Awards and Grants

Congratulations to Mary Gulumian, winner of the 2021 IUTOX Lifetime Achievement Award.

Professor Mary Gulumian is a founding member and past President of the Society for Free Radical Society of South Africa (SFRRSA) and the founding member and President of the Toxicology Society of South Africa (TOXSA). She is also the founding member and the President of the SRA-Africa. She served on the Executive Committee 2013-2016 of the International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX) as Vice President. Prof Gulumian was also a member of the final review board of World Health Organization (WHO) Concise International Chemical Assessment Documents publications on number of toxic compounds. She was also appointed by the Minister of Science and Technology (DST, now DSI) to serve as a Council member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).

Her research includes hazard identification and communication as well as elucidation of mechanisms of toxicity of micro and nano-particles. She has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications on this topic and delivered many presentations at local and overseas conferences. She has further provided expert consultation to industry and government departments on the toxicity of chemicals in the working and ambient environments. She is also a member of the Editorial Board of the journal of Human and Experimental Toxicology and of the journal Particle and Fibre Toxicology.

Nationally, in her capacity as the President of TOXSA, Professor Gulumian is involved in the registration of Toxicologists in South Africa and in setting up curricula necessary for this registration. Internationally, in her capacity as Vice-President of IUTOX, she is involved in the harmonization of the registration of toxicologists worldwide.

The IUTOX Executive Committee created this award to honor “a distinguished scientist who has made lasting contributions to toxicology in countries where toxicology is under-represented.” Indeed, her commitment to the field of toxicology and to the many young scientists educated and mentored, her tireless work as a founding member of the Toxicology Society of South Africa, and your key role in hosting the 7th CTDC meeting in Sun City, were just a few of many achievements that contributed to receiving this award.

Congratulations to Mary Gulumian, winner of the 2021 IUTOX Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ali Esat Karakaya is the first recipient of the newly created Lifetime Achievement Award, which was established by IUTOX to honor a distinguished scientist who has made lasting contributions in a country where toxicology is underrepresented.

Professor Karakaya has been working for over 40 years to promote toxicology in Turkey through teaching, research, consulting, training, mentoring and public outreach through the media. During his career he founded the Department of Toxicology at Gazi University in Ankara, served on several national scientific advisory committees, and has been actively engaged in numerous national and international scientific and professional organizations.

In 1988, Professor Karakaya was the founding Secretary-General of the Turkish Society of Toxicology (TST) and under his leadership, TST became an active member of IUTOX in 1998. Professor Karakaya went on to serve IUTOX as 1st Vice President (2001–2004); President (2004–2007), and Chair of the Nominating Committee (2007–2010). In 1999, Professor Karakaya also served as President of the CTDC4 meeting held in Antalya, Turkey. In another first for IUTOX, Professor Karakaya requested—and the IUTOX Executive Committee agreed—that the CTDC4 meeting be held “under the auspices of IUTOX,” which paved the way for future CTDC meetings to be fully integrated into IUTOX activities.

IUTOX is proud to honor Prof. Ali E. Karakaya with the first Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of all the “firsts” he has stood for in IUTOX and in the international toxicology community.

Congratulations to Herman Autrup, winner of the 2022 IUTOX Merit Award.

Herman Autrup (HA), Professor Emeritus received a master degree in organic chemistry from University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1971), and a PhD in experimental pathology from University of Nairobi, Kenya (1975). He joined Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, NCI, USA (1975) as a post-doc fellow and became Head of Section of Carcinogen-Macromolecular Interaction. He returned to Denmark in 1983 to become Chief of Laboratory of Environmental Carcinogenesis, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen. In 1990, he was appointed professor in Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.

HA is adjunct professor, Chulaborn Graduate Institute, Bangkok, Thailand since 2013, professor extraordinaire, Department of Public Health, University of Pretoria, South Africa (2014–2017) and Visiting Professor Laboratory of Nano-safety, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing (2015–2019).

He received the F. Sobel award (European Environmental Mutagen Society) in 2006 for his work on “Carcinogen metabolism and DNA adducts,” the SOT Education Award in 2014, for his teaching activities in toxicology and risk assessment, especially in developing countries—Africa, Asia and South America. In 2007 he was the recipient of the Princess Chulabhorn Gold medal (Thailand) for his work in capacity building in developing countries.

His service on the IUTOX Executive Committee as President and long-term commitment to IUTOX programming activities have advanced our mission to improve human health through the science and practice of toxicology world-wide.

His intellectual contributions to our field as a scholar, writer, educator, leader, and mentor are remarkable and enduring. Your notable contributions to the dissemination and advancement of toxicology include research capacity building, education and training of toxicologists in low- and middle-income countries, leadership positions in national, regional and international toxicology organizations and global outreach on risk assessment training.

IUTOX is proud to honor Herman Autrup with the 2022 IUTOX Merit Award, the highest award IUTOX confers at the International Congress of Toxicology.

Congratulations to Elaine M. Faustman, winner of the 2019 IUTOX Merit Award.

Dr. Faustman holds three prestigious positions at the University of Washington. She serves as a Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, an adjunct professor in the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, and the Director of the Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication. Dr. Faustman has also been an adjunct professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie-Mellon University. She received her PhD at Michigan State University in the School of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Dr. Faustman’s research interests lie in developmental toxicology, risk assessment methodologies and molecular mechanisms of metals and pesticides. The long-range objective of her research is two-fold: To identify biochemical mechanisms of developmental toxicity and to develop new methods for the evaluation of health risks posed by environmental agents. Dr. Faustman has over 285 peer-reviewed publications including 217 research publications, 68 book chapters and reviews, technical and book reports, comments and short articles and 426 abstracts.

Through her exceptional commitment to train junior and senior scientists around the world, Dr. Faustman has led the IUTOX risk assessment training efforts in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. She created a relationship with the International Science Council (ISC) to procure funding for a series of water security courses and partnered with IUTOX member societies to develop and deliver training courses responsive to local and regional needs. Dr. Faustman also has been devoted to training the next generation of risk assessors by mentoring over 60 MS and PhD students, 8 postdoctoral fellows, and 16 visiting scientists from 13 countries in her lab and institute.

The global toxicology community has been well served by Dr. Faustman. She has been instrumental in assisting scientists in South Africa and Nigeria form their own toxicology societies and encouraging further efforts in other parts of Africa. Dr. Faustman has generously shared her time and talents with IUTOX by serving as Secretary-General (2010–2016), Director (2007–2010) and Chair of the Education Committee (2007–2016). She also has been invited to serve on and often lead numerous committees associated with the International Science Council, the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agricultural Organization, US Environmental Protection Agency, the National Toxicology Program, The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Teratology Society, and the Health Professionals Advisory Board among others. Of special note, Dr. Faustman served on 10 SOT committees and served on SOT Council (2004–2006).

Dr. Faustman’s body of work and exemplary dedication to the global toxicology community embodies the IUTOX mission to improve human health through the science and practice of toxicology world-wide. IUTOX is proud to honor Elaine Faustman, global citizen-scientist, with the 2019 Merit Award in recognition of excellence in her field and her tireless efforts to bring toxicology research and education to scientists throughout the world.

Congratulations to Curtis D. Klaassen, winner of the 2016 IUTOX Merit Award.

IUTOX is proud to add the 2016 Merit Award to the long list of awards Dr. Klaassen has been honored with by numerous national and international organizations.

Dr. Klaassen joined the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas in 1968 where he spent over 45 years holding numerous positions including University Distinguished Professor as well as Chair of the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics He received his PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Iowa in 1968.

Dr. Klaassen’s research interests have centered on how we adapt to chemicals in the environment. Studies have included the regulation of xenobiotic transporters by nuclear receptors, age, and the intestinal microbiome; the mechanism of tolerance to cadmium toxicity by metallothionein; the importance of the transcription factor Nrf2 in protecting against the hepatotoxicity of chemicals; and mechanisms of chemical-induced thyroid tumors. He has published approximately 525 peer-reviewed articles and more than 80 review articles and chapters for books. Google Scholar indicates that he has an H factor of 101, which indicates that 101 of his publications have been cited more than 101 times.

As a leader in toxicology education, Dr. Klaassen has trained over 120 PhD and Postdoctoral students, and so far three have been elected President of SOT and four received the Achievement Award from SOT. He is editor of Casarett and Doull’s Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons since 1980, and was author of the toxicology section of Goodman and Gilman’s Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics from 1980 to 2005. He is Founder (1980) and Course Director of the Mid-America Toxicology Course, an annual postgraduate course to help prepare toxicologists for board examination, and has presented over 450 lectures around the world.

Dr. Klaassen has served the toxicology community by being the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of Toxicological Sciences, the new journal of SOT. He was associate editor of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics for 24 years and Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology for 10 years. He also served on numerous national and international committees. Dr. Klaassen was elected by his peers to many national and international offices in toxicology, including President of the Society of Toxicology (USA) in 1990–1991, as well as President of the International Union of Toxicology (1992–1995). He was also President of the Seventh International Congress in Toxicology in 1995 held in Seattle, Washington.

Congratulations to Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol, winner of the 2013 IUTOX Merit Award.

IUTOX was proud to present Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol to receive its highest honor, the Merit Award, during the Opening Ceremony of ICTXIII in Seoul on Sunday, June 30, 2013. With this award, the IUTOX Executive Committee is proud to recognize numerous contributions to the development of toxicology and risk assessment training programs in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in South East Asia. IUTOX also recognizes Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol’s seminal role in the establishment and development of the Chulabhorn Research Institute in Bangkok and significant work in the field of environmental toxicology, which led to the establishment of a UNEP Centre of Excellence for Environmental and Industrial Toxicology at CRI. IUTOX also applauds and honors the tireless efforts to provide advanced educational opportunities in the region by creating the Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, and developing long distance learning tools to make risk assessment coursework available to students and scientists in developing countries.

Congratulations to Dr. Torbjörn Malmfors, winner of the 2010 IUTOX Merit Award.

Torbjörn Malmfors is the recipient of the 2010 IUTOX Merit Award in recognition of his significant international contributions to the field of toxicology. An expert in risk assessment, he has shared his knowledge and provided tremendous leadership through his teaching, writing and research in many parts of the world. Of special note is his years long leadership of RASS where he expertly led the effort to train and mentor several hundred toxicologists in the practice of risk assessment. Dr. Malmfors served as an Executive Councilor of IUTOX for six years and as Treasurer for three years. He led the Swedish Society of Toxicology as President and served as Secretary General of the Federation of European Societies of Toxicology. In his own words taken from the History of IUTOX he authored in 2007, Torbjörn talked about IUTOX as something with which he’d been involved for a very long time and which is close to his heart. IUTOX returns that affection to Torbjörn with gratitude for his years of dedication and service to toxicologists around the world. It is with great pleasure that IUTOX presents its 2010 Merit Award to Torbjörn Malmfors.

Congratulations to Dr. Tetsuo Satoh, winner of the 2007 IUTOX Merit Award.

Professor Tetsuo Satoh is the recipient of the 2007 IUTOX Merit Award in recognition of his significant international contributions to the field of toxicology. Professor Satoh has had a long and prestigious career as one of the leaders of the science of toxicology in Japan and the whole Asia, as well as internationally. He has had a long and meritorious academic carrier in a number of leading academic institutions in Japan. In addition, Professor Satoh has served IUTOX in numerous positions including Vice President and Acting Vice President, Membership Chair, and a member of several committees and task forces. Professor Satoh was the first Chair of the International Assembly for the Recognition of Toxicologists. In addition, Professor Satoh has organized a number of important international scientific congresses including several sponsored by IUTOX, ASIATOX, as well as the Japanese Society of Toxicology. It is with great pleasure that IUTOX presents its 2007 Merit Award to Tetsuo Satoh.

Congratulations to Dr. Iain Purchase, winner of the 2004 IUTOX Merit Award.

Professor Iain F.H. Purchase, Wilmslow, United Kingdom, was given the prestigious IUTOX Merit Award during the opening ceremony of the International Congress of Toxicology in Tampere, Finland last July. This award was presented to him for his international contributions to the development of toxicology.

Iain Purchase was trained as a veterinarian in South Africa and received his PhD at the University of Cambridge, UK in 1964. His main affiliation during his long and outstanding professional career was with the ICI/Zeneca Central Toxicology Laboratory in Macclesfield, where he was Director 1981–98. Since 1998 he has been a visiting professor at the University of Manchester.

Professor Purchase has published over 170 papers in fields relating to toxicology and ethics. His investigations have been principally related to the identification of chemical carcinogens and the assessment of risk of exposures to them. He has especially been engaged in deploying in vitro methods based on the concern about ethical matters related to the use of animals.

Iain Purchase has been a member of several national and international scientific advisory committees relating to research, carcinogens in foods and animal procedures. He has received numerous scientific and honorary awards, including the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 1998. Iain Purchase is also recognized for being chairman of the British Toxicology Society and a very successful President of IUTOX during 1995–98.

Congratulations to José Castro, winner of the 2001 IUTOX Merit Award.

Congratulations to Seymour Friess, winner of the 1998 IUTOX Merit Award.