The Society of Toxicology (SOT) 2026 Annual Meeting and ToxExpo was an engaging gathering that brought together a dynamic community of experts from across the field. The Chemical Insights team maintained a strong presence throughout the event, sharing new findings and contributing to meaningful discussions on key chemical safety challenges. 

With many concurrent sessions and opportunities to learn, even the most dedicated attendees couldn’t be everywhere, but fortunately, SOT offers a way to discover what you may have missed. Through SOT’s reporter program, several of our engagements were featured in a series of short blogs designed to extend the reach of insights beyond the conference and encourage continued dialogue within the toxicology community. Check out the following blogs to learn more about the research highlighted at SOT 2026, with topics including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and human health, exposure pathways and risk, emerging exposure challenges, and advanced experimental and computational methods for evaluating toxicity. 

• Advancing Approaches for Identifying Potential Thyroid-Disrupting ChemicalsThis presentation overview highlights how high throughput screening and modeling approaches are helping researchers identify and prioritize chemicals that may interfere with thyroid function, particularly during sensitive developmental periods. Learn how these approaches are evolving to support more predictive toxicology frameworks.  

• The Effects of PFAS on Skin Pigmentation and Melanoma VulnerabilityThis session summary explores how PFAS exposure may influence melanin production and cellular stress pathways in melanocytes. Find out how these effects vary across biological backgrounds and point to differences in melanoma risk.  

• Exploring PFAS Sources in US Drinking WaterUsing nationwide US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitoring data, the work discussed in this blog identifies distinct PFAS contamination patterns and links them to potential sources. Discover how this integrated framework can guide more focused efforts for PFAS mitigation and cleanup. 

• How PFAS Affect the Heart at a Cellular LevelThis shared analysis examines how PFAS exposure may induce oxidative stress and DNA damage in human coronary artery endothelial cells, disrupting vascular health. Dive deeper into how these cellular-level observations may connect to larger cardiovascular outcomes. 

• Research Insights Rising from the AshesThis symposium summary brings together perspectives from multiple experts to examine the increasingly complex exposure scenarios created by wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires. Find out how real-world case studies and emerging findings illustrate the lasting impacts on environmental and human health.  

• How Exposure Pathways Reveal the True Human Impact of ChemicalsThis featured discussion highlights the use of high throughput toxicokinetics to demonstrate how exposure pathways influence the bioavailability of chemicals by modeling internal exposure levels across different routes. Take a closer look at how these approaches refine our understanding of real-world exposure. 

• The Invisible Emissions of Dental 3D PrintingThis session overview examines how resin-based 3D printing may release chemicals throughout multiple stages of the printing process. Learn more about the essential considerations for air quality and worker exposure as resin-based printing methods become more widely used in dentistry. 

• Sex-Specific Oral Health Responses Linked to VapingThis discussion summary explores how vaping alters oral health at the molecular level by disrupting metabolism, immune function, and disease-related pathways. Find out about the shared and sex-specific biological responses and how these insights may help inform more tailored approaches to risk assessment. 

The work shared at SOT 2026 reflects the scale and complexity of today’s chemical safety landscape and sheds light on how the field is evolving to further advancements. Explore these blogs to engage deeper in scientific discussion and learn more about the research that is shaping the future of toxicology.