When Travel meets Toxicology: An EHS-TRUE Student’s Experience at the Annual MWSOT Conference

At the end of August, I had the opportunity to attend the Mountain West Society of Toxicology’s (MWSOT) Annual Conference. This year’s conference was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe is known for its historical districts and implementation of pueblo-style architecture.

For those students who have presented at the annual UBRP conference, the experience was not far off! I was fortunate to be able to present some of the work the Yin Chen lab has been conducting about the effects of low dosage arsenicals and their effects on the retinoic acid signaling pathway and mucins. Our research found that low doses of arsenic, under 10ppb, can repress the RA signaling pathway as well as mucin gene expression, which can cause adverse cellular effects such as altered cell growth, migration, and eye development to name a few. The current regulation for arsenic in our drinking water is 10ppb, meaning that susceptible groups may be affected by this cutoff. Arsenic is widely studied in high dosages and our research fills a gap in low-dosage arsenic effects which is more biologically relevant. 

Arsenic is widely found in the southern Americas and Mexico, that being said, arsenic and lung physiology were a topic studied by many investigators who came to the conference. I was grateful for the opportunity to speak to many bright minds about our overlapping research subjects. Being one of the youngest in attendance, it was inspiring to hear the stories of others, how they got into research and what gives them the motivation to continue their studies. The event catalyzed my passion for research and gave me an insight of what would be expected of me regarding conducting research at a graduate school level.

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Of course, we couldn’t end the trip without visiting the heart of Santa Fe! The studio art district is a must see. We also stopped at the Kawaka Chocolate House to try out some spicy chocolate. If you’re ever in New Mexico, you’ll find you can’t escape Hatch green chili or spicy variations of anything! My favorite night was sitting at the Santa Fe Plaza Café, the oldest restaurant in Santa Fe, and enjoying the local bands joyfully play with a lively audience cheering them on under the stars. It reminded me why I wanted to conduct research in the first place: to identify environmental hazards and keep people safe to continue to experience the best of life.

If you are a current UBRP student thinking about attending a conference, my biggest advice to you is, don’t wait! You never know what you will get out of the experience, whether that be the opportunity to speak to someone you look up to, a job opportunity, or a desire to follow a certain research topic. I recommend taking advantage of the opportunities presented to you such as poster creation for the UBRP conference and the UBRP Student Travel Award. I sincerely thank UBRP, Dr. Yin Chen, and The R. K. Coit College of Pharmacy for allowing me the funds to attend this conference.