Alexa Murray, PhD Candidate was recently selected as a recipient of a 2017-2017 Rutgers Pharmaceutical Research Travel Award.  She attended the 2017 Gordon Conference in the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity in Andover, NH.  Her research investigates n mustard (NM), a cytotoxic alkylating agent, which can cause acute lung injury which progresses to fibrosis. This is associated with a sequential accumulation of pro-inflammatory /cytotoxic M1 and anti-inflammatory/wound repair M2 macrophages in the lung which have been implicated in disease pathogenesis. Gadolinium chloride (GdCl3) is a rare earth metal which suppresses M1 macrophage activation. In these studies we analyzed the effects of GdCl3 on macrophages accumulating in the lung in response to NM. These data demonstrate that GdCl3 modulates the response of macrophages to NM, resulting in increases in anti-inflammatory macrophages and reduced oxidative stress. These findings may be useful in the development of therapeutics aimed at mitigating NM-induced lung inflammation and injury. As Alexa states “The Gordon Research Conference was a unique opportunity to present and discuss advances in mechanistic toxicology in an intimate and collaborative setting. My attendance to the GRC enhanced my understanding of a constantly developing field and provided me with exceptional networking opportunities to promote my future goals.”