Approaches to Weight of the Evidence Evaluation in Risk Assessment Workshop

The ILSI Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) Risk Assessment Methodologies Technical Committee held a workshop on "Approaches to Weight of the Evidence Evaluation in Risk Assessment" December 7th and 8th in Baltimore, MD.  This international, multi-sector workshop provided a public forum for the exchange of information on approaches to weight of evidence analysis within the context of risk assessment.  Goals of the meeting included identification and characterization of the current uses of weight of evidence analysis in human health risk assessment associated with Federal policy or regulatory decision making, and exploration of commonalities and differences in the application or understanding of weight of evidence analysis.

Meeting panelists and speakers included scientists, regulators, and representatives from various national and international sectors, including government agencies, (USEPA, Cal EPA, USDA, USFDA, NIH, IARC, WHO, Health Canada, and Environment Canada), the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, academia, and several NGOs.  The workshop introductory lecture was delivered by Dr. Douglas Weed, of the National Cancer Institute, whose 2005 paper, "Weight of Evidence: A Review of Concept and Methods1" is a foundation for the technical committee's work.   Dr. Paul Gilman, director of the Oak Ridge Center for Advanced Studies, and the former science advisor for the USEPA, served as the plenary speaker and panel moderator.

Through providing this platform for informational exchange among a diverse group of risk assessors from different technical fields and regulatory objectives, HESI hopes to develop a workshop "white paper" on the current state of the practice, identify opportunities for synergy, and establish an active dialogue among interested parties.

If you are interested in learning more about this workshop, please contact Dr. Michelle Rau Embry, HESI Scientific Program Manager, at membry@hesiglobal.org.

(1) Weed, D.L. (2005).  Weight of Evidence: A Review of Concept and Methods.  Risk Analysis.  25(6): 1545-1557.