Department Overview

Head of Department: Prof. M.K. Gupta

Toxicology is defined as the study of the adverse effects of chemical, physical or biological agents on people, animals and the environment.  More recently, it has been defined as the science of health safety.  There are a very few Universities that impart education in Toxicology.  A strategically important turning point in India was to initiate toxicology education at Ch Charan Singh University, Meerut in 2004 with the support of University Grants Commission, New Delhi under its Innovative Assistance Program.  It is the only University in India that awards PG degree to students in basic and applied toxicology.  The admission to master’s program in toxicology is open to candidates possessing B.Sc degree with Botany. Chemistry and Zoology., B.Sc in biotechnology or microbiology or biochemistry., B.Pharm., BVSc and MBBS degrees. So farseventeen batches of students have passed out from this department. The Department enrolls students for Ph.D. degree as well.

   The curriculum has been so designed that it includes sixteen courses on basic and applied aspects of toxicology.  Each course consists of lectures, practical exercises, seminars assignments and tests.  Students are encouraged to undergo training at apex institutes of toxicology in the country like Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow., Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) Lucknow., National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad., reputed pharmaceutical industries and non clinical laboratories.

   The department has committed faculty.  Its founder coordinator Prof S V S Rana, who is an internationally acclaimed toxicologist nurtured this department so well that its students have been able to find a niche in several international centers of repute like Korea Institute Of Toxicology, Daejeon, South Korea., A & M Texas University, Texas (USA)., Griffith University, and Brisbane University of Australia and Harward Medical School, USA.  A couple of students are working at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi., National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali, IITR, Lucknow ., Sri Ram Institute of Industrial Research, New Delhi and National Forensic Science Laboratory, New Delhi.

   Research contribution:

   Department of Toxicology has made significant contribution in the sub disciplines of biochemical toxicology., free radical biology., toxicity of environmentally significant heavy metals., eco toxicology., occupational toxicology and nanotoxicology. This is the only laboratory in India that practices biological monitoring as an essential tool of human health risk assessment to toxic chemicals in various organized and unorganized occupational environments.  The faculty of the Department has published more than 200 research papers in journals of repute focusing on public health aspects.

International collaboration

   Department signed a MOU in 2020 for five years with Siberian Federal University and State medical university, Krasnoyarsk, Russia. A MOU was also signed with Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT), South Korea on 29th Feb 2007 to promote collaborative research programs.  Dr. Han, the then President/Director of KIT visited the Department to sign the MOU.  The investigators have established research collaboration with Okayama University Medical School, Okayama, Japan and Pecs University, Hungary.

National collaboration:

  The department has established research collaboration with national institutes of higher learning and research like IITR, Lucknow., NIOH, Ahmedabad., Rallis India, Bengaluru and IVRI,Izatnagar., NIPER, Mohali., INMAS,Delhi and IIT, Kharagpur.

Centre of excellence in Toxicology by UP GOVT

Govt of Uttar Pradesh has identified this Department as Centre of Excellence in Toxicology in 2021.