CTEH Spotlight: Dr. Pamella Tijerina (Part I)

Last fall, we were excited to welcome Dr. Pamella Tijerina to our team. Based in our San Antonio office, Dr. Tijerina brings a wealth of experience in environmental toxicology and inhalation exposure to CTEH. Find out more about our new addition below:

What brought you to CTEH?
Intrigued by the real-world applications of toxicology, I discovered CTEH through the Society of Toxicology. After initially reaching out to my now colleague, Mike Berg, PhD, CIH, CSP, I was able to find out more about the company and its mission. The CTEH experience, which is filled with challenges and daily mental stimulation, is not one many would pass up.

What do your day-to-day duties as a toxicologist entail?
Exposure assessment and risk communication are a huge part of my day-to-day activities. Whether in the office or in the field interacting with a client, legal counsel or community members, I’m responsible for utilizing and communicating the key principles of toxicology to our partners.

During your career, you’ve conducted extensive research on air pollution, nanoparticles and inhalation toxicology. How does this benefit your work today?
Inhalation exposures make up the vast majority of CTEH’s Worker Exposure Response Program (WERP). Having a background in airway particle deposition and biochemistry, as well as an understanding of the structural differences between laboratory models and human populations, has advanced my expertise as an inhalation toxicologist.

Most recently, you served as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas in San Antonio. What did you focus on there?
Aiming to contribute to the community I grew up in, I served as a mentor for local undergraduate institutions. Fortunately, CTEH has encouraged me to continue these academic pursuits and mentoring opportunities. Today, I have maintained my relationship with local universities by giving career talks and offering internship positions.

Have additional questions for Dr. Tijerina? Find out more in Part II of our CTEH Spotlight.