HESI Insights - April 2024

We are thrilled to announce that the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) is celebrating a remarkable milestone – 35 years of pioneering research, collaboration, and innovation in the fields of health and environmental sciences!

To commemorate this special occasion, we’ve put together an interactive presentation highlighting some of the most memorable moments and significant achievements from our journey. We invite you all to take a stroll down memory lane and explore the milestones that have shaped HESI into what it is today.

Click here to explore the interactive presentation: HESI 35-Year Timeline

This journey wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of our dedicated members, partners, and stakeholders. Together, we’ve tackled some of the most pressing challenges facing human health and the environment, and we remain committed to driving positive change for the next 35 years and beyond.

Our 8-lesson curriculum unit on Using Data to Understand and Improve Health Outcomes is live on the HESI-NSTA Health DataWell website. Designed for high school (grades 9-12) teachers but great content for many purposes. Please share and let us know what you think!

https://www.nsta.org/health-datawell

This project uses real-world data and case studies to develop students’ understanding of the varied roles of citizens and health professionals in protecting and promoting the health and wellness of their communities.

The HESI Cardiac Safety Committee is hosting a 2-day workshop focused on Cardiac Safety and Drug Development. Virtual and In-person options are available.

Day 1: May 7, 2024; 8:30 am – 5:00 pm ET
Workshop on Validating and Using Cardiac NAMs for Toxicity Screening and Drug Development

Day 2: May 8, 2024; 8:30 am – 5:00 pm ET
Advances in Cardiac Safety Assessments Workshop

Location: Hybrid Virtual Option and In-Person at FDA White Oak, Silver Spring, MD

View the draft agendas and register for free on the event page here.

Contact for more information: Jennifer Pierson (jpierson@hesiglobal.org)

The Health and Environmental Science Institute’s Genetic Toxicology Technical Committee (HESI GTTC) Education and Science Outreach Committee is pleased announce the 2024 awards that will provide opportunities for trainees to attend scientific conferences, workshops, or courses, etc., to build core competencies and transferrable skills, and/or share your research. Awardees will be invited to GTTC’s 2025 Annual Meeting to learn about the emerging projects and science at HESI and to network with experts in the gene toxicology field.

GTTC is pleased to announce TWO awards for 2024:

• Professional Development Travel Award – Provides $1,500 USD for travel to attend scientific conference or workshops.
• Professional Development Training Award (new!) – Provides $4,000 USD for travel specific to training courses, cross-lab trainings, etc. to build core competencies and transferrable skills.

Learn more and download the application here.

HESI Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology Technical Committee (DART) is pleased to be able to continue its professional development award in 2024. Two awardees (MS, PhD, Post Doc) will receive $2000 USD towards attending professional meetings or trainings that occurs within the 12-month post application period. The application period is open from April 1 – May 31. Please see the HESI DART website for the 2023 awardees and more information on how to apply.

This groundbreaking piece from the HESI Cardiac Safety Committee proposes a new alternative approach to preclinical drug safety assessment, using human cell-based models and computational methods to identify human-relevant liabilities earlier in the process.

Challenging the status quo: a framework for mechanistic and human-relevant cardiovascular safety screening. Berridge et al., March 2024. Frontiers in Toxicology. https://doi.org/10.3389/ftox.2024.1352783

Delighted to announce this new publication by the esteemed HESI Cardiac Safety Committee describing a new Cardiac Compound Tool Database! This new database (https://hesiglobal.org/cctdatabase/) contains information on 128 pharmaceutical agents, including their cardiotoxic properties. Curated by subject matter experts and sourced from reputable literature and online databases, this resource provides details such as compound name, mode of action, cardiac toxicity profile, and more. The user-friendly interface allows for easy access and submission of new data, ensuring the database remains up-to-date and valuable for safety assessment and research on drug-induced cardiac toxicity.

Development of a Pharmaceutical Database as an Aid to the Nonclinical Detection of Drug-Induced Cardiac Toxicity. De Alwis et al., 19 March 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vascn.2024.107507

Dr. Victoria Au Yueng of AstraZeneca and Cardiac Safety Early Career Seminar Awardee presented Computational approaches to investigate and identify mechanisms of structural cardiotoxicity on March 22nd.

A recording of the webinar can be found on the event page here.

HESI’s Immuno-Safety Technical Committee hosted a Career Symposium to learn about career options in the field of Immuno-Safety science from public and private sector scientists. The full recording is available on the event page here.

The Genetic Toxicology Technical Committee (GTTC) Annual Meeting was held from April 14 – 16. This year saw a record number of attendees in person (65) in Washington, DC, and online (90+) over the course of the three-day meeting. In addition to the working group updates, each day included a key highlight talk that left everyone inspired!

Sunday, April 14 – Yusuf Hussein, a PhD candidate from Swansea University, presented his work on GenToxPi as part of the Quantitative Analysis Working Group. The GTTC is pleased to co-sponsor his doctoral degree.

Monday, April 15 – The committee heard from recent professional development awardees on how they used the awardee funds. In-person attendees were able to unwind to celebrate a committee member’s birthday and enjoy dinner together.

Tuesday, April 16 – Dorit Donoviel (Baylor College of Medicine and Board Member) presented and led a discussion on biomarkers to monitor the health of astronauts who will be traveling to Mars.

Learn more about the GTTC on the website or reach out to either of the managers: Connie Chen and Raechel Puglisi.

Sandrine Déglin will be presenting the latest work of the Environmental Epidemiology Committee on April 16 at the CLA & RISE Conference, in Alexandria, VA.

The Botanical Safety Consortium will be in attendance and presenting at the 22nd International Conference on the Science of Botanicals.

Speakers include Connie Mitchell (HESI), and committee members Cynthia Rider (NIEHS), Amy Roe (P&G), Bill Gurley (University of Mississippi), and Holly Johnson (AHPA).

The HESI Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology Committee will be meeting for two half-days virtually for their Spring meeting. Please contact Connie Chen or Shermaine Mitchell-Ryan for any questions or if you would like to attend.

The HESI eSTAR Committee will be hosting a webinar by Dr. Jesse Salk, discussing an emerging spatial genomics and in situ sequencing technology, with emphasis on its application for carcinogenesis assessment. The webinar will be recorded and is open to relevant colleagues.

See event page here for details.

The Next Generation Ecological Risk Committee and UVCB Committee will be presenting at SETAC Europe.

Monday, 6 May 2024

Session: Alternatives to Animal Testing for Ecotoxicity Assessments: Exploring Approaches and Avenues for the Future.
Connie Mitchell (HESI) is co-chairing along with HESI Board of Trustees member Adam Lilicrap (NIVA) and Eco-Risk Committee members, Teresea Norberg-King (retired from US EPA) and Kristin Schirmer (EAWAG). Poster: 1.02.P-Mo019

Wednesday, May 8

UVCB Committee Posters We295 and We280.

Stop by to discuss our latest work!

The Transforming the Evaluation of Agrochemical (TEA) Committee will present at the 22nd International Congress of the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro (ESTIV) taking place 3-6 June 2024.

Details will be added to the event page here.

International Congress On Natural Products Research (ICNPR), Krakow, Poland 13-17 July 2024

The Botanical Safety Consortium is holding a training course as part of the meeting on Saturday 13 July entitled “Cultivating Safety: Toxicology 101 of Botanicals and Natural Products.”

This course will offer a deep dive into the world of botanicals, bridging the gap between their traditional uses and modern applications in supplements, medicines, and cosmetics. Participants will explore routes of botanical exposure, interactions with drugs, dose-response nuances, acute and chronic toxicity, and a range of potential health endpoints. With hands-on exercises, discussion of cutting-edge toxicity assessment tools, and interactive case studies—including challenges like product adulteration and new botanical discoveries—the course will provide a comprehensive look into the complexities of botanical safety, making it essential for researchers, practitioners, and thrill seekers.

Register at www.icnpr2024.org

Speakers and training course developers include BSC members Amy Roe (P&G), Holly Johnson (AHPA), Stefan Gafner (American Botanical Council), Olaf Kelber (Bayer), Richard van Breemen (Oregan State University), Cynthia Rider (NIEHS), Connie Mitchell (HESI), Michelle Embry (HESI), and Julie Krzykwa (HESI).

Meeting flyer available here.

The Botanical Safety Consortium (BSC) will hold it’s first in-person meeting (with virtual option) at NIEHS in Durham, NC in October 2024. The in-person meeting is limited to members, with preference for steering committee and working group members. The virtual option will be open to all.

The hybrid portion will include updates from the working group on the new approach methodologies (NAMs) tested for their suitability for botanicals. The in-person portions will include hands-on breakout groups and discussions to understand the current tool-kit, identify gaps, and identify future research priorities. Virtual connection information will be provided at a later date, expect an email with the connection information in the coming weeks for those who register.

Register on the event page here.

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM MANAGER

Looking for an exciting career in human or environmental toxicology, drug safety, biomedical innovation, regulatory science, epidemiology, exposure-science, and risk assessment — outside of the lab?

Want a great place to grow your career via collaboration with thought-leaders from government, industry, academia, clinic, and NGOs?

Seeking an opportunity to apply your skills in leadership and program management while applying science to real world challenges?

The Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI), a global nonprofit scientific organization, seeks a Scientific Program Manager to help lead collaborative scientific programs in the biomedical and environmental health fields. Successful candidates will have a passion for fostering creative and rigorous scientific collaborations that pool expertise, resources, and technical input from a diverse base of stakeholders. HESI Scientific Managers are responsible for developing, managing, and providing scientific input to large international scientific teams that generate science to protect public health and the environment. HESI offers the opportunity to work with internationally recognized scientists from government, academia, NGOs, clinic, and industry. This responsible position requires leadership skills and the ability to work as part of a team to help realize HESI’s mission of achieving science for a safer, more sustainable world.

This position works in Washington, DC, and reports to the HESI Executive Director.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Provides scientific, strategic, management, and administrative support to collaborative scientific committees involving academic, government, nonprofit, and private sector scientists;

Works with committee members to design and execute novel scientific research programs, publications, workshops, and trainings;

Prepares and monitors committee budgets, assists with communications (technical and non-technical), supports membership development, facilitates workshops and meetings, and contributes to overall HESI strategy and outreach.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A Master’s or Ph.D. in a scientific field such as toxicology, pharmacology, genetics, immunology, epidemiology, genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, pathology, chemistry, environmental health, or related life sciences and a minimum of 3 years of experience in project management, drug or chemical safety evaluation, scientific consulting, and/or regulatory affairs.
• Strong facilitation skills and the ability to work with groups meeting virtually or in person.
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills, outstanding management and organizational ability.
• At least 5 years of experience in project or program coordination.
• Leadership experience and presentation skills.
• Technical/scientific writing.

EXPERIENCE

Expertise in any/all of the following areas preferred:

• Regulatory Science
• Exposure Science
• Drug Safety Assessment
• Chemical Safety Assessment
• Computational Toxicology
• ADME

ABOUT HESI

At HESI, it is our mission to collaboratively identify and help to resolve global health and environmental challenges through the engagement of scientists from academia, government, industry, clinical practice, research institutes and NGOs. We achieve that in a variety of ways:

Create a collaborative environment where scientists from academia, government, industry, and NGOs come together to find solutions that improve health and environmental safety.

Encourage the development of meaningful studies that ask the right questions, structure the right framework, and develop solutions that inform decision-making by both private- and public-sector scientists.

Create a knowledge base that can be easily transferred from the laboratory or journal page to real life.

Individuals interested in applying for this position should send their RESUME with COVER LETTER to Career@hesiglobal.org.

Principals only, please. Unsolicited resumes from third-party agencies will not be considered. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Learn more about us at www.hesiglobal.org.

The HESI Next Generation Ecological Risk Committee and UVCB Committee are co-chairing sessions at SETAC NA and requesting abstract submission by 15 May 2024.

Find more details here.

HESI is 35 years old – and we are more diverse, active, and impactful than ever before. As the oldest nonprofit providing collaborative platforms for global human and environmental health sciences, we are incredibly proud of the positive impacts you have helped us achieve. Many of these impacts result from our organization’s ability to strategically adapt its operations and focus. To ensure we continue to flourish in our next 35 years, we must remain as open to change in the future as we have been to date. As always, HESI relies on our stakeholders to drive innovation in program content, design, and focus. Thank you for so many years of incredible partnership!

Kind regards,

Syril Pettit, DrPH, MEM, HESI Executive Director