Meet Dr. Kadijah Abston, Senior Toxicologist, Global Packaging Division

A Passion for Protecting People Through Science

For Dr. Kadijah Abston, Senior Toxicologist for the Sherwin-Williams Global Packaging Division, a career in toxicology began long before graduate school. Growing up on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, she witnessed firsthand how environmental events can affect communities.

“There were lots of things happening in my environment when I was a kid,” she explains. “We had hurricanes, oil spills and other things that ended up impacting our community. The impacts of environmental pollutants and toxicants on human health became very interesting to me.”

That curiosity evolved into a passion. After earning a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Mississippi, Abston pursued both her master’s degree and Ph.D. in toxicology at the University of Rochester. Her doctoral research explored how paternal exposures to specific toxicants can impact future generations.

Today, that same drive to understand how chemicals interact with people and the environment helps guide some of the most important technology decisions at Sherwin-Williams.

Bringing Science Into Every Stage of Development

As a toxicology expert serving the Sherwin-Williams Packaging Division, Dr. Abston works closely with Regulatory, Research and Development, Governmental Affairs, Legal and Commercial teams to help ensure Sherwin-Williams technologies are built for long-term success.

Toxicology is the study of the potential adverse effects of environmental pollutants or toxicants on human health or the environment.

While many employees may never directly interact with toxicology, Dr. Abston’s work influences nearly every stage of a product’s journey. From the earliest discussions around a business need to regulatory compliance and market adoption, she helps evaluate potential technologies and identify solutions that meet both performance and safety objectives.

One example is the approach Sherwin-Williams takes to the development of non-BPA technologies. Through the Company’s Safety by Design process — a forward-looking, science-based risk management approach — Dr. Abston helps evaluate potential materials, assess toxicological profiles and identify technologies capable of delivering strong performance while supporting long-term viability.

“We've done the work up front to ensure that a technology will thrive long-term,” she explains.

Her role may be highly specialized, but its impact reaches throughout the business.

No Two Days Are the Same

Although Dr. Abston’s expertise centers on toxicology, her daily responsibilities span a remarkable range of activities.

Some days involve reviewing proposed legislation and monitoring emerging regulatory developments. Other days, she's partnering with R&D teams to evaluate new technologies using computer modeling and toxicological assessments. She also conducts risk assessments, prepares regulatory dossiers, contributes to peer-reviewed scientific publications and meets with customers to discuss complex technical questions.

“My day-to-day requires a lot of adaptability because every day is different,” she says.

The diversity of her work is one of the aspects she enjoys most. In fact, when Kadijah first entered the corporate world while finishing her Ph.D. dissertation, she was surprised by the depth of science involved in packaging coatings.

“I never thought so much about food packaging in my life as the first couple months that I was here,” she recalls. “I was like, wow, this is amazing.”

Collaboration Drives Success

One theme consistently emerges when Dr. Abston discusses her work: collaboration.

Whether she is working with internal teams, customers or regulatory agencies, success depends on bringing together different perspectives and areas of expertise.

“Everything in toxicology is collaborative,” she says.

Recently, much of that collaboration has focused on helping Sherwin-Williams navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. Working alongside Governmental Affairs, Legal, Regulatory and external stakeholders, Dr. Abston helps support efforts designed to develop current and future technologies to withstand regulatory scrutiny.

The ultimate goal is ensuring technologies remain viable and available to customers well into the future, creating opportunities for the business to continue growing and succeeding.

Looking Ahead

Dr. Abston is especially excited about the future of innovation within packaging coatings and the role toxicology will play in shaping it.

She points to the extensive Safety by Design process and growing library of toxicology studies as examples of how Sherwin-Williams proactively prepares for future challenges. The team regularly conducts research, publishes findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals and shares study reports publicly to support transparency and scientific understanding.

“We are already ahead of the curve,” she says when discussing emerging areas of focus in toxicology.

More than anything, Dr. Abston looks forward to helping create the next generation of innovative technologies.

“I am excited by the opportunity to help make new and unique technologies,” she says. “I think the future will require a lot of innovative thinking, and I am all for that.”

For someone who has always been fascinated by understanding complex scientific problems, it’s a natural fit. And while her work may often happen behind the scenes, Abston’s expertise helps ensure Sherwin-Williams continues developing technologies designed not only to perform today, but to succeed well into the future.

“The fun part is the science communication,” Dr. Abston adds. “Taking something complex and making it simple and easy to understand — that’s fun.”

KADIJAH AT A GLANCE

Title: Senior Toxicologist, Global Packaging Division

Time With Sherwin-Williams: 5 years

Education: Ph.D. and M.S. in Toxicology, University of Rochester; B.A. in Biochemistry, University of Mississippi