Office of the National Toxicology Program

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov) is an interagency program established in 1978 by the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, which today is known as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program was created as a cooperative effort to coordinate toxicology testing programs within the federal government, strengthen the science base in toxicology, develop and validate improved testing methods, and provide information about potentially toxic chemicals to health, regulatory, and research agencies, scientific and medical communities, and the public. NTP is headquartered at the NIEHS. The NIEHS Director (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/od/director/index.cfm) also serves as NTP Director. NTP’s advisory groups (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/abc) provide regular external input to the program on its activities and policies, ensuring their high quality and relevance. The NTP Web site catalogues programmatic activities including its cancer and other toxicology studies, special centers, external advisory groups, and events.

John R. Bucher, Ph.D.
Associate Director, NTP

Tel (919) 541-4532
Fax (919) 541-4255
bucher@niehs.nih.gov

P.O. Box 12233
Mail Drop K2-02
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
Delivery Instructions

The Office of the NTP houses science and policy oversight functions as well as program analysis activities. Mary Wolfe, Ph.D., is the Deputy Program Director for Policy and oversees the Office of Liaison, Policy and Review. Nigel Walker, Ph.D., is the Deputy Program Director for Science and oversees the Office of Science. Scott Masten, Ph.D., heads the Office of Nomination and Selection(http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=25BE6793-BDB7-CEBA-F46CCDD066D70D08). William Stokes, Ph.D., is the Director of the NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM) (http://iccvam.niehs.nih.gov). Ruth Lunn, Ph.D., is the Director of the Report on Carcinogens (RoC) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/od/ontp/roc.cfm) Group and Kristina Thayer, Ph.D., is the Acting Director of the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR). (http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/)

Bucher joined the NTP as a toxicologist in 1983 and since then has played a key role in shaping the program’s research and policies. Most recently, he played a major role in developing the NTP Vision and Roadmap for the 21st Century (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/vision), a plan for toxicology research to advance as a predictive science, building on the knowledge gained from traditional single-agent studies primarily in rodents. He previously directed the evaluation of several experimental models using genetically modified mice as alternatives to the standard 2-year rodent cancer assays, and maintains an interest the developing improved toxicology methods. He organized one of the first conferences to explore the field of nanotoxicology and has advised congressional staff about this critically important emerging area of science.

Bucher is an internationally recognized expert in the design and interpretation of cancer bioassays, and has authored a number of important publications examining critical issues in dose selection for toxicology and cancer studies. He holds a doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Iowa, a Masters of Science in biochemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

Scientific and Support Staff

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