News Release

BU doc appointed to the Scientific Liaison Coalition of the Society of Toxicology

Grant and Award Announcement

Boston University School of Medicine

(Boston)—Marcia Ratner, PhD, DABT, assistant professor of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, has been appointed to the Scientific Liaison Coalition (SLC) of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) by the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT). This three-year appointment comes with an annual stipend from the AACT which pays for her to attend SOT annual meetings.

Ratner brings significant professional contributions to the field of toxicology and years of service to the AACT. Ratner has been a member of the AACT since 2018. She is an active member of the AACT’s Forensic Toxicology Section and she serves as a mentor on AACT's ToxCoach Mentorship Program. Ratner has presented seminars related to her work in neurotoxicology at annual meetings of North American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and as part of the monthly AACT webinar series. In addition, she has served as a reviewer for the journal Clinical Toxicology, which is sponsored by the AACT, since 2015. Ratner is also an active member of the SOT where she serves as a councilor on the executive committee of the Neurotoxicology Specialty Section.

Ratner’s research is focused on interdisciplinary investigations looking at the effects of neurotoxicants and drugs on the subclinical progression and onset of age-related neurodegenerative diseases associated with learning and memory deficits such as Alzheimer’s disease and age-related mild cognitive impairment. She is the only board certified toxicologist listed on Google Scholar who is also an expert in the use of in vivo electrophysiology as a preclinical research tool. Ratner is an active member of several other professional societies including the American Academy of Neurology and the American Psychological Association. Ratner has served as a scientific advisor to the Workplace Safety Insurance Board of Ontario, Canada and serves on the editorial boards of Toxicology Communications and Frontiers in Toxicology. Ratner earned her doctorate in behavioral neuroscience from the Chobanian & Avedisian SOM and her BA in psychology from BU. She subsequently completed a three-year NIH/NIA post-doctoral fellowship in the biochemistry of aging in the School’s department pharmacology and experimental therapeutics.

Ratner regularly engages in advocacy work on behalf of persons living with neurodegenerative diseases.

The mission of the SLC is to improve and enhance human and environmental health by promoting and strengthening scientific partnerships and expanding the reach of member societies. The SLC works collaboratively to host webinars, conferences and scientific symposia.

 


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