Network for Early-Stage Toxicologists (NEST)

Barbara currently works as a Technical Expert in Toxicology for Syngenta, specialising in predictive and mechanistic toxicology and endocrine disruption.

Before joining Syngenta in 2023, she completed her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences at Masaryk University, Czech Republic, and worked on a post-doc position with the UK Health Security Agency on the GOLIATH project.

Both, her PhD project and post-doc at the UKHSA aimed at increasing regulatory acceptance and the development of in vitro test methods for human developmental neurotoxicity, endocrine, and metabolic disruption.

She is passionate about New Approach Methodologies for human health hazard and risk assessment, and about supporting early stage scientists in their professional development.

In her free time she likes to spend time with her family and explore the Great Outdoors.

João works at Imperial Brands as a product stewardship toxicologist, with an important role in the human health risk assessment and regulatory compliance of oral nicotine products including nicotine pouches and SNUS.

He completed a BSc in Forensic Science at Egas Moniz School of Health & Science and an MSc in Forensic Toxicology at the University of Huddersfield.

Soon after finishing his master’s, João worked at the stability department at Recipharm as a quality control analyst before joining Imperial Brands in 2022.

He has an interest in the study of adverse outcome pathways and in silico tools, and in his spare time, enjoys playing music and cooking.

Emma currently works as an experimental toxicologist at the UK Health security Agency. Her current work is focused on validation of in vitro methods in collaboration with a focus on endocrine and thyroid hormone disruption.

Previously she studied Biochemistry specialising in genetics as an undergraduate, continued by a Masters in Toxicology at the University of Birmingham graduating in 2022. Currently, she is undertaking a part time PhD with the School of Public Health at Imperial College London with a focus on Phase II metabolism in in vitro cell models.

Rachel works as a Research scientist at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). She is based within the Bioaerosols Team in the Toxicology Department investigating the impact of environmental and human microbial communities on human health. Her work is part of the Chemical Threats and Hazards Health Protection Research Unit in collaboration with the University of Leicester and Health and Safety Executive.

Prior to this, Rachel obtained her PhD at UKHSA in collaboration with St George’s University of London assessing the impact of cigarettes and e-cigarettes on respiratory viruses. She also completed a Masters in Molecular Biosciences graduating form the University of Bath in 2021.

After completing my BSc in Forensic Science at Keele University and my MSc in Forensic Investigation at Cranfield University, I went on to work within the field of forensic toxicology at Eurofins Forensic Services as a reporting scientist. I worked on reporting and peer reviewing cases that related to a range of drink and or drug driving traffic offences and when required, presented findings in court.

I then moved away from forensic toxicology and joined Imperial Brands as a product stewardship toxicologist where I focus on risk assessing vape products for their human health risks and ensuring compliance with various regulatory authorities.

Mesha currently works at Unilever’s Safety, Environmental, and Regulatory Sciences (SERS) as a predictive toxicologist. Mesha specialises in utilising in silico predictions and read across as alternatives to animal testing within human health business, capability, and regulatory contexts. Her passion lies in advancing knowledge in new approach methodologies (NAMs) and applying this to next generation risk assessments (NGRA).

Before joining Unilever, she completed a MSc in Toxicology at the University of Birmingham and a BSc in Chemistry at Liverpool John Moores University.

She enjoys exercising, reading, and spending time with loved ones in her spare time.

Jo currently works as a Toxicologist at a governmental research laboratory. Her work aims to hazard assess compounds of interest. This is mainly done using in silico prediction models. Other areas of interest are using simple model organisms such as Danio rerio as models for toxicity, and using new approach methodologies to assess respiratory effects from chemical exposure.

Prior to her role, Jo studied for her BSc in Pharmacology before completing her PhD at the University of Southampton.

In her spare time, Jo likes to rock climb, travel and bake lots of cake.