Department of Toxicology and Nutrition

I. PROFILE

Department of Toxicology and Nutrition (DTN) was founded in 2017 by the merging of previous Institute of Toxicology, and Department of Nutrition & Food Hygiene. Hygiene Toxicology and Nutrition & Food Hygiene are among the first batch of disciplinary authorized to award master and doctoral degrees in the field of public health and preventive medicine in China, and has become the mobile stations for post-doctoral research since 2003, respectively. Institute of Toxicology is one of the earliest pioneers on the research of neurotoxicology in China, while Department of Nutrition & Food Hygiene is on the leading edge in deciphering the functional components of food. The landmark studies of DTN include their contributions in revealing the consequence and mechanism of neurotoxic environmental pollutants on central/peripheral nervous systems, as well as, their breakthrough findings that components of garlic prevents gastrointestinal cancer. Additionally, Institute of Toxicology has been honored the key universities laboratory in the “Ninth Five-year Plan”, “Tenth Five-year Plan” and the “Twelfth Five-year Plan” in Shandong Province since 1995.

II. FACULTYs

DTN has 13 full-time teachers, including 4 full professors and 5 associate professors, among whom 5 are doctoral supervisors and 4 are master’s supervisors. All faculty members have the experience of studying and/or working abroad.

III. TEACHING AND TRAINING

DTN has undertaken teaching courses towards undergraduates, postgraduates and foreign students from majors in preventive medicine, basic medicine, clinical medicine, stomatology and nursing science. To date, DTN has trained hundreds of graduates for their master’s degree and over 30 for doctoral degree. Our excellent graduates have been frequently awarded “Outstanding Doctoral/Master’s Thesis of Shandong Province”, “Presidential Scholarship for Postgraduates of Shandong University” and “The National Scholarship”, etc. Every year, 2 to 3 postgraduates have pursued advanced study or training in top universities overseas.

IV. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

The major research interest of DTN covers neurotoxicology, hepatotoxicology, nutritional epidemiology and molecular nutrition of metabolic diseases. In recent years, DTN has been receiving enriched grant support from Chinese national programs of “863 project”, “973 project”, “Science and Technology innovation projects”, and also continuous funding support from “National Natural Science Foundation of China”. Moreover, DTN has been funded of more than 50 provincial programs in Shandong. Faculties in DTN have published 2 monographs, compiled more than 30 projected textbooks, and published over 300 scientific papers in premium journals at both national and international levels (200 indexed in SCIE). DTN has obtained over 10 national patents, and been honored two “The Second Class Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress” issued by the National Ministry of Education, one “The Second Class Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress” issued by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, and also “The Second Class Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress of Shandong Province”, as well as many others.

V. EXCHANGES PROGRAM AND COOPERATION

DTN has established a wide and solid collaboration network in and outside of China. Collaborators in China include National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China Food and Drug Administration, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Shandong Province, and major hospitals in Shandong Province. Internationally, DTN has created Joint Doctoral Promotion Programs and established collaborations in teaching and research with Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Nutrition and Food at Texas A&M University, Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Center, Department of Nutrition at University of Oklahoma, Boston University School of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Hokkaido University and Tohoku University.

VI. SOCIAL SERVICES

Several staff in DTN are National/Provincial consultants for Food Safety. Enthusiastically responding to the national strategic imperatives, DTN has vigorously performed campaigns for nutrition and food safety, for evaluation of food safety and in contribution to the construction of project “Healthy China” and “Healthy Shandong”.