Careen Khachatoorian, a postdoctoral researcher working with Prue Talbot, a professor of cell biology at UCR, will receive the Society of Toxicology Dermal Toxicology Subsection Graduate Student Award.

The society hosts an annual national conference, with each specialty section offering awards to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers for the best abstract submitted. The conference this year will take place online March 12-26. 

Khachatoorian will present her work at a poster session on March 23 in the Skin and Dermal Toxicology section. She will also present her work at the Dermal Toxicology reception.

Khachatoorian’s doctoral dissertation covered the topography of electronic cigarette users, the toxicology of “e-liquids” — liquids used in e-cigarettes — and e-cigarette exhaled aerosol residue, or ECEAR, and the identification and quantification of ECEAR in various field sites.

The award-winning abstract involves exposing skin cells and skin tissues to e-liquids and ECEAR. 

“We found that although the e-liquids and ECEAR don’t have cytotoxic effects, they do cause inflammation and reactive oxygen species production,” she said.