From Findings to Meaning: Interpretation of Maternal and Developmental Toxicity
8.21.26
DATE: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
TIME: 9:30–10:30 a.m. EDT
WHERE: Free online webinar, register here
Developmental findings observed in high-dose animal studies are often central to regulatory discussions, yet interpreting their meaning requires careful scientific evaluation.
Join scientists from the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) and invited experts for a presentation by Kirsten Hartman-Van Dycke, PhD, and Ladan Fakhrzadeh, PhD, DABT. They will examine how dose, biology, mode of action, and weight-of-evidence considerations help distinguish primary developmental toxicity from effects secondary to maternal or systemic toxicity and inform evaluations of human relevance. Following the presentation, Danielle Botelho, PhD, will moderate a panel discussion with the presenters, Aldert H. Piersma, PhD, and Kaushal Joshi, PhD, DABT.
The session will provide practical insight into an important question in modern hazard evaluation: When does an observed effect represent a direct developmental concern, and when is it a consequence of broader toxicity at extreme dose levels?
Program
Introduction: Anne Marie Api, PhD, ATS, President, RIFM
Presentation
- Kirsten Hartman-Van Dycke, PhD, Group Leader, DART, Charles River Laboratories, Den Bosch
- Ladan Fakhrzadeh, PhD, DABT, Advanced Toxicology Associate, ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences Inc.
Panel discussion
The panelists Kirsten Hartman-Van Dycke, PhD, and Ladan Fakhrzadeh, PhD, DABT, will be joined by:
- Aldert H. Piersma, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Reproductive Toxicology at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) of Utrecht University in the Netherlands
- Kaushal Joshi, PhD, DABT, Principal Scientist, Repeated Dose and Reproductive Toxicology, RIFM
Moderator: Danielle Botelho, PhD, Director of Scientific Operations, RIFM
Attendance is free, but registration is required.