FDA Appoints New Acting Director for National Center for Toxicological Research

Published: Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 -0500 2006

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that William Slikker, Jr., Ph.D., will serve as the Acting Director of FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR). Dr. Slikker replaces Dan Casciano, Ph.D., the NCTR Director for more than six years, who will work in the private sector on molecular, cellular, and general toxicology issues, as well as advocate for the transition from population-based medicine to personalized medicine.

NCTR studies the biological effects of potentially toxic chemical, biological, and physical agents and develops methods to improve the assessment of human exposure, susceptibility, and risk to such agents. NCTR's findings are used by other parts of FDA to support regulatory decisions and to reduce the risks associated with regulated products. Along with traditional methods to assess product safety, NCTR employs genomics, proteomics, and metabonomics-based analytical tools to identify new disease markers and drug targets. These advancements are part of FDA's Critical Path Initiative and could lead to novel products, such as tailor-made drugs (personalized medicine), and could further understanding of human nutrition and related issues such as obesity.

"Dr. Slikker has held a variety of research and management positions within FDA, most recently serving as NCTR's Deputy Center Director for Research, and is uniquely qualified to lead the Center and continue to carry out its mission," said Andrew von Eschenbach, Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs. "He is a recognized leader in the field of toxicology, an accomplished scientist and educator, and a strong champion of NCTR's research program."

Dr. Slikker has a B.A. degree in biology from the University of California Santa Barbara and a Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of California Davis. Dr. Slikker is an adjunct professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arkansas. He is a member of the Teratology Society and the Society of Toxicology, co-founder and President of the MidSouth Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Society, and Associate Editor for NeuroToxicology and Toxicological Sciences.