Toxicology: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Toxicology is a rigorous scientific discipline dedicated to understanding the adverse effects of chemical, biological, and physical agents on living organisms. This field examines how toxins interact with biological systems—particularly the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts—and investigates strategies for mitigating, preventing, and treating toxic exposures. Graduates emerge with a deep understanding of mechanisms underlying toxicity and the tools to address public health, environmental, and clinical challenges.

• Toxicological biochemistry: Explores the molecular basis of how substances alter biochemical processes within cells and organisms.
• Toxic agents and transporters: Focuses on the pathways and proteins involved in the uptake, distribution, and elimination of harmful substances in the body.
• Toxin fate: Analyzes the behavior, transformation, and long-term presence of toxins in biological systems and ecosystems.
• Toxicokinetics and metabolism: Studies the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of toxicants to predict their biological impact over time.
• Toxin classification: Involves categorizing toxic substances based on origin, mechanism, and target systems for risk assessment and regulatory purposes.
• Molecular toxic mechanisms: Investigates the cellular and genetic pathways through which toxins induce damage at the molecular level.
• Extracellular matrices and cell function: Examines how structural components outside cells influence cellular responses to toxic insults.
• Bacterial pathogenesis and mutagenesis: Studies how microorganisms produce toxins and how these agents can alter DNA, leading to disease or cancer.
• Pathophysiology and apoptosis: Focuses on disease processes caused by toxins and the programmed cell death mechanisms triggered by toxic exposure.
• Cell stress and injury: Analyzes how toxicants induce cellular stress responses and lead to functional impairment or irreversible damage.
• Studies of specific toxins: Provides in-depth analysis of well-known toxic substances such as heavy metals, pesticides, and environmental pollutants.
• Studies of specific organ systems: Investigates how toxins affect vital organs—such as the liver, kidneys, nervous system, and lungs—through targeted physiological and functional assessments.