPT predoctoral trainees and postdoctoral fellows.
As the only toxicology program within the state of New Jersey, the JGPT has a wealth of participation by alumni as well as partners from the local pharmaceutical and personal care product industries. A series of three 1-credit classes has been developed that provide JGPT trainees with state-of-the-art approaches to regulatory toxicology. In recognition of their outstanding training and research, JGPT trainees receive numerous national awards and individual fellowships. i. In the past 8 years, 7 F31 grants, 2 F32 grants, 2 K99/R00 grants, 1 K23 grant, 1 PhRMA fellowship, and 3 AFPE fellowships were awarded to scholars in the JGPT. Rutgers is host to a Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST) grant from the National Institutes of Health that provides exceptional career development activities in a program called iJOBS.
We look forward to you joining our exciting and challenging program!
Lauren Aleksunes, PharmD, PhD, DABT
Meet the HELPFUL STAFF of the JGPT.