Association of Government Toxicologists


Advancing the Next Generation Risk Assessment, Program Overview

Ila Cote, Ph.D.  
NexGen Program Director, United States Environmental Protection Agency , Washington, DC    

 

 7:00 pm, Tuesday March 22, 2011  

 (Preceded by AGT's traditional buffet available from 6:00 pm)

Preceded by AGT's traditional buffet available from 6:00 pm) U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

4330 East-West Highway, 4th Floor Bethesda, MD 20814

 

The Abstract:

The landscape of risk assessment is changing to an extent that significant transformation of risk assessment is needed. Drivers for change are phenomenal advances in molecular systems biology, the advent of several recent and important reports from the National Research Council concerning toxicity testing and risk assessment, dramatic new emphases on sustainable chemical design, and large volumes of new test data arising from the European Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals legislation, as well as US efforts, such as Tox21.  The European data alone may create the need for thousands of de novo risk assessments. These drivers prompted us to look anew at risk assessment and encouraged us to develop a strategy to help position the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the future, as well as to contribute to meaningful change within the larger risk assessment community. The objective of this effort is to expand substantially the use of molecular systems biology in risk assessment practice. This development of the Next Generation of Risk Assessments (NexGen) will be an iterative process―creating first approximation, learning from these efforts, and then refining the next versions based on this new knowledge. A key feature of this strategy is to engender movement toward practical application. The process, which we are currently beginning, is likely to take 10–20 years. We envision new assessment practices that have a variety of applications, including ranking chemicals for additional research, supporting regulatory decisions, and designing green chemistry choices across all stages of the chemical life cycle that reduce the intrinsic hazard of chemicals.  

 

The Guest Speaker:

Dr. Ila Cote is the NexGen Program Director. The NexGen program is a multi-agency effort to incorporate recent advances in molecular biology into risk assessment. It is anticipated that these recent advances will revolutionize toxicity testing and risk assessment. She is also a senior science advisor for EPA’s National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA). NCEA develops assessment that support decision-making for the Agency’s air, water and superfund programs.  In this latter role, she has been influential in many of the Agency’s most important assessments.   She has 30 years of experience in cell biology, risk assessment, and the interface of science and public policy. She is a board certified toxicologist.  In her last position she was the Director of NCEA’s Research Triangle Park Division, where, at the request of the Administrator of EPA, she revamped the National Ambient Air Quality Standards assessment process, meeting 6 court-ordered deadlines in 2 years and providing the scientific support for new standards for several air pollutants. Additional positions that she has held include: Associate Professor at the University of Colorado’s Departments of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Public Policy; Associate Director of EPA’s National Center for Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory; risk assessor in several regulatory offices; and Assistant Professor at New York University Medical Center’s Department of Environmental Medicine.  She has also has been an advisor to the Environmental Ministries of several foreign governments to develop their environmental policies and programs.   

 

Please RSVP by sending email to ahmokad@msn.com  before March 21, 2011. Please use in the email subject: Registration for March 2011 Seminar  

New Location for AGT Meeting :  U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 4330 East-West Highway, 4th Floor Bethesda, MD 20814

 

CPSC is located in Bethesda Towers, which is across the street from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.  We are in the North Tower, which is one of 3 buildings that make up Bethesda Towers.  The North Tower is at 4330 East-West Highway, which is the tower farthest from the Metro/Wisconsin Avenue.  Take the elevator to the 4 th  floor.  The meeting is in room 410 B/C.  

 

CPSC is 2˝ blocks from Bethesda Station on the Red Line, and about 2 miles from the Capital Beltway.  Underground parking is available until 7:00 p.m.  There are public garages and street parking with 2 blocks.   The building and garage entrances are locked at 7:00 p.m., so please arrive on time.  

 

Directions by Metro Rail

 At the top of the long escalator, turn right and go through the pedestrian tunnel, through the glass doors, up the short escalator, and out the doors in front of you. You'll be on East-West Highway. Turn right and walk about 2˝ blocks to CPSC's offices -- in the last of three very large white office buildings -- on your right (4330 East-West Highway). Take the elevator to the 4th floor.  

 

Driving Directions from the Capital Beltway Inner Loop (East Bound)  

1. Exit South to Wisconsin Avenue (also called Rte. 355/Rockville Pike) into downtown Bethesda.

2. Get in the left lane and pass the major intersection of Wisconsin Avenue, Old Georgetown Road, and East-West Highway. (You can't turn left onto East-West Highway; it's one-way.) 3. Turn left at the next intersection onto Montgomery Avenue. Keep in the left lane and bear left when the road splits at East-West Highway.

4. CPSC's offices will come up very quickly on your left (look for very large white office buildings). Turn left into the driveway and follow the signs to the underground parking garage.

5. Take the elevator in the North tower/building to the fourth floor to the Guard Station.

 

From the Capital Beltway Outer Loop (West Bound)  

1. Exit South to Connecticut Avenue (also called Rte. 185).

2. Pass the major intersection at Jones Bridge Road.  

3. Turn right at East-West Highway.

4. CPSC's offices are on your left (look for very large white office buildings). Turn left into the driveway and follow the signs to the underground parking garage.

5. Take the elevator in the North tower/building to the fourth floor to the Guard Station. Note that East-West Highway is one-way (Westbound) in the area near CPSC.  The East bound alternate is Montgomery Ave. 

Note

Note that East-West Highway is one-way (Westbound) in the area near CPSC.  The Eastbound alternate is Montgomery Ave.

Parking

There is underground parking at Bethesda Towers, but you must arrive by 7:00 p.m.  (You can leave any time, but you cannot enter after 7:00).  The cost is $3 is you arrive after 6:00 p.m., and $6 if you arrive between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.  There is free street parking behind and on the East side of BCC high school after 5:00 p.m.  A metered public parking garage is located at Montgomery Ave. and Waverly St. about two blocks away.  Parking is also available at the Air Rights Center on Montgomery Ave.  

Security The conference room is in a public area, so there is no need to go through security.  However, the building entrance is locked at 7:00 p.m., so please arrive before then.    Questions

For questions about meeting logistics contact Mike Babich at 301-504-7253 or mbabich@cpsc.gov.  If you encounter any difficulties on the evening of the meeting, call Mike’s cell phone 240-620-2900.

 

Bethesda Map