Toxicology, Health, and Environmental Disease (THED) Coordinator

Joanna Woo is a Ph.D. candidate in the Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology at Rutgers University, dedicating their research and studies into identifying mechanistic targets linking mechanical disturbances in airway smooth muscle to modulations in airway flexibility like airway hyperresponsiveness in obstructive lung disease. Graduating from St. John’s University with a Bachelor’s degree in Toxicology in 2018, Joanna has been a SOT member since 2017. My research interests are finding innovative methods in identifying mechanistic targets for therapeutics, centered around the field of asthma by looking at cells in human airways in various in vitro/ex vivo models. Currently, the goal of their research is to pinpoint functional modulations in human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells with the activation of volume-regulating ion channels, proposing new mechanistic targets for patients with poor response to conventional asthma treatments. These findings will also be important in understanding the intersection of asthma exacerbated by toxicant exposures. At Rutgers University, they served as Communication Chair in the Rutgers Association of Toxicology Students and successfully completed their fellowship in the Technology Transfer Fellowship Program by Innovation Ventures. Joanna has been an instructor of the Toxicology, Health, and Environmental Disease (THED) high school program since 2021 and transitioned to becoming coordinator of the program this past year. They currently serve as part of the School of Graduate Studies Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Graduate Student Advisory Committee aimed to build an inclusive welcoming graduate community at Rutgers University. In SOT, they have served as a Graduate Student Representative for the Mechanisms Specialty Section and the Out Toxicologists and Allies Special Interest Group. Throughout their career, they’re the author/co-author of four peer-reviewed articles, presented seven poster presentations to international and regional scientific conferences, and recently gave a trainee talk on their current research at an international level. Studying Toxicology during my undergraduate career and moving forward into my graduate studies, I want to continue to stay in the Toxicology community to strengthen my skills and communicate with more scientists about their research. I've been described by my respected colleagues and mentors to be enthusiastic, inquisitive, constructive, creative, and quick to adapt, bringing my full self into what I do.