National Center for Toxicological Research facts for kids
The National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) is the branch of the United States Food and Drug Administration which conducts research to define biological mechanisms of action underlying the toxicity of products regulated by the FDA. Dr. William Slikker, Jr. has been the NCTR Director since 2005.
The FDA toxicological research facility is geographically adjacent to the Pine Bluff Arsenal, and was once an integrated part of the installation. The U.S. Army used the facility for biological warfare research and chemical weapons development until 1969, when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order banning such research from federal facilities, and the Army subsequently transferred operation of the site to the FDA. The NCTR was established by executive order in 1971.
The research center is located off Interstate 530 in Jefferson, Arkansas. It is the only FDA center located outside the Washington, D.C. area, and its campus takes up approximately 1 million square feet.