The Risk Assessment Specialty Section (RASS) is a subgroup of SOT members with interest in the theory and practice of risk assessment. This includes a comprehensive and diverse set of issues that range from the interpretation and integration of toxicological and kinetic data in various target tissues to applications in the regulatory arena. RASS is one of the largest and most diverse specialty sections of the SOT and has membership representation from academia, government, industry and consulting. RASS is of interest to toxicologists who seek to enhance the use of descriptive and mechanistic studies in the broader context, such as pharmaceutical efficacy and safety testing, regulatory standard development, and site-specific health risk assessment. Applications of risk assessment include physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling and development of new statistical methods for dose-response and exposure assessment.

To provide opportunities for enhancing knowledge of current issues, challenges, and tools for risk assessment and to facilitate discussions to advance the science of risk assessment.

•Endorse state-of-the art symposia, workshops and continuing education courses at the annual SOT meeting

•Award scientific contributions in the peer-reviewed literature in risk assessment annually

•Award outstanding risk assessment abstracts at the annual SOT meeting

•Award outstanding student and postdoctoral fellow abstracts at the annual SOT meeting

•Support Contemporary Concepts in Toxicology (CCT) Workshops

•Organize a monthly telecon to present and discuss new topics related to risk assessment

The Society of Toxicology sponsored invited speakers and scientific sessions devoted to risk assessment beginning in the 1970s. The first poster session devoted to risk assessment was held at the Annual Meeting in Dallas in 1988. The room was small, and the crowd was overflowing. Just the previous evening, about 60 toxicologists and risk assessors had held an organization meeting to found a Specialty Section. Later that year, the Society approved the creation of the Risk Assessment Specialty Section (RASS). Membership was 90 the first year and topped 300 by 1991, making RASS the largest of the specialty sections. Membership went over 400 in 1998, then settled back near 300 after the creation of the Regulatory and Safety Evaluation Specialty Section.

RASS sponsored its first session at the Annual Meeting began in 1989. This tradition has grown to the point where RASS now sponsors or co-sponsors at least five sessions each year. Continuing Education courses in risk assessment were first offered in 1990; beginning and advanced courses have been offered approximately every other year since. Attendance has always been very high.

RASS gave its first award to Bruce Molholt for the best presentation in risk assessment at the 1990 Annual Meeting. RASS began giving student awards in 1994. At the suggestion of Dennis Paustenbach and Rory Conolly, RASS began giving awards in 1995 for best published papers in risk assessment. These awards have become much sought-after and highly prized.

A most important series of events in the relationship between risk assessment and the SOT began when the Ad Hoc Committee on Improving the Scientific Basis for Risk Assessment recommended to SOT Council that the Arnold J. Lehman Award recipients be expanded to include risk assessors, in recognition of their scientific contributions to the regulatory process. Eight members of RASS have been so honored, Carol Kimmel, Roger McCarthy, Dennis Paustenbach (2002), Michael Dourson (2003), Melvin Andersen (2004), Rory Conolly (2005), Kathryn Mahaffey, Harvey Clewell (2007), Vicki Dellarco (2008), Michael Bolger (2009), Ed Ohanian (2010), and Bette Meek (2011).

RASS has a separate postdoctoral fellow abstract award. To be considered for this award, a copy of the abstract submitted to SOT, a brief synopsis of the project (3-5 pages), and a letter of support from their major adviser should be submitted. The award consists of achievement plaques to the post-doctoral fellow and their adviser and a $500 check to the postdoctoral fellow. 

For the RASS best student abstract award, a copy of the abstract submitted to SOT, a brief synopsis of the project (3-5 pages), and a letter of support from their major advisor should be submitted. The award consists of achievement plaques to the student and advisor and a $500 check to the student. 

Each year, the abstracts accepted by SOT are reviewed by a selection committee for the best overall abstract in risk assessment award. No formal submission or nomination is required. The first author of the winning abstract will receive an achievement plaque and a license for the acslX program from Aegis Technologies.

Harvey Clewell (l) passes the power to Ed Ohanian (r)

Two best paper awards (Best Published Paper Demonstrating Application of Risk Assessment and Best Published Paper Advancing the Science of Risk Assessment) are given during each SOT meeting to authors of papers published in a peer-reviewed journal between January and December of the preceding year. The authors of the selected papers receive achievement plaques and the first authors receive a monetary award ($250) sponsored by The Sapphire Group. Please take the time to nominate a paper that you read recently and found interesting.  It can be your own as well!

Past President Edward V. Ohanian, PhDDirector, Health and Ecological Criteria DivisionOffice of WaterU.S. EPAWashington, DC

Secretary/Treasurer

Calvin WillhiteCalifornia EPABerkeley, CA

Ongoing Activities

Goals

Current Officers

Introduction

History of RASS

Awards for Students and Postdocs

Perry J. Gehring

Robert J. Rubin Student Travel Award

John Doull Award

Postdoc winner 2009: Scott Auerbach with Elaine Faustman

Best Paper Awards

Student winner 2009: Mathieu Valcke (center) with John Christopher (l) and Kannan Krishnan (r).

Ginsberg, et al. Best Application Paper

2009

Andersen, et al. Best Advancing Science Paper

2009

Best Abstract

Best abstract winner Chiharu Mori (r) is presented with a certificate of achievement by Conrad Housand (l) of Aegis Technologies.

Vice President Elect John C. LipscombToxicologistU.S. EPA-NCEACincinnati, OH

Vice President P. Robinan Gentry, PhD, DABTSenior Science Manager/ToxicologistENVIRON International CorporationMonroe, Louisiana

Councilor Rory Conolly, ScDSenior Research BiologistU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyResearch Triangle Park, NC

Postdoctoral Representative Anne E. Loccisano, PhDPostdoctoral FellowThe Hamner Institutes for Health SciencesResearch Triangle Park, NC

Graduate Student Representative David T. Szabo, MSDoctoral StudentCurriculum in ToxicologyUniversity of North CarolinaChapel Hill, NC

Everyone had a good time at the RASS reception at SOT 2009.

Harvey Clewell (m) and John Christopher (r) express their thanks to Annie Jarabek (l) for her long standing efforts to coordinate the monthly RASS telecon which allows members to stay in contact between meetings and hear and comment on cutting edge risk assessment.

CouncilorJ. Caroline English, Ph.D., DABTNSF International Cambell, CA

HOT Topics

Risk assessment: defining adversity and resilience.Risk assessment is the scientific process used to estimate the association between an exposure to a agent and the incidence of some adverse health outcome.

•Low-dose linearity

•Health risks above the RfD, RSC, or ADI

•Risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the environment

•Cumulative risk assessment

•Integrating science in regulatory decisions

•Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program Tiers 1 & 2 Testing and Human Risk Assessment

•Mixtures risk assessment

•Data-derived uncertainty factors replacing default uncertainty factors

•Probabalistic risk assessment

•Computational toxicology in screening and prioritization of contaminants

RASS Telecon

President Elaine M. Faustman, PhD, DABTProfessor and DirectorInstitute for Risk Analysis and Risk CommunicationSchool of Public Health University of WashingtonSeattle, WA

As part of the SOT 50th Anniversary Celebration RASS has prepared a time capsule and what better items to put in this capsule than to highlight work that our own scientists have been active in shaping and informing. As the photo above shows we have included a copy of the NRC “Red Book”, a memory key and a photo album.