HESI Insights January 2025

Reflecting on 2024: A Year of Impact and Innovation

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This year, HESI achieved meaningful progress toward advancing science for a safer, more sustainable world. None of this would have been possible without our incredible community of scientists, partners, and supporters. Your dedication fuels our mission, and together, we’re creating real change.

We invite you to explore our 2024 Annual Report and celebrate the collective impact we’ve made. Check it out here: https://connect.hesiglobal.org/1kNRrQ

Let’s keep pushing boundaries, fostering global collaboration, and driving innovation in 2025!

Save the Date! HESI Biannual Meeting

4-5 June 2025

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Mark your calendars for the HESI Biannual Meeting taking place on June 4-5, 2025, in Washington, DC. This two-day generative conference will convene a diverse group of researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in advancing human and environmental health protection.

The program will showcase real-world case studies spanning molecular-scale toxicity modeling to global ecosystem analyses, highlighting how data-driven tools are reshaping safety assessments, exposure scenarios, and regulatory decision-making.

Attendees will actively participate in interactive discussions, polling, and breakout sessions, tackling critical hurdles—legal, ethical, and technical—and envisioning the integration of AI across molecules, organisms, and ecosystems.

The conference will culminate in a collaboratively developed strategic plan, synthesizing audience insights and cutting-edge presentations to chart a path forward for AI-driven innovation.

Watch the event page here for more details about registration and agenda highlights. Let’s shape the future of AI in health and environmental science—together!

HESI Collaboration Spotlight: Advancing Clinical Cardiac Safety

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The HESI Cardiac Safety Committee is proud to partner in an innovative effort led by researchers at FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) to advance clinical cardiac safety. This collaborative project focuses on developing an approach to streamline the sharing, analysis, and interpretation of large volumes of cardiac electrophysiology in vitro data. By enhancing how these nonclinical data are utilized, the initiative supports improved decision-making in clinical cardiac safety.

Learn more about this groundbreaking effort here.

Gene Therapies making their way to HESI: Call for participants!

 

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The Cell Therapy – TRAcking, Circulation, & Safety (CT-TRACS) Committee is excited to announce an expansion of its focus to include gene therapies as part of its ongoing commitment to advancing safety science in emerging advanced therapies. This addition reflects the growing importance of understanding and addressing safety concerns specific to these cutting-edge gene delivery systems, which are being increasingly utilized in clinical applications. By leveraging our existing expertise and global network, we aim to foster the development of best practices, innovative tools, and collaborative projects to support the safe translation of gene therapies to the clinic. Two new project proposals are on track to launch as new working groups in 2025: “Methods for Integration Site Analysis and Data Interpretation” and “Assessing Risk of Germline Transmission in AAV Gene Therapy Products” (the latter, in collaboration with HESI DART committee).

The committee is welcoming new partners with expertise in gene therapies development and their nonclinical safety assessment, with interest in advancing the field of safety science. Through our collaborative, pre-competitive forum, we aim to build a robust network of contributors. Reach out to committee managers Lucilia Mouriès and Connie Chen to express your interest and learn more.

Prof. Martin van den Berg Receives a High Honor

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Martin van den Berg (Utrecht University, HESI Board of Trustees) was awarded the Princess Chulabhorn Gold Medal Award of Appreciation on December 18th in Bangkok, Thailand. Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn established this award to honor world-renowned individuals or organizations whose work has received international acclaim. Dr. van den Berg was recognized for his support and cooperation in teaching and learning for the Chulabhorn Research Institute’s international and Asia-Pacific training programs, as well as the Chulabhorn Graduate Institute’s graduate programs at the master’s and doctoral levels.

Full press release: https://www.cri.or.th/th/news-25671219/

From L-R: Dr. Daam Settachan, Dr. Resi Damhuis, Prof. Martin van den Berg, Dr. Xin Wei Wang, and Professor Emeritus Dr. Khunying Mathuros Ruchirawat

Celebrating Dr. Norman Stockbridge’s Legacy in Cardiac Safety

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HESI proudly recognizes the contributions of Dr. Norman Stockbridge, MD, PhD, who recently retired from the U.S. FDA, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of advancing global regulatory safety pharmacology practices.

As a co-chair of the HESI Cardiac Safety Committee since 2013 and a longstanding member and supporter, Dr. Stockbridge has made invaluable contributions to the field. He fostered collaboration among scientists and promoted the safe progression of new drugs into clinical use.

Dr. Stockbridge’s extensive career, which spans roles in academia, the NIH, and the FDA, has been marked by dedication, expertise, and leadership. His work has not only shaped regulatory frameworks but also improved patient safety worldwide, creating an impact that will be felt for years to come.

HESI extends its heartfelt best wishes to Dr. Stockbridge in his retirement!

Michelle Embry Appointed to USEPA Board of Scientific Counselors Subcommittee

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Dr. Michelle Embry, HESI Deputy Director, was recently appointed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Board of Scientific Counselors Research Strategy and Implementation Subcommittee by Administrator Michael S. Regan. Her three-year term will begin March 1, 2025. The board’s mission is to provide advice, information, and recommendations related to the Office of Research and Development’s research program.

Staff Reflections: Connie Mitchell, Senior Scientific Program Manager

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As of January, I have been at HESI for five years! The time has flown but, upon reflection, I have experienced a lot of personal and professional growth over this half-decade.

In early 2020, I was wide-eyed and eager to prove myself in my role. A new project was starting at HESI—the Botanical Safety Consortium. Five years later, it has grown into a mature initiative with over 100 working group members and 12 peer-reviewed manuscripts (with many more in progress!). The project focuses on exploring existing NAMs and applying them to botanicals as complex mixtures. It’s been a crash course for me in various in vitro and in silico techniques, the regulatory landscape of botanicals, and the fascinating world of plants! Watching the project evolve has been incredibly rewarding, as has growing alongside it—from selecting a battery of assays to choosing botanical case studies and overseeing an immense amount of data generation.

Later in 2020, I stepped in to oversee a project while a colleague was on maternity leave. In graduate school, I did mRNA-sequencing, so I was excited to learn about deriving transcriptomic biomarkers for predicting liver tumors. Fast forward five years, and I now lead the Emerging Systems Toxicology for the Assessment of Risk (eSTAR) Committee. This project has been particularly fulfilling, with six active working groups all focused on omics tools and decision-making while exploring different concepts and technologies. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working in this translational space and stewarding such a long-standing committee.
I’ve also had the privilege of shepherding multiple other projects. Although I’m stepping back from the ecotoxicology initiatives at HESI, I’ll greatly miss that team. From running successful workshops with the Eco-Risk and Animal Alternative Committees to leading case studies and building consensus in the highly regulated field of ecotoxicology testing, these experiences have been invaluable.

My time at HESI also coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. During this challenging period, I was fortunate to support a global ring-trial of labs focused on testing a promising PCR method to detect COVID without RNA extraction—saving both time and resources. I also had the opportunity to help establish a new committee, beginning with the PROTAC and Molecular Glue Safety Workshop, which evolved into the Targeted Protein Degrader Safety Committee.

Working at HESI has broadened my understanding of what a career in toxicology can look like. Every day brings something different, and I love the variety of work I get to do. I’m grateful for the chance to collaborate with leading experts across disciplines, to learn about the latest technologies, and for the ability to think creatively to advance projects. Over the past five years, I’ve cultivated meaningful relationships with committees and HESI staff, and I am excited to see what the next five years hold!

Connie Mitchell, MS, HESI Senior Scientific Program Manager

HESI Committee Highlight: Next Generation Ecological Risk Assessment

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Explore the Future of Ecological Risk Assessment! The HESI Next Generation Ecological Risk Assessment Committee aims to develop, refine, and communicate the scientific tools and approaches needed to support ecological risk assessment around the globe, with a focus on alternative, non-animal testing methods.

We are thrilled to share our latest Fact Sheet, a concise guide that highlights:

  • The committee’s mission to advance ecological risk assessment through innovative science and collaboration
  • Key insights into ongoing projects, publications, and workshops
  • How you can contribute to advancing this vital field

Dive into the details here: https://connect.hesiglobal.org/EEZijS

As environmental challenges grow more complex, the need for science-driven, collaborative solutions has never been greater. We are committed to fostering partnerships and driving innovation that ensures the sustainability of our ecosystems for future generations.

Reach out to Michelle Embry, Sandrine Deglin or Julie Krzykwa to get involved!

Postdoctoral Position: Computational Toxicology

Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA

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The Carpenter–Singh laboratory at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to lead efforts in analyzing a first-of-its-kind toxicology dataset.

As leaders of the HESI OASIS Consortium, which brings together 40 pharmaceutical/agrochemical companies, government agencies, academic labs and non-profit organizations, the group aims to develop novel approaches for predicting liver toxicity to reduce reliance on animal testing and increase the accuracy of safety assessment. The dataset includes high-dimensional readouts including Cell Painting, transcriptomics, and proteomics.

See the full posting here.

Workshop Registration is OPEN: NAMs in DevTox Testing

Postponed to
7-8 October 2025

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HESI DART has made the difficult decision to postpone the workshop (originally March 4-5, 2025) until Fall 2025. At this time, we’re unable to confidently confirm the availability of our US federal health agency representatives from FDA and EPA due to the current communications halt. We believe this is temporary and communications will resume in the near future. Postponing the workshop until the Fall will ensure we can confirm participation and provide sufficient time to make adjustments to the workshop should we need to pivot.

We are planning to hold the workshop on October 7-8, 2025, still in Washington, DC and online.

We will formally reopen registration as October approaches.

For registrants:
If you have already registered, your registration is still valid and can be held for the alternate date in October. However, if you would prefer a refund and wish to re-register later, please let us know and we can initiate the refund.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Best regards,
Connie Chen
cchen@hesiglobal.org

 

Innovate EcoSafety Summit 2025 – Advancing NAMs for Ecological Risk Assessment

7-9 October 2025

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The inaugural Innovate EcoSafety Summit – scheduled for October 7–9, 2025, at the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center in Reykjavík, Iceland – is a collaborative workshop to advance ecological risk assessment and hazard evaluation. The 2025 summit will focus on the application and implementation of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to reduce and replace acute fish testing and to advance the science for evaluating chemical endocrine activity potential for fish and amphibians, focusing on the use of animal alternatives and harmonizing in vivo testing. Organized by a diverse tripartite planning committee and co-sponsored by the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, the UK National Centre for the 3Rs, and the International Collaboration for Cosmetic Safety, the event will feature interactive sessions, poster presentations, and group discussions, fostering innovation and collaboration among experts from academia, government, industry, and NGOs.

Meeting Website: https://innovateeco2025.org/

Welcoming Baby Casen to the HESI Family

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HESI Scientific Program Manager Chrissy Crute and her partner, Justin, welcomed Casen into their family on September 17. He is a very happy boy, regularly laughing at his mom’s silly faces and enjoying wet kisses from their two dogs. Casen has already been doted on by his HESI family, including a custom-made TGx-DDI onesie gifted by Board Chair Carole Yauk.

We are also thrilled to welcome Chrissy back to work!

RECENT EVENTS

Risk Assessment Training and Presentation in Bangkok, Thailand

13-14 December 2024

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Michelle Embry, HESI Deputy Director, served as a lecturer at the International Training Course on Environmental Health Risk Assessment and Management of Toxic Chemicals on December 13-14, 2024. The course was attended by 26 participants and students from 14 countries including Bhutan, Botswana, Cambodia, China, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Zambia.

As part of the training, a hands-on exercise featured a case study on human health and ecological risk assessment of methylmercury in Thai fish.  The case study, developed by Sandrine Deglin and Michelle Embry, utilized RISK21 as a framework to engage participants in practical applications of risk assessment.

In addition to her role as lecturer, Dr. Embry delivered an invited presentation titled “Towards One Health: Toxicokinetics at the Intersection of Human and Ecological Health” at the 9th Princess Congress on The Challenges of One Health in Bangkok, Thailand.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Reach out to connect with HESI members if you are attending!

Click the HESI Event Page link in the table below for full details on each event

Meeting Date Location HESI Event Page HESI Committee Type

11-13 February 2025

Raleigh, NC, USA

2025 Toxicology Forum Winter Meeting eSTAR Meeting Session
13-14 February 2024 Virtual 3rd International Conference Genotoxic Compounds eSTAR, GTTC Presentation
16-19 February 2025 Santa Fe, NM, USA Keystone Symposium: Proximity-Based Therapeutics: Targeted Protein Degradation and Other Pharmacological Approaches Presenting TPDS

Postponed to
7-8 October 2025
Hybrid NAMs in DevTox Testing: Moving the Needle Forward DART Workshop
16-20 March 2025 Orlando, FL, USA 2025 Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting and ToxExpo eSTAR Symposium
4-5 June 2025 Washington, DC, USA HESI Biannual Meeting HESI Meeting Organizer
24-26 June 2025 Durham, NC, USA HESI Transcriptomic Point of Departure (POD) Workshop eSTAR Workshop
14-17 September 2025 Athens, Greece EuroTox 2025 BSC, eSTAR Meeting Session

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

HESI THRIVE 2025 GRANT

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The HESI THRIVE 2025 Seed Grant Program is accepting Letters of Intent until April 7, 2025. This grant of up to $50,000 USD supports innovative research aimed at predicting, preventing, and reducing adverse effects from cancer therapy. To learn more about this unique funding opportunity, visit the webpage at https://hesithrive.org/.

Scientific Program Manager

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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.

FROM THE LEADERSHIP

Syril Pettit, DrPH, MEM

HESI Executive Director

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We are in a snowy and frozen setting here in Washington, DC, this month—but that hasn’t stopped HESI from getting off to a great start in 2025. Our Board arrives next week, who will help set the agenda for HESI’s strategic efforts for the coming year. In addition to programmatic work, the June 2025 HESI Biannual Conference program design is nearing completion, and we couldn’t be more excited about this innovative agenda! Keep watching this space for links to the full agenda and speakers list—as well as for registration opening in early February. The meeting will be held at the beautiful Kavli Auditorium at the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) building in Washington, DC. The NAS is a fitting setting for a meeting about building a framework for the integration of AI into human and environmental health protection. I look forward to working with all of you in 2025!

Warm regards,

Syril Pettit, DrPH, MEM
HESI Executive Director

Contact Us

Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI)

hesi@hesiglobal.org
Phone: +1-202-659-8404
Fax: +1-202-659-8403

740 15th Street NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005

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