TWIN ALT - Key Persons
She graduated from the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection
at the University of Lodz. In 2019 she received a doctoral degree in
Barbara Viviani is doctor in Biological Sciences and Associate Professor of Pharmacology. As such she is tenure of courses in the field of Toxicology at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Milan. She has been Chair of the Bachelor in Chemical Safety and Toxicological Environmental Sciences, tenure at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, Tirana, and board member of the PhD course in Environmental Sciences. Along with her academic activity, she has successfully supervised >50 undergraduated students and 3 PhD students to completion.
As member of the Section of Toxicology and Risk Assessment at DiSFeB, Barbara Viviani collaborates with the Center for the Evaluation of the Toxicological Risk (UMIL) and, in between 2014-2019, collaborated with the European Food Safety Authority as scientific expert. At EFSA she has been involved in the execution of a Scientific Opinions of the PPR and CONTAM Panels. In this context, to improve her understanding, uptake and use of the best risk assessment practices developed by EFSA, she attended at the EFSA Systematic review training (Sessions attended: Full process; protocol development; data extraction, heterogeneity, meta-analysis) and Adverse Outcome Pathway Course. The activity in the field of Toxicology leaded Barbara Viviani to became member of the Executive Committee of the Italian Society of Toxicology (SITOX) and serve on editorial board of toxicology journals.
Research activity. She obtained her Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine at the University of Milan in 1994 with a thesis on: " Cytotoxicity of trisubstituted organotin compounds: molecular mechanisms". Part of the PhD project (1992-1994) was developed at the Karolinska Institutet, Department of Toxicology in Stockholm supported by a fellowship from the European Science Foundation to evaluate the neurotoxicity of metals in vitro. Based on the results obtained, she was supported back at UMIL as partner in a project of the European Community for the "Development of new sensitive end-points to assess cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of environmental pollutants in the nervous system" (CEE Environment Programme). This scientific experience was the starting point of a longstanding research activity investigating (i) molecular mechanisms of environmental contaminants (among which Plant Protection Products), (ii) the role of sex hormones, steroids and their metabolites in the progression of neurological disorders, (iii) the development of in vitro models applied to the study of biological and chemical agents. This last topic leaded to collaborate with the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research to the EFSA tender OC/EFSA/PRAS/2015/07 "Literature review and appraisal on alternative neurotoxicity methods", also applying EFSA Systematic Review guidelines.
Most recently, Barbara Viviani has been working with the AOP concept actively promoted by OECD and became a member of the OECD Advisory Group on Molecular Screening and Toxicogenomics (EAGMST, section: Handbook, Guidance and Gardening) with a role in AOP coaching. This activity started participating to the execution of a Scientific Opinion of the PPR Panel investigating experimental toxicology data of pesticides and their potential link to Parkinson's disease and childhood leukaemia and leaded to the publication of two papers in peer-reviewed journals.
PhD a graduate of the University of Łódź, Faculty of Biology and Earth Sciences (specialization: microbiology). In 2010 obtained the title of doctor of medical sciences. Since 1999 employed at the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź at the Department of Toxicology and Carcinogenesis.
Senior Scientist and Section leader for the Health Effects Laboratory (NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research). She is a toxicologist and has more than 20 years' experience in (nano)toxicology, in vitro models, neurobiology, genotoxicity, and has also and has extensive experience in GLP. She is European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) and is also appointed member of the Norwegian ERT committee for approval of ERT toxicologists and the Norwegian Scientific committee for food and environment. She participated in many projects granted by EU or national research council, and has good experience with project management.
Emanuela Corsini has a PhD in Food and Environmental Toxicology and is Full Professor of Toxicology at the University of Milan. As such, she is tenure of courses in the field of Toxicology at the Faculty of Pharmacy, she is also board member of the PhD course in Environmental Sciences. Along with her academic activity, she has successfully supervised >60 undergraduate students and several PhD students. She is active in numerous scientific and professional organizations related to toxicology, and she serves on several editorial boards of toxicology journals. From 2013 she is member of the EUROTOX Executive Committee; 2019 President of Immunotoxicology Specialty Section at SOT, 2017-2019 member of the Award Committee at SOT, from 2019 she serves as Secretary General of IUTOX. Regarding the research activity, this has developed over 30 years, along two main lines, always referable to the study of the pharmacology and toxicology of the immune system. The research moved in the context of immunotoxicology and immunopharmacology with the study of substances with allergenic / irritating action for the skin and immunotoxic substances such as pesticides, endocrine disruptors and nanoparticles. In general, the overall research has been developed in the framework of national and international projects and resulted more of 190 scientific papers published in peer-review journals and several book chapters.
Job Titles:
- Researcher
- Researcher / Associate Professor at Department of Translational Research of Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine ( Lodz, Poland )
She is a graduate of Medical University of Lodz (Public Health, 2004) and Technical University of Lodz (Biotechnology, 2006). She obtained her PhD in medical biology in 2010 and, and in 2018, she achieved habilitation.
She is interested in translational research, bridging the gap between experimental studies and epidemiological observations in the area of environmental cancer. Her main research interest is focused on selenium, essential trace element, and its role in cancer development.
She is an author or coauthor of 62 publications. h index = 21, citations > 1330, peer reviewed articles > 130. Member of the Federation of European Societies on Trace Elements and Minerals (FESTEM), and Polish Society of Toxicology (PTTox).
Gloria Melzi obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences in 2016 and a Master's Degree in Biology applied to research in Biomedicine al Sciences at Università degli Studi di Milano in 2018. She is a Ph.D. student in Pharmacological Biomolecular Sciences, experimental and clinical, at Università degli Studi di Milano. She is performing her research activity in the laboratory of genotoxicology supervised by prof. Marina Marinovich.
Research activity. She is studying to obtain her Ph.D. in Pharmacological Biomolecular Sciences, experimental and clinical with a project focused on the genotoxic evaluation of environmental pollutants. She is analyzing the genotoxicity of environmental PM samples with the classical genotoxicity assay and investigating the mechanisms of damage through a biomolecular approach based on the expression of DNA repair proteins.
A young researcher, the PhD student of health sciences, employed in Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lodz at the Department of Translational Research. Ms. Tarhonska is experienced in molecular biology, particularly in genetics, epigenetics and proteomics. Her research experience is connected with the field of genetic polymorphism, gene and protein expression and their role in the the genetic susceptibility and cancer etiology. Her research interests include the toxic effects of environmental cadmium exposure on initiation and progression of breast cancer. Ms. Tarhonska has been responsible as a supervisor in one of the national statutory projects in NIOM.
Melania Maria Serafini graduated in Biological Sciences at University of Milan, then she moved to the University of Pavia where she continued her studies with a Master degree in Neurobiology. In 2018, she obtained the PhD in Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology at Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS Pavia discussing a thesis about the relevance of the Nrf2 pathway in neurodegeneration and aging that she studied through the modulation of oxidative stress, inflammation and protein aggregation by nature-inspired new hybrids. Part of the PhD project was carried out in Germany at FAU University of Erlangen-Nuremberg under the supervision of prof. Stephan von Hoersten. Starting from September 2018, Melania developed her studies in the field of toxicology, joining as a post-doc the group of Toxicology and Risk Assessment under the supervision of prof. Barbara Viviani.
Assistant employed in Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lodz at the Department of Translational Research. She is a graduate of Medical University of Lodz (Medical biotechnology, 2013) and obtained PhD in medical biology in 2020. She was a principal investigator of research project (PRELUDIUM) financed by National Science Center of Poland. Monika Lesicka was awarded by The Marshal of the Łódź Voivodeship for the best PhD dissertations. Main research interest: Chronobiology, Circadian rhythm disruption in cancer biology, especially breast cancer.
Professor, In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology (Vrije Universiteit Brussel). Joery De Kock graduated in 2006 as Pharmacist from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and obtained his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences in May 2012 under the mentorship of Prof. Vera Rogiers. During his PhD, he managed for the first time to differentiate so-called human skin-derived precursor cells (hSKP) into hepatic cells. These hSKP-derived hepatic cells (hSKP-HPC) have provided a solid basis for multiple successful follow-up PhD projects over the last years. He is since 2017 a full-time Tenure Track professor affiliated to the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at the research group of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology (IVTD) and was previously a postdoctoral research fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) from 2012 until 2017. From 2016 to 2018, he was a visiting researcher at the Institute of Biotechnology of the RWTH Aachen University in Germany. During this period he acquired expertise in state-of-the-art directed protein evolution technology. His ongoing research uniquely combines gene and stem cell therapy with directed protein evolution technology in order to develop next generation medicines to cure inborn errors of liver metabolism.
Molecular biologist, head of the Department of Translational Research, Deputy Director of the Institute of Occupational Medicine for Research. President of the Łódź Branch of the Polish Toxicological Society. Member of the Working Time Society, Cancer Epigenetics Society and the Polish Biochemical Society. Member of the Field Council of Life Sciences at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. The current scientific achievements include over 70 publications. Manager and contractor of many research projects financed through national and international competitions, incl. NCN and PNRF / EEA. Reviewer of publications in journals and scientific projects, incl. as part of the National Science Center, Ministry of Science and Higher Education and COST. Her research interests include disorders of the circadian rhythm and their impact on the functioning of the body, including the mechanisms of cancer development and other civilization diseases. She has been repeatedly invited to give lectures on chronobiology, genetics and epigenetics at conferences, conventions and seminars. Organizer of student apprenticeships and internships at IMP.
Maria Dusinska, research professor (DSc.), is senior scientist and director of GLP laboratory at NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research. She has extensive experience in the field of environment and health, biomonitoring and biomarkers, DNA damage and repair, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity, nanotoxicology, hazard and risk assessment, in vitro toxicology and new advanced models. She published more than 350 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals and several book chapters, has over 8000 SCI citations (WoS exl. Self-citations), over 11000 (Research Gate, excl. self-citation), h-score of 46 (WoS). She coordinates large EU H2020 project RiskGONE, coordinated FP7 project NanoTEST, coordinated EU FP5 project Centre of Excellence in Environmental Health HEAR NAS and has been involved in many EU-funded, EURONANOMED, bilateral and national projects. She is a members of Scientific committee for consumer safety (SCCS), a member of EFSA cross-cutting working group on genotoxicity, and editor of scientific journals Mutation Research, F&CHT, Basic Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Nanomaterials and Frontiers in Toxicology.
Job Titles:
- Researcher
- Member of the Innovation Centre
in 2018, Quinten Marcelis graduated cum laude from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel with a Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a focus on Drug Development. He is now a Ph.D. student at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel's department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology (IVTD) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ir. Tamara Vanhaecke.
He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, with research focusing on the safety assessment of feminine intimate products while utilizing new approach methodologies.
Job Titles:
- Researcher
- Fellow at the Department of in Vitro Toxicology
Robim Marcelino Rodrigues is an assistant professor and postdoctoral fellow at the department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology (IVTD) of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) (Belgium). He holds a MSc Biotechnology from the University of Ghent(Belgium) and obtained his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the VUB under (co)promotorship of Prof. Dr. Rogiers, Prof. Dr. Vanhaecke and Prof. Dr. De Kock. Before starting his doctorate, Robim worked for several organizations, including the Institute of Health and Consumer Protection of the European Commission's Joint Research Center (Italy) and the United Nations World Food Programme (Mozambique). After obtaining his PhD, he was a research fellow at the National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (USA) for nearly 4 years. Robim's research focusses on the development and application of in vitro models, including human stem cellbased models, for hepatotoxicity testing and liver disease modeling. He is investigating the mechanisms of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) and how preclinical models can be appliedto evaluate the anti-NAFLD properties of potential new molecules
Sara Sepehri is a PhD student at In-vitro Toxicology and Dermato-cosmetology (IVTD), VUB, Brussels, with a background in pharmacy (UCLouvain, Brussels) and cosmetic science (LJMU, Liverpool). Duri ng her years of pharmacy study, she worked in the endocrinology research laboratory with laboratory animals investigating the role of specific group of chemicals called "Glucokinase activator" in diabetes.
At Liverpool John Moores University, she wrote her thesis in the chemoinformatics research group about the mechanistic of neurotoxicity starting at mitochondrial dysfunction within the AOP framework. Under Tamara Vanhaecke's supervision, her project consists of developing an in vitro model using human ste m cells integrated with computational approaches to predict steatosis
Head, In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology (Vrije Universiteit Brussel). Tamara Vanhaecke is Full Professor Toxicology and Head of the Department In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology (IVTD) at the faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), that is striving for excellence in the domain of 3R alternative methods, referring to the Reduction, Replacement, Refinement of animal use in research and (regulatory) testing. She has a background in cell and gene biotechnology, holds a doctoral degree in experimental in vitro toxicology, is a European registered toxicologist and a trained chemical risk assessor. Her research is focused on the development and optimization of human relevant liver-based in vitro systems to be used for the detection of chemical-induced liver toxicity and in vitro modelling of liver diseases. She also has several research collaborations with Sciensano (Belgian public institution for public and animal health) that address toxicity concerns related to different types of consumer products including e-cigarettes, food contact materials, cosmetics and feminine intimate products. She has more than 180 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and books, and is reviewer for several scientific journals in the field of pharmaco-toxicology, (in vitro) toxicology and hepatology. At the European level, she is Member of the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
Valentina Galbiati received her doctorate in Pharmacological Sciences from University of the Study of Milan (Italy) in 2015 and was a postdoctoral fellow at University of the Study of Milan (Italy) from 2015-2020. From September 2020 she is a Researcher at Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of the Study of Milan (Italy), where she conducts research in field of Immunotoxicology and In Vitro alternative methods. As such she is tenure of courses in the field of Safety and Toxicology of Nanoparticles at the Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Milan. Along with her academic activity, she has successfully supervised 30 undergraduated students and 1 PhD students to completion. She served on the ITCASS (Immunotoxicology and Chemical Allergy Specialty Section - EUROTOX) Committee as Councilor (2018 - 2019) and subsequently as Chair (2019 - up to now). She served as the Postdoctoral Representative for the ITSS (SOT - March 2021 - up to now). She is a member of the SOT and SITOX.
Research activity. She obtained her Ph.D. Pharmacological Sciences in 2014, defending an experimental thesis titled: "Assessment of the allergenic potential of xenobiotics: in vivo in vitro a back-and-forth approach ". During the Ph.D. period she was a visiting scientist at the University of Barcelona, Faculty of Pharmacy and at the University of Friburg, Medical Centre - Allergy Research Group. In 2011 she took part of the course: "Chemical exposure experiments EST1000 cultures for Demo Assay" University Medical Centre - VUMC (Netherland). She always worked in the field of Immunotoxicity, and in particular she was involved in the alternative in vitro methods to assess the phenomena of allergic contact dermatitis. She was the Principle Investigator for the Colgate-Palmolive Grant for Alternative Research - SOT 2018 Award and partecipated during her carrier in 14 research projects.
She is author/co-author of 47 publications including peer-reviewed articles.
A young researcher, employed in the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lodz at the Department of Translational Research, graduated from Warsaw University of Life Sciences, majoring in biotechnology. Her scientific experience includes immunology and cell biology. She organized many science-related events, including awarded students conferences. Zuzanna participated in toxicology and nanotoxicology projects and currently is a project leader of one of the statutory projects in NIOM, implementing a new method of alternative toxicity testing.