The most common route of toxicologic exposures is via inhalation yet training in this discipline is lacking nation-wide and is absent in this Appalachian region where significant health disparities and systemic toxicities are rampant due to a plethora of environmental risks and socioeconomic disadvantages.
The Center for Inhalation Toxicology and major inhalation exposure research infrastructure anchors and augments the impact of the unique triangulation of the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, School of Engineering, Hospital, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The Predoctoral Training in Systems Toxicology Program will formalize and standardize our already strong training programs in the biomedical sciences and focus on inhalation toxicology research by creating a new generation of young scholars who can address the demand for innovative toxicology research for the greater health benefits of the citizens of West Virginia, Appalachia, and the nation.