Application of New Approach Methodologies for Risk Assessment of Foodborne Neurotoxic Contaminants

Summary

Traditional risk assessment relies heavily on animal testing to determine safe intake levels of chemical exposure for protecting human health. However, concerns about the ethical and practical relevance of using animal data for assessing human health risks have been growing. To address this, my PhD research focuses on using computational modeling to determine safe exposure levels for common neurotoxic contaminants in food, such as marine biotoxins and organophosphate pesticides, without generating new animal data. By applying the model to both rodents and humans, my research highlights differences between species and individuals. Through human-specific modeling, we can establish more accurate safe dose levels. Overall, my work demonstrates how computational modeling can serve as an alternative to animal testing in evaluating human health risks from exposure to neurotoxic chemicals, highlighting its potential for a broader application of more chemicals and supporting a shift toward animal-free risk assessment.