Spotlight Feature

Diane Calello, MD, FACMT
ACMT Board Member (2020-2023)

Dr. Diane Calello became a member of ACMT in 2001, and her second term as an ACMT Board Member runs from 2020-2023. She is currently the Executive and Medical Director at New Jersey Poison Information and Education System and also a Professor of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey. We are pleased to be able to get to know Dr. Calello a little better through this brief interview.

Q: What inspired you to specialize in medical toxicology?

DC: My toxicology rotation in second year of residency. I rotated at the Philadelphia Poison Center and I was hooked! What started as a love of acute toxicology exposures grew into an appreciation of the breadth of knowledge we must master in our field. The science is a true gift.

Q: What has been a highlight of your time as a member of ACMT?

DC: There have been so many! One of my favorites early on was sitting in the education committee planning the presymposium for NACCT in Las Vegas. We came up with “Vanity and Vice” as the theme and I had a pretty fantastic time putting that together, including the intro lecture with a soundtrack.

Q: What might we be surprised to know about you?

DC: I’m a catastrophe in any kind of sports, but I’m a solid musician and a serious reader. (OK, that’s three things)

Q: What toxic plant, animal, or substance do you find most fascinating and why?

DC: Selenium. Because if I don’t talk about it, who will read my Goldfranks’ chapter on the topic?

Q: What’s a quote you find inspirational or speaks to your outlook/approach to your life and/or practice?

DC: “It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.” - Yogi Berra and "Don’t forget to be humble, or your wings will melt."

Learn more about Dr. Calello's education, interests, and training on the ACMT Board of Directors page.