Society of Toxicology 2026 Hosted Session
Session Description: This session explores how aerosolized toxins and particulate matter impact the human respiratory system by integrating environmental exposure science with mechanistic pathology. Using in vitro human airway models at the air–liquid interface and in vivo humanized mouse inhalation models, presenters examine pathways driving pro-inflammatory signaling and allergic sensitization to cyanotoxins and mineral-rich dust. Together, these approaches improve prediction of human susceptibility and support the development of targeted interventions for emerging environmental threats.
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Speaker Spotlight:
Dr Cassandra Rice – University of Utah
Bio: Dr. Cassandra Rice is a Research Associate at the University of Utah and Assistant Director in the Center for Human Toxicology. Her research focuses on the role of transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels in respiratory physiology particularly in the context of environmental air pollutants. She uses a combination of in vivo and in-vitro models to identify mechanisms by which TRP channels interact with air pollutants, exacerbating asthma and other pulmonary diseases, with special consideration of sex, genotype, and age as variables.
Talk Title: Assessing health effects of inhaled dusts and combustion emissions in novel humanized TRPV1/TRPM8 mouse models
Session Outline: This session will feature new research on how dust from the Great Salt Lake and other pollution sources affects lung health. The presentation will highlight whole‑body inhalation studies showing how mineral-rich particulate matter triggers inflammation and allergic responses, with sex‑specific effects and involvement of TRP channels. The speaker will also share emerging findings from related exposure models, including wood smoke, and discuss how these insights may guide future interventions.
Dr Bivek Timalsina – University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
Bio: Bivek Timalsina is a Ph.D. candidate in the Biomedical Science Program at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, with training through the Departments of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Medicine. He conducts interdisciplinary research in the laboratories of Drs. David Kennedy and Steven Haller focused on health impacts of harmful algal bloom (HAB) exposures, including inhalation-relevant models and mechanistic toxicology. He and his research group are members of the Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health, an NIH- and NSF-funded collaborative center advancing research at the intersection of freshwater quality and human health.
Talk Title: Breathing the Bloom: Targeted Harmful Algal Bloom Aerosol Exposures in a Human Airway ALI Model Using the expoCube
Session Outline: This session will explore new findings on the inhalation risks of aerosolized microcystins produced during cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms. Using the SciREQ expoCube and primary human airway models, the research demonstrates strong inflammatory and transcriptional responses—especially in cells from asthmatic donors—highlighting inhalation as an underrecognized exposure route. The presentation will showcase how precision aerosol delivery can advance mechanistic toxicology for emerging environmental threats.
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