Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis

About the Center

Established in 1997, the Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis (CMTC) at Penn State University was created with the aim of advancing toxicology and carcinogenesis research and educational programs. Over the course of twenty-six years, the CMTC has successfully nurtured interdisciplinary research initiatives and developed both graduate and undergraduate programs in toxicology. This achievement was made possible through the recruitment of exceptional faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and talented students. At the CMTC, faculty explore diverse research areas including the effects of environmental chemicals on cellular function, the relationship between the microbiome and host toxicities, and the impact of environmental exposures on human populations.

The CMTC is located in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences Building and is funded and supported by a variety of sources including the Institutes of Energy and the Environment  http://www.iee.psu.edu , the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences https://www.huck.psu.edu , the Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Office https://www.research.psu.edu/siro ,  and grants from industry and the National Institutes of Health https://www.nih.gov.  Additionally, the CMTC provides critical administrative support for the Metabolomics Core Facility that is housed within the CMTC.

Students and post-doctoral fellows work closely with faculty and staff to develop strong research programs that lead to publications in world-class journals. Students present their work at national and international meetings.

Research within the center involves a number of disciplines such as biochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and oncology. Graduates have moved on to faculty positions at institutions such as the University of Kentucky, and the University of Adelaide, and research scientist positions at companies such as Merck, Schering Plough, and Monsanto. Also, many graduates have decided to continue their education by moving on to post-doctoral positions at institutions such as Harvard University, National Cancer Institute, M.D. Anderson, National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences and University of Wisconsin.