Launching ITC Immunosafety in 2026: the Science, the People, and the Future of Safety Assessment

As immunotoxicology continues to evolve, so does the need for transparent, collaborative, and forward-looking dialogue around immunosafety science. In 2026, the HESI Immunosafety Technical Committee (ITC) is launching a year-long immunosafety publicity initiative designed to share our science with the broader community, highlight emerging approaches such as New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), and invite new voices to help shape the future of the field.

This initiative reflects a core ITC priority: advancing scientifically rigorous, human-relevant immunosafety while fostering collaboration across academia, industry, and regulatory organizations.

🎯 Why This Initiative?
Through this blog series, ITC aims to:

• Increase visibility into the breadth of immunosafety work across the ITC portfolio
• Highlight NAMs, 3Rs-aligned innovation, and emerging scientific topics
• Showcase the people behind the science, from trainees to senior experts
• Recruit new members and collaborators interested in contributing to ITC projects

Whether you are early in your career or an established safety scientist, this initiative is intended to make ITC’s work more accessible—and to show how diverse expertise contributes to modern immunosafety assessment.

✍️ What to Expect in 2026
🌟 Author Spotlight Series: Immunosafety Scientists

This series highlights the scientists behind the ITC working groups, with a particular focus on career pathways and training.

Who it’s for:

• Graduate students and postdocs
• Early-career scientists
• Anyone asking, “What can I do with an immunology degree?”

What these blogs will feature:

• Short, accessible professional bios
• “Did You Know?” insights connecting training to real-world immunosafety careers
• Examples of non-traditional or translational career paths in safety science

The goal is to inspire the next generation of immunosafety scientists while demystifying how immunology training translates into impact

🧪 NAMs Project Spotlight Series: Advancing Immunosafety Science
The NAMs Project Spotlight blogs will focus on scientific depth and impact, highlighting ITC projects that are developing, evaluating, or implementing NAMs in immunosafety.

Who it’s for:

• Established immunologists and toxicologists
• Safety scientists and risk assessors
• Current and prospective ITC members
• Experts interested in NAMs, immunosafety, and the 3Rs

What these blogs will cover:

• The scientific and regulatory problems ITC projects are addressing
• How projects align with NAMs and the 3Rs
• Specific NAMs under investigation and why they matter
• Project status, next steps, and opportunities for collaboration

These posts are designed to clearly articulate how ITC science contributes to decision-making and regulatory confidence, while inviting engagement from the broader community

🤝 Join the Conversation

This 2026 publicity initiative is not just about communication—it’s about community building. As ITC continues to expand its work in immunosafety, NAMs, and emerging scientific areas, we welcome participation from scientists who want to contribute expertise, ask hard questions, and help move the field forward.

Follow along, engage with our posts, and consider how you—or your organization—might be part of ITC’s immunosafety work in 2026 and beyond.

More to come.

 

More blog posts below: