Message from the President
Cardiovascular disease remains firmly rooted as one of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. The diversity of cardiovascular toxicities grows daily, but our understanding of the potential impact of such toxicities on greater human health has only begun to properly characterize such outcomes. Projections suggest that the potential for interaction between a compromised cardiovascular system and a variety of toxicants will rise at alarming rates in the coming years. Scientists from diverse backgrounds must collectively respond to this challenge by: 1) discovering ways to identify such toxicities faster, 2) characterizing their mechanisms of action, and 3) developing methods/strategies to prevent or diminish cardiovascular toxicities.
The Cardiovascular Toxicology Specialty Section (CVT SS) of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) is being established to lead the response to these challenges in our immediate and not so distant futures. The CVT SS is committed to excellence in all aspects of research and will serve to unite cardiovascular toxicologists from academia, government, industry and the private sector. This unification will serve to merge conventional techniques and methods in an interdisciplinary fashion that will fortify the education of our students and fellows that will become the next generation of cardiovascular toxicologists.
Given the inherent complexity of human biological systems, and the history of cardiovascular toxicology; it is obvious that the combined talents of diverse scientists and clinicians alike are required to achieve significant advances in this field. The CVT SS recognizes this requirement, and will be designed to foster scientific interactions at all levels, contribute to position statements and develop unique scientific sessions for National, Regional and Specialty Meetings of the SOT.
As a potential member of the CVT SS, we hope that the information provided on this website encourages you to attend our Charter Meeting in Salt Lake City (March 7‐11, 2010). If you would like additional information on any aspect of the CVT SS, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
With best regards,
Timothy R. Nurkiewicz, Ph.D.
