Depo-Provera—the injectable form of medroxyprogesterone acetate—has been a cornerstone of contraception for decades. It’s convenient, discreet, and highly effective. But behind every safe injection lies the often unseen work of toxicologists, who study how hormones interact with the body across months and years.
Blog
Harvest Moon 2025: A Bright Reminder of Hidden Agricultural Toxins
On October 6, 2025, the Harvest Moon—the year’s brightest full moon—will rise, marking the end of harvest season. It’s a time of gratitude, reflection, and reconnection with the land that sustains us. But here’s a truth most people miss: the same season that celebrates abundance also exposes one of our quietest toxicology challenges—agricultural chemical exposure. […]
Polio Vaccine & Toxicology: Why Safety Science Still Shapes Every Shot
Polio was once one of the world’s most feared diseases—paralyzing or killing hundreds of thousands every year. Thanks to vaccines, it’s now on the brink of eradication. But here’s what most people overlook: toxicology is the silent science that makes vaccines safe enough to save millions.
Osteopetrosis
Breast Cancer & Toxicology: Why Exposures Matter as Much as Genetics
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and most conversations focus on genetics, mammograms, and treatment advances. But there’s a blind spot: toxicology. Everyday exposures—from endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics to drug-induced toxicities during treatment—can shape both breast cancer risk and recovery.
If you’re a clinician, researcher, or public health leader, here’s the clear idea: you can’t talk about breast cancer prevention or survivorship without talking about toxicology.
Aged Care and Toxicology: Protecting the Most Vulnerable
Aging populations face not only chronic diseases but also unique risks from toxic exposures—from medications to household chemicals to environmental pollutants. In aged care settings, these risks often go unnoticed until they cause harm. If you’re a caregiver, healthcare provider, or policy leader in elder care, here’s the one clear idea: toxicology must be integrated into aged care to keep older adults safe from avoidable toxic exposures.
Deadly Listeria Outbreak: What Toxicology Teaches Us About Food Safety
A new deadly Listeria outbreak is making headlines, with contaminated food products linked to hospitalizations and deaths.
Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria responsible, is especially dangerous for pregnant individuals, newborns, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.
If you are a food safety professional, healthcare provider, or consumer advocate, here’s the clear idea: toxicology is central to understanding how bacterial toxins, dose, and exposure drive risk—and how prevention strategies can save lives
West Nile Virus: Where Infectious Disease Meets Toxicology
Every summer, reports of West Nile virus (WNV) rise. Spread by mosquitoes, WNV can cause mild flu-like illness, severe neurological disease, or—rarely—death. With no approved vaccine or specific treatment for humans, prevention remains the primary defense.
If you’re a public health leader, clinician, or environmental safety professional, here’s the clear idea: toxicology is essential for protecting communities from West Nile virus—because the very chemicals we use to fight mosquitoes carry risks that must be balanced against the virus itself.
Cell Phones and Cancer Risk
There are two main reasons why people are concerned that cell (or mobile) phones might have the potential to cause certain types of cancer or other health problems: Cell phones emit radiation (in the form of radiofrequency radiation, or radio waves), and cell phone use is widespread. Even a small increase in cancer risk from cell phones would be of concern given how many people use them.
Brain and central nervous system cancers have been of particular concern because hand-held phones are used close to the head and because ionizing radiation—a higher energy form of radiation than what cell phones emit—has been found to cause some brain cancers. Many different kinds of studies have been carried out to try to investigate whether cell phone use is dangerous to human health.
However, the evidence to date suggests that cell phone use does not cause brain or other kinds of cancer in humans.