Advisory Board
Bio to come.
Denise Bloch is the Head of a Junior Research Group at the Department of Pesticides Safety at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). She is an interdisciplinary researcher with a focus on mixture toxicity and new approach methodologies, who combines in silico and in vitro testing with physiology-based kinetic modelling to advance chemical risk assessment. She is Head of the Working Group on Mixture Toxicity at the German Toxicology Society and nominated expert at several international panels, including the UN GHS Informal Working Group on the Implementation of Non-animal Testing. She is involved in the European flagship project PARC and co-author of the EFSA-funded Roadmap for action on risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals. She received her Master’s degree from ETH Zurich, Department of Environmental Systems Science, and the Dr. rer. nat. (PhD) from RWTH Aachen University.
Aleksandra Cavoski is a Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Birmingham. Her research interests are in the field of environmental law and EU law, including certain aspects of public international law. Her research agenda is inter-disciplinary and explores the intersection of law and other disciplines, in particular politics, science, and public policy. Aleksandra is the editor-in-chief of the journal Environmental Law Review. Aleksandra is also a part of the Birmingham Plastics Network, an interdisciplinary team of more than 40 academics working together to shape the fate and sustainable future of plastics. She is currently working on several projects, two of which are particularly relevant for this project - EU Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101057014 and PrecisionTox Horizon 2020 https://precisiontox.org.
Weihsueh A. Chiu, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology at Texas A&M University. He serves as overall Deputy Director and Risk and Geospatial Sciences Core Director of the Texas A&M P42 Superfund Research Center, and Data Science Core director of the Texas A&M P30 Center for Environmental Health Research. Before joining the university in 2015, he worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for more than 14 years, most recently as Chief of the Toxicity Pathways Branch in the Office or Research and Development. His research spans the landscape of human health risk assessment, including toxicokinetics, physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling, dose-response assessment, characterizing uncertainty/variability, systematic review, meta-analysis, and environmental and climate justice, with particular interest in Bayesian, probabilistic, and other quantitative methods. He is author/co-author of over 150 peer-reviewed journal publications, many governmental and international agency reports, and several book chapters. Dr. Chiu has served on or chaired expert panels and workgroups for multiple government agencies (including the EPA, NTP, CalEPA, the FDA, and ATSDR) and numerous national and international organizations (Health Canada, the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine). Dr. Chiu received an AB in Physics from Harvard University, a MA and PhD in Physics from Princeton University, and a Certificate in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.
Miles Philip Davenport, MB BS, D.Phil. Professor Miles Davenport is head of the Infection Analytics Program at the Kirby Institute, at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney Australia. His background is in clinical medicine and experimental immunology before retraining in analytics and modelling over 20 years ago. He now directs a team of applied mathematicians applying statistical and computational approaches to understand host-pathogen interactions in SARS-CoV-2, HIV, and malaria. He works with a wide collaborative network of clinicians and experimentalists around the world. In 2021 his team identified neutralizing antibodies as an important immune correlate for protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection. This work has helped predict waning immunity and loss of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 variants and has been cited in multiple statements / guidelines on SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination.
Denise Bloch is the Head of a JunHolly Davies is a senior toxicologist at the Washington State Department of Health. Her work focuses on evaluating uses of toxic chemicals, including chemicals of emerging concern and persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals (PBTs), and identifying actions needed to protect human health with an emphasis on prevention and safer alternatives. Dr. Davies is on Clean Production Action’s GreenScreen Science Advisory Committee and the International Living Future Institute Material Health Technical Advisory Group, as well as chairing the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse Work Group on PFAS. She was a member of EPA’s Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) and served on EPA’s Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific Advisory Panel on the use of New Approach Methodologies. She was also a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Variability and Relevance of Current Laboratory Mammalian Toxicity Tests and Expectations for New Approach Methods for use in Human Health Risk Assessment. Before joining the state her experience was in academic teaching and research in genetics and developmental biology. Her Ph.D. in Genetics (2000) and postdoctoral research (2000-2004) are on mammalian reproduction and development, transcription factors, and genomics. ior Research Group at the Department of Pesticides Safety at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). She is an interdisciplinary researcher with a focus on mixture toxicity and new approach methodologies, who combines in silico and in vitro testing with physiology-based kinetic modelling to advance chemical risk assessment. She is Head of the Working Group on Mixture Toxicity at the German Toxicology Society and nominated expert at several international panels, including the UN GHS Informal Working Group on the Implementation of Non-animal Testing. She is involved in the European flagship project PARC and co-author of the EFSA-funded Roadmap for action on risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals. She received her Master’s degree from ETH Zurich, Department of Environmental Systems Science, and the Dr. rer. nat. (PhD) from RWTH Aachen University.
Dr. Suzanne Fitzpatrick is the Senior Advisor for Toxicology at the US Food and Drug Administration Foods Program. She is a board-certified toxicologist in the US and in Europe. Dr. Fitzpatrick chairs the FDA’s Alternative Methods Work Group that is currently focusing on in vitro Microphysiological Systems. Dr. Fitzpatrick helped develop the FDA DARPA NCATS program on Organs on a Chip and continues to work and give presentations on this evolving area. Dr. Fitzpatrick was the chair of the FDA Predictive Toxicology Roadmap Committee. Dr. Fitzpatrick co-chairs with EFSA the International Working Group on New Approach Methods for Food Safety. She is on the International Regulatory Board for the newly formed EU APSIS (Risk Hunter, Precision Tox, Ontox) Research Collaboration for developing New non- animal methods. She is the FDA representative to PARC- The European Collaboration for Chemical Risk Assessment. She is on the Board of Directors for the International MPS Society. Dr. Fitzpatrick is the FDA lead for ICCVAM and for Tox 21. She received her BA from the University of California at San Diego and her PhD from Georgetown University.
I initiated my academic journey with studies in Medical Biotechnology during my bachelor's degree at the University of Florence (Italy), followed by a master's degree in molecular biology and Genetics at the University of Pavia (Italy). In 2017, I started my research on Toxicology as a PhD candidate within the Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN) project 'MarPipe' at the University of Leuven (Belgium) under the Horizon 2020 program. Since January 2021, I've been Scientific Manager at Cosmetics Europe, where I lead collaborative efforts with external research platforms and organizations. I oversee various projects spanning across different disciplines. My focus at Cosmetics Europe includes spearheading the development and regulatory acceptance of NAMs (New Approach Methodologies). From March 2022 to November 2023, I took on the role of Scientific Consultant for the International Collaboration on Cosmetics Safety (ICCS), a global organization based in New York. Here, I ensured strategic alignment between scientific capabilities, regulatory acceptance, and education programs, with a particular emphasis on NAMs.
Thomas Hartung, MD PhD, is the Doerenkamp-Zbinden-Chair for Evidence-based Toxicology in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Whiting School of Engineering, Baltimore. He also holds a joint appointment for Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Bloomberg School. He is adjunct affiliate professor at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. In addition, he holds a joint appointment as Professor for Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Konstanz, Germany; he also is Director of Centers for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT, http://caat.jhsph.edu) of both universities. CAAT hosts the secretariat of the Evidence-based Toxicology Collaboration (http://www.ebtox.org) and manages collaborative programs on Good Read-Across Practice, Good Cell Culture Practice, Green Toxicology, Developmental Neurotoxicity, Developmental Immunotoxicity, Microphysiological Systems and Refinement. As PI, he headed the Human Toxome project funded as an NIH Transformative Research Grant and the series of annual Microphysiological Systems World Summits starting in 2022 by 60+ organizations. He is Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence. He is the former Head of the European Commission’s Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM), Ispra, Italy, and has authored more than 660 scientific publications with more than 45,000 citations (h-index 111). His toxicology classes on COURSERA had more than 18,000 active learners.
Bio to come.
Helena Hoegberg-Durdock PhD joined the NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM) within the Division of the NTP, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Dec 2021, where she is conducting research drawing on her broad expertise in applying in vitro methods to assessing developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) potential of chemicals. Previously she was the Deputy Director of the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) within the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School for Public Health. She received her PhD in toxicology from Stockholm University but performed her research at the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) in Ispra, Italy.
Dr. Rashmi Joglekar is the Associate Director of Science, Policy, and Engagement at the University of California, San Francisco Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment. She is a toxicologist with four years of experience working at the intersection of science, policy, and environmental justice, and holds a Ph.D. from Duke University in Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health. Dr. Joglekar’s research background is in neurodevelopmental toxicology, with a specific focus on examining the epigeneic and behavioral impacts of nicotine exposure during pregnancy. Her current work involves coordinating and synthesizing scientific material for use in advocacy aimed at strengthening federal and state agency action and risk assessment of toxic chemicals to improve the quantification of risk to communities experiencing environmental injustices. Dr. Joglekar previously served as a Staff Scientist at Earthjustice where she worked directly with community members to elevate issues of environmental injustice to the US EPA and build the strongest scientific case for the US EPA to protect these communities. This included collaborating with scientific experts to develop methodologies that adequately accounted for cumulative chemical exposures in communities near polluting industrial facilities and agricultural fields where pesticides are sprayed. In addition, Dr. Joglekar has coordinated and provided expert testimonies for legal cases pertaining toxic chemical exposures, led and drafted public comments on agency proposals, and advocated issues regarding toxic chemicals through peer-reviewed publications, blogposts, public databases, reports, and op-eds. She has also championed several research collaborations across multiple academic institutions aimed at characterizing toxic chemical exposures in children. Dr. Joglekar is currently a member of Project TENDR (Targeting Environmental Neuro-Developmental Risks) and has previously served as an expert panelist for the National Academy of Sciences, US EPA, and the Environmental Law Institute.
Bio to come.
Kannan Krishnan, PhD, DABT, FCAHS is currently Chief of the Air and Site Assessment and Climate Indicators Branch (ASACIB) of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, a department within the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). Kannan obtained his Ph.D. (Community health, specialization: Environmental Toxicology) from the University of Montreal, and completed his post-doctoral training at The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences (Scitovation), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Over the years, he played major leadership, technical and strategic roles in non-profit research organization (IRSST, Montreal, Canada as Chief Scientific Officer and Director of the Research Directorate), private sector (Risk Sciences International Inc., Ottawa, Canada) as well as academia (Chairman of the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health & Vice-Dean of Research at the School of Public Health of the University of Montreal). He is an American Board-certified toxicologist (2008 - ), Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2014 - ) and Fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences (2007-2022). Kannan has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications and assumed the editorial role for 5 books and journal monographs related to toxicokinetics, physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling, mixtures toxicology, and new approach methods in risk assessment related to biomonitoring, quantitative structure-property relationship modeling, thresholds of toxicological concern, and extrapolation methods.
Dr Olivia Osborne is a multidisciplinary (eco) toxicological chemical risk assessment scientist in the fields of human health and the environment. She is currently working at the Food Standards Agency in the Science Evidence and Research Division working on chemical risk assessment and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). She is a Member of Institute of Food Science and Technology (MIFST), UK and European Registered Toxicologist (UKRT ERT); member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party for Nanomaterials; committee member of the British Standard Institute (BSI); in the Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC); in the Accelerating the Pace of Chemical Risk Assessment (APCRA) initiative and Co-Chair of the Cross Whitehall Group on New Approaches to Chemical Risk Assessment in the Regulatory Space.
She graduated in Biological Sciences with Honours and received a PhD from the University of Exeter, UK in (eco) toxicology, nanotechnology and developmental biology. She was a postdoctoral research scholar at the multidisciplinary California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) in the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), USA where she established high throughput screening platforms for nanoparticles and compounds assessment using novel strategies. She has worked on a wide variety of projects including but not limited to nanotechnology, food, consumer products, anti-fouling paints, plastics and semiconductor technologies (including e-waste).
Erwin L Roggen holds a PhD in Biochemistry. He acquired expertise in protein chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, immunology, and cell biology. He has 35 years experience working with industry (Novo Nordisk EB, Novozymes) in Denmark as Science Manager at the department of Toxicology. He was the coordinator of the FP7 Sens-it-iv project was produced the GARD platform which has become an OECD Guideline. He founded 3Rs Management and Consulting ApS, promoting application of mechanism-based human relevant novel approach methods (NAMS) for risk assessment. He is co-founder of SenzaGen AB, specialized in cell-based solutions to identify skin and respiratory sensitizers, assuring sustainability of the Sens-it-iv GARD platform. He is co-founder and CEO of ToxGenSolutions BV developing (animal-free) human relevant peripheral biomarker-based tools for early diagnosis of various chronic diseases where women are overrepresented, as well as the identification (based on AI and knowledge graphs) of novel drug target as well as the in silico identification of potential drugs (including repurposing). These activities are currently supported by EuroStars and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
Dr. Andrew Rooney is acting Branch Chief of the Integrative Health Assessment Branch in the Division of the National Toxicology Program at NIEHS. He has extensive experience in toxicology and risk assessment for the protection of public health resulting in over 90 contributions to the peer-reviewed literature and government assessments (including NTP Monographs, EPA IRIS Toxicological Reviews, and WHO Guidelines). In addition to leading and contributing to environmental health assessments, Andrew is a methodologist that has been actively involved in developing risk assessment methods, guidance, and informatics approaches throughout his professional career. Dr. Rooney led the team that developed the OHAT Approach to Systematic Review and Evidence Integration. He continues to pursue methods advances and harmonization of evidence-based approaches to support decision making in toxicology and public health. And for the last several years, has moved the group to aggressively pursue and apply evidence informatics (artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing) methods to the literature assessment workflow for systematic reviews and systematic evidence maps.
Christophe Rousselle is graduated from the National Veterinary School of Lyon. He then got a PhD in Toxicology in Paris in 2000 and an International Master in Public Health in Rennes in 2016. He has been working since more than 15 years in regulatory toxicology, first in the French Agency for Medicines (AFSSAPS) and then at the French Agency for Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (AFSSET) and now at the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety. (ANSES). He was for more than 10 years at the head of the chemical risk assessment unit dealing with chemicals in consumer products and also with the Reach regulation and CLP. Christophe Rousselle was also involved in Horizon 2020 EU projects, such as HBM4EU (https://www.hbm4eu.eu ), leading prioritization task, derivation of HBMGV-values and assessing risks for prioritized compounds or GOLIATH (https://beatinggoliath.eu/ ) project, involved in WP 8: weight of evidence approach, AOps and IATAs. He has also published many scientific papers in international peer-reviewed in these fields. Now he is working in the International and European Affairs Department, as Deputy coordinator for the European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (https://www.eu-parc.eu/). PARC is one of the projects selected for funding by the European Union's "Horizon Europe" framework program for the 2021-2027 period. Coordinated by ANSES, this major project is seeking to develop next-generation chemical risk assessment in order to protect health and the environment. Christophe Rousselle is also an expert in the Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) at the European level from 2009 (https://health.ec.europa.eu/scientific-committees/scientific-committee-consumer-safety-sccs_en) .
Professor Sass is a Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (since 2001) and part-time faculty at George Washington University Milken School of Public Health (since 2008). She served on the NIEHS National Toxicology Program Board of Scientific Counselors (2016-2020), the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology working group on Nanotechnology (2010), and numerous federal advisory committees. She was nominated by President Biden to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (2021), but was not Senate confirmed. She has published over 50 articles on topics including environmental health and chemical policy issues. She holds BSc, MSc, and PhD (1998) degrees from the College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Canada and a Post-Doctoral Certificate (2000) from the College of Medicine, University of Maryland.
I describe myself as an analytical toxicologist/chemist. I have extensive experience in regulatory toxicology and a sound understanding of UK and EU chemical regulation and legislation in relation to public health including REACh and CLP Regs. These have now been transcribed into UK legislation and I sit on the UK Chemicals Delivery Board and the Biocides Delivery Board. I was the UK Human health representative for the OECD Test Guideline Programme from 2012-2015. My research interests are in human exposure and chemical risk assessment, which supports my advisory role within UK Health Security Agency and UK government.
My experience in student teaching and learning including supervision of PhD, MSc and BSc students has been gained in academia and in my current post. I have a proven record in administration and international project management. As Royal Society of Chemistry -STEM Ambassador I am committed to encouraging students to take up science as a career and see the opportunities in chemistry and related disciplines. My interest in the Global Campaign for Education was kindled during my work in Ethiopia, as a volunteer with VSO.
I have nearly 80 publications in human biomonitoring, public health risk assessment and communication. I lead the UK component of the large Horizon Europe funded Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) and I lead the UK component of one of its predecessors HBM4EU.
Key professional skills: regulatory toxicology, analytical chemistry, chemical exposure assessment, critical assessment of toxicological data, human biomonitoring implementation in population studies (epidemiology), project management, ability to develop and implement training programmes.
Key personal skills: Effective leader and team player, excellent communication skills, flexible and adaptable. Experienced in delivering high quality formal and informal presentations, deliver lectures and workshops at National and International training events (MSc and Professional Development).
Toxicologist working at the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) since 2019, currently at the Computational Assessment and Alternative Methods Unit under the Directorate Prioritisation and Integration. As a member of the Alternative methods team, supporting the use of alternative methods in ECHA’s processes and involved with projects dedicated to accelerating animal-free chemical safety assessment. Relevant experience prior to ECHA include PhD in experimental toxicology at the National Public Health Institute (Kuopio, Finland); academic career in endocrinology and reproductive biology (University of Sydney, Australia); and Regulatory scientist position at The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS).
Dr. Kristina (“Kris”) Thayer is Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chemical and Pollutant Assessment Division (CPAD), located within the Office of Research and Development (ORD) Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA). CPAD scientists develop a range of fit-for-purpose human health risk assessment products based on the evaluation, synthesis, and analysis of epidemiological, animal toxicology, in vitro, ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion), pharmacokinetic, and in silico evidence. Products include the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) and Provisional Peer Reviewed Toxicity Values (PPRTV) assessments. These products are developed through interactions with EPA’s program and regional offices, other agencies, the scientific community, industry, policy-makers, and the public. Once finalized, they serve as a major scientific component supporting EPA's regulations, advisories, policies, enforcement, and remedial action decisions. CPAD also conducts research to develop innovative human health risk assessment methods (e.g., systematic review, machine learning/artificial intelligence) that facilitate careful evaluation of scientific evidence, as well as tools and models (e.g., benchmark dose modeling software).
Dr. Tong is the Director of Division of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics at NCTR/FDA. He is the FDA Senior Biomedical Research and Biomedical Product Assessment Service (SBRBPAS) Expert (formally Senior Biomedical Research Service) since 2011. He also Chairs Global Coalition for Regulatory Science Research (GCRSR) which consists of ~20 regulatory agencies from 10 countries. He is the founder and Chair Emeritus of international MAQC Society (2017-2020). He has served Science Advisory Board for several multi-institutional projects in Europe and USA. He also holds adjunct appointment at several universities. His primary research interest is to apply bioinformatics, Artificial Intelligence, molecular modeling and data analytics for biomarker discovery, drug safety and repurposing, pharmacogenomics/toxicogenomics, and precision medicine. Dr. Tong has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.
Didier joined the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Parma, Italy, as a modeler and epidemiologist and became in 2008 Head of Assessment and Methodological Support Unit where he led the development, implementation, and review of evidence-based risk assessment and decision support approaches. The unit’s role involved supporting EFSA staff, panels, and working groups with statistical analysis, programming, exposure assessment, and expert knowledge elicitation. His unit played a key role in evolving the risk assessment process, integrating AI-based process automation, and engaging with society and knowledge communities through crowdsourcing and citizen science. Since January 2022, Didier has been serving as the Head of Knowledge Innovation and Partnership Management Unit at EFSA. In this role, he defines EFSA's scientific outlook through foresight and scanning of scientific, technological, and societal information, including emerging risk identification. He envisions EFSA's long-term competency needs and sets up multilevel partnership frameworks aligned with ecosystem thinking. His work involves developing scientific sourcing solutions, promoting capacity building, and facilitating the management of knowledge and innovation within the EU and globally. This includes coordinating cross-cutting scientific knowledge activities and further evolving the risk assessment process.
Dr. Daniele Wikoff, based in Asheville, NC, is the Chief Scientific Officer and Health Sciences Practice Director at ToxStrategies. She specializes in the implementation of evidence-based methods in support of hazard and risk assessment applications for food ingredients and contaminants, environmental chemicals, and consumer products. She has experience evaluating toxicological and risk issues related to a wide range of agents, evidence streams (human, experimental animal, mechanistic), data types (e.g., epidemiological data and high-throughput data), and health outcomes.
Fred A. Wright, Ph.D., is Goodnight Innovation Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Statistics and Biological Sciences North Carolina State University and Director of the NC State Bioinformatics Research Center. His research interests include toxicogenomics, computational toxicology, and various aspects of statistical genetics. In recent years, he has worked on methods to interpret New Approach Methodologies in toxicology, especially in the context of multi-dimensional data streams obtained from in vitro cell models. Google scholar link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=p43jB30AAAAJ&hl=en