Texas A&M Distinguished Professor Stephen Safe recognized as 2026 SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner – Texas A&M Stories
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:22
Texas A&M Distinguished Professor Stephen Safe recognized as 2026 SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner – Texas A&M Stories
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Texas A&M Distinguished Professor Stephen Safe recognized as 2026 SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner
Safe, a leading figure in molecular toxicology whose influence spans institutions and disciplines, traveled from the mines of Canada to the halls of Oxford and Harvard before arriving at Texas A&M.
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6 min. read
Over the course of his long career, Dr. Stephen Safe has mentored more than 100 doctoral students, many of whom went on to faculty and leadership positions in toxicology, cancer biology and related fields.
Credit: Nadya Pichkasova / Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
One summer, during a job orientation at a uranium mine, the guide had a grim message for the geology trainees.
“People were showing me places where other colleagues had been killed by rocks falling on their heads,” recalled
Dr. Stephen Safe
, a Distinguished Professor and the Sid Kyle Endowed Chair in Veterinary Toxicology in the
Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
(VMBS). “I thought, ‘Well, I better do something else.’”
That “something else” became chemistry, a decision that launched a six-decade career spanning toxicology, cancer biology and the training of generations of scientists.
Today, at Texas A&M — where he also serves as a faculty member in the
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
— Safe has become a leading figure in molecular toxicology and a mentor whose influence stretches across institutions and disciplines.
His work has led to many accolades, most recently as a winner of the 2026 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Faculty Achievement Award, which honors faculty members whose accomplishments and influence distinguish them as leaders within the SEC’s academic community.
“I greatly appreciate this recognition from the SEC and credit my laboratory coworkers, my department, the staff and the VMBS for strongly supporting our research and graduate training programs,” Safe said.
“Over his career, Dr. Safe has pushed the boundaries of what we understand about toxicology and cancer biology, and the breadth of his work is remarkable,” said Dr. Bonnie R. Rush, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at the VMBS. “We are proud to have him at the VMBS and thrilled to see him receive this recognition.”
Safe’s influence extends to how scientists study environmental contaminants and cancer, impacted both through his own discoveries and the work of the students he has trained.
He also is the most cited author in the VMBS; as of January 2026, his publications had surpassed 100,000 citations — a milestone reflecting decades of collaborative research, with many of his most highly cited papers led by former trainees.
From the ice rink to the lab
Safe did not initially consider himself a “science kid.” Growing up in Canada, he spent much of his time skating and playing hockey and baseball rather than focusing on science. It was not until his third year at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, that chemistry began to click. A summer job synthesizing compounds in a chemistry lab proved pivotal.
“My wife also got a summer job, so I met her then,” he said, “and it just seemed fun.”
That summer set him on a path that took him to Oxford University for his Doctor of Philosophy and later to Harvard University for postdoctoral research. Along the way, Safe absorbed lessons not only in science but in mentorship.
At Oxford, his advisor, Sir Ewart Jones, modeled a supportive approach to training young scientists. At Harvard, Nobel laureate Konrad Bloch became another formative influence.
“I had good mentors, and I tried to use them as role models,” Safe said.
Building a research legacy
After completing his postdoctoral work in the late 1960s, Safe returned to Canada, where Dr. Otto Hutzinger, a colleague at the National Research Council, introduced him to the emerging field of environmental science.
“I wasn’t interested in the beginning,” he admitted, “but he got me involved. Then I started doing environmental science and then environmental toxicology.”
His work eventually centered on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a protein that regulated how cells responded to some environmental chemicals. Safe’s early research examined how pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins bound to the AhR, triggering changes in gene expression that could lead to toxicity and, over time, cancer.
For years, the AhR was studied largely as a problem — a molecular pathway through which environmental contaminants caused harm. But Safe’s lab uncovered a surprising connection.
“We showed that this aryl hydrocarbon receptor cross-talked with the estrogen receptor and downregulated the estrogen receptor,” Safe said. “Through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, we shut off the estrogen receptor.”
Because the estrogen receptor played a central role in driving many breast cancers, the finding suggested that the same pathway responsible for toxic effects could also be leveraged for therapeutic purposes. Safe’s team demonstrated that activating the AhR could inhibit estrogen-driven tumor growth, including in living models.
This line of research gradually shifted Safe’s focus from identifying environmental hazards to designing compounds that could selectively activate the AhR’s anticancer effects without causing toxicity. That work led to the development of Selective AhR Modulators, or SAhRMs — compounds designed to target the receptor safely.
Building toxicology at Texas A&M
In 1981, Safe joined Texas A&M, where he was recruited to help build a modern toxicology program within what is now the VMBS’
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology
.
“I was recruited to get the toxicology program going, and when I came down here, it was all toxic plants,” Safe said. “My idea was, ‘We got to get external funding.’”
It took time, but Safe and his collaborators eventually secured major federal support, including a Superfund grant, a toxicology training grant and a P30 Center grant — the only one of its kind at Texas A&M. These programs are still funded by the National Institutes of Health, with new leadership.
Safe has always preferred to remain closely involved in the laboratory and continued working directly with students, which came to include mentoring more than 100 doctoral students, many of whom went on to faculty and leadership positions in toxicology, cancer biology and related fields.
His wife also played a key role in the lab’s success, helping manage finances and keep operations running smoothly.
A new frontier in cancer research
Safe’s lab
is now focused on a different molecular target: the orphan nuclear receptor known as NR4A1. In many solid tumors, this receptor was co-opted by cancer cells to promote survival and metastasis.
His team developed compounds that blocked this receptor, effectively disrupting cancer cell survival while also supporting immune response.
“Our compounds are unique because they not only kill cancer cells, but they enhance the immune system,” Safe said.
Safe said his lab was working to move these compounds toward clinical trials, in collaboration with a former doctoral student and industry partners.
Still going strong
Now in his 80s, Safe shows no signs of slowing down. He continues to apply for and receive research funding, still skates on weekends, and spends his days refining new ideas in the lab. While many of his colleagues have long since retired, Safe said he plans to keep working as long as he remains funded and intellectually engaged.
When asked how he hoped people would remember his career, Safe pointed not to specific discoveries or awards, but to the scientists he trained along the way.
“Probably my biggest thing is training over 100 Ph.D. students,” he said, adding modestly, “and many of them have done really well.”
March 30, 2026
By
Hussien Elkazaz
,
Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Tags
awards and recognition
veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences
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Skip to content
Texas A&M Distinguished Professor Stephen Safe recognized as 2026 SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner
Safe, a leading figure in molecular toxicology whose influence spans institutions and disciplines, traveled from the mines of Canada to the halls of Oxford and Harvard before arriving at Texas A&M.
Share this Story
6 min. read
Over the course of his long career, Dr. Stephen Safe has mentored more than 100 doctoral students, many of whom went on to faculty and leadership positions in toxicology, cancer biology and related fields.
Credit: Nadya Pichkasova / Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
One summer, during a job orientation at a uranium mine, the guide had a grim message for the geology trainees.
“People were showing me places where other colleagues had been killed by rocks falling on their heads,” recalled
Dr. Stephen Safe
, a Distinguished Professor and the Sid Kyle Endowed Chair in Veterinary Toxicology in the
Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
(VMBS). “I thought, ‘Well, I better do something else.’”
That “something else” became chemistry, a decision that launched a six-decade career spanning toxicology, cancer biology and the training of generations of scientists.
Today, at Texas A&M — where he also serves as a faculty member in the
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
— Safe has become a leading figure in molecular toxicology and a mentor whose influence stretches across institutions and disciplines.
His work has led to many accolades, most recently as a winner of the 2026 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Faculty Achievement Award, which honors faculty members whose accomplishments and influence distinguish them as leaders within the SEC’s academic community.
“I greatly appreciate this recognition from the SEC and credit my laboratory coworkers, my department, the staff and the VMBS for strongly supporting our research and graduate training programs,” Safe said.
“Over his career, Dr. Safe has pushed the boundaries of what we understand about toxicology and cancer biology, and the breadth of his work is remarkable,” said Dr. Bonnie R. Rush, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at the VMBS. “We are proud to have him at the VMBS and thrilled to see him receive this recognition.”
Safe’s influence extends to how scientists study environmental contaminants and cancer, impacted both through his own discoveries and the work of the students he has trained.
He also is the most cited author in the VMBS; as of January 2026, his publications had surpassed 100,000 citations — a milestone reflecting decades of collaborative research, with many of his most highly cited papers led by former trainees.
From the ice rink to the lab
Safe did not initially consider himself a “science kid.” Growing up in Canada, he spent much of his time skating and playing hockey and baseball rather than focusing on science. It was not until his third year at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, that chemistry began to click. A summer job synthesizing compounds in a chemistry lab proved pivotal.
“My wife also got a summer job, so I met her then,” he said, “and it just seemed fun.”
That summer set him on a path that took him to Oxford University for his Doctor of Philosophy and later to Harvard University for postdoctoral research. Along the way, Safe absorbed lessons not only in science but in mentorship.
At Oxford, his advisor, Sir Ewart Jones, modeled a supportive approach to training young scientists. At Harvard, Nobel laureate Konrad Bloch became another formative influence.
“I had good mentors, and I tried to use them as role models,” Safe said.
Building a research legacy
After completing his postdoctoral work in the late 1960s, Safe returned to Canada, where Dr. Otto Hutzinger, a colleague at the National Research Council, introduced him to the emerging field of environmental science.
“I wasn’t interested in the beginning,” he admitted, “but he got me involved. Then I started doing environmental science and then environmental toxicology.”
His work eventually centered on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a protein that regulated how cells responded to some environmental chemicals. Safe’s early research examined how pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins bound to the AhR, triggering changes in gene expression that could lead to toxicity and, over time, cancer.
For years, the AhR was studied largely as a problem — a molecular pathway through which environmental contaminants caused harm. But Safe’s lab uncovered a surprising connection.
“We showed that this aryl hydrocarbon receptor cross-talked with the estrogen receptor and downregulated the estrogen receptor,” Safe said. “Through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, we shut off the estrogen receptor.”
Because the estrogen receptor played a central role in driving many breast cancers, the finding suggested that the same pathway responsible for toxic effects could also be leveraged for therapeutic purposes. Safe’s team demonstrated that activating the AhR could inhibit estrogen-driven tumor growth, including in living models.
This line of research gradually shifted Safe’s focus from identifying environmental hazards to designing compounds that could selectively activate the AhR’s anticancer effects without causing toxicity. That work led to the development of Selective AhR Modulators, or SAhRMs — compounds designed to target the receptor safely.
Building toxicology at Texas A&M
In 1981, Safe joined Texas A&M, where he was recruited to help build a modern toxicology program within what is now the VMBS’
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology
.
“I was recruited to get the toxicology program going, and when I came down here, it was all toxic plants,” Safe said. “My idea was, ‘We got to get external funding.’”
It took time, but Safe and his collaborators eventually secured major federal support, including a Superfund grant, a toxicology training grant and a P30 Center grant — the only one of its kind at Texas A&M. These programs are still funded by the National Institutes of Health, with new leadership.
Safe has always preferred to remain closely involved in the laboratory and continued working directly with students, which came to include mentoring more than 100 doctoral students, many of whom went on to faculty and leadership positions in toxicology, cancer biology and related fields.
His wife also played a key role in the lab’s success, helping manage finances and keep operations running smoothly.
A new frontier in cancer research
Safe’s lab
is now focused on a different molecular target: the orphan nuclear receptor known as NR4A1. In many solid tumors, this receptor was co-opted by cancer cells to promote survival and metastasis.
His team developed compounds that blocked this receptor, effectively disrupting cancer cell survival while also supporting immune response.
“Our compounds are unique because they not only kill cancer cells, but they enhance the immune system,” Safe said.
Safe said his lab was working to move these compounds toward clinical trials, in collaboration with a former doctoral student and industry partners.
Still going strong
Now in his 80s, Safe shows no signs of slowing down. He continues to apply for and receive research funding, still skates on weekends, and spends his days refining new ideas in the lab. While many of his colleagues have long since retired, Safe said he plans to keep working as long as he remains funded and intellectually engaged.
When asked how he hoped people would remember his career, Safe pointed not to specific discoveries or awards, but to the scientists he trained along the way.
“Probably my biggest thing is training over 100 Ph.D. students,” he said, adding modestly, “and many of them have done really well.”
March 30, 2026
By
Hussien Elkazaz
,
Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Tags
awards and recognition
veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences
Share this Story
Related Stories
View All Stories
Texas A&M University named one of the world’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company for the second straight year
Texas A&M joins Adidas, Door Dash, OpenAI and Starbucks on the list of companies turning big ideas into reality.
Texas A&M continues to redefine what it means to be a force for good
Recognized with four Fast Company awards in 2025, Texas A&M University transformed breakthrough ideas and compassionate innovation into hope and healing for communities across Texas and the world.
Texas A&M University named one of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter
Texas A&M is the only university in the nation on the list, which recognizes brands that connect purpose, creativity and culture in ways that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
Texas A&M named to list of ‘dream schools’ for students
Book by New York Times bestselling author Jeff Selingo draws on more than two years of research and a survey of some 3,000 parents.
Wall Street Journal names Texas A&M the best public university in Texas
The WSJ/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. places Texas A&M first in the state for the third consecutive year.
Texas A&M University Named No. 2 Most Recognized Public University In US
Ranks No. 8 among all U.S. universities and No. 13 worldwide in American Caldwell’s Global University Visibility Rankings