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The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) will be represented for the first time at the Association of Inhalation Toxicologists (AIT) Annual Conference, taking place June 2–5, 2025, in Milton Keynes, UK. Principal Scientist Nikaeta Sadekar, PhD, DABT, who leads RIFM’s Respiratory Toxicology Research and Safety Assessment Programs, will deliver both an oral presentation and a scientific poster.

Her talk, “New Approach Methods for Drawing Human-Relevant Safety Conclusions from Short-Term Exposure Studies Using In Vitro Respiratory Models,” highlights the growing demand for non-animal approaches in inhalation safety. She will outline how RIFM integrates in vitro and in silico assays to generate human-relevant data for respiratory risk assessments, particularly in the absence of defined methodologies for predicting local respiratory effects.

Dr. Sadekar will also present a poster on the challenges of using human clinical data to identify respiratory sensitizers, summarizing recommendations from a European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC) Task Force. The work emphasizes the need for better regulatory definitions, improved clinical data quality, and clearer guidance to support the development and application of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).

“There’s a common perception that inhalation exposure to fragrance ingredients is intense or prolonged,” said Dr. Sadekar. “In reality, what we encounter in real-world settings is often a trace amount that disperses quickly. At RIFM, we work to ensure that exposure levels remain safe using advanced, human-relevant science.”

Dr. Sadekar’s presentation is scheduled for Thursday, June 5, 2025, at 9:00 AM. For more on the conference, visit the Association of Inhalation Toxicologists at www.aitoxicology.org/conference-announcement.