AFRL toxicology scientist joins journal editorial boards Published May 30, 2007 By John Schutte Human Effectiveness Directorate WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Dr. Saber Hussain, a nanoparticle toxicology research scientist with the Air Force Research Laboratory's Human Effectiveness Directorate, has joined the international editorial boards of two prestigious scientific journals. Toxicological Sciences is the official journal of the Society of Toxicology. Its editorial mission is to publish premier peer-reviewed, hypothesis-driven, original research articles in all areas of toxicology. The journal focuses on structural, biochemical or functional toxicology studies; investigations that address mechanisms of toxicity, that study the effects of dose, route of exposure, metabolism, or species on toxic responses; statistical or mechanism-based approaches to risk assessment, and new methods in toxicology, according to the Society of Toxicology website (http://www.toxicology.org/). Journal editor Lois Lehman-McKeeman said Dr. Hussain has provided numerous high-quality reviews of Toxicological Sciences articles during the past several years. As an editorial board member he will be responsible for editing at least three papers a year and submitting his own work to the journal. Dr. Hussain also has been named to the editorial board of the International Journal of Toxicology, the official journal of the American College of Toxicology. This journal is published six times each year, featuring refereed papers covering the entire field of toxicology, according to its website. It focuses on previously unpublished findings or assessments of toxicity hazards of industrial chemicals, pharmaceutical agents, environmental contaminants and other entities, exploring how they work and how they affect human health. Dr. Hussain, who has a doctoral degree in toxicology from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India, leads a group of scientists who are studying the biological interaction of nanomaterials for toxicity issues at AFRL's Biosciences and Protection Division, Applied Biotechnology Branch. "Although nanomaterials are currently being widely used in advancing technology in this modern era, there is a serious lack of information concerning the human health and environmental implications of some of the manufactured nanomaterials," Dr. Hussain said. "Not all nanomaterials are toxic but assessment of toxicity, environmental safety and health issues of nanomaterials should be considered as we move forward with nanotechnology." Nanoparticles are sub-microscopic particles whose size is measured in nanometers, or one-billionth of meter; the average diameter of a human hair is about 80,000 nanometers. Nanoparticles are invisible to the naked eye and to most microscopes.