RIFM’s Gretchen Ritacco, MS, Shortlisted for Inaugural Changemaker Award
5.29.26
The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) is pleased to share that Gretchen Ritacco, MS, Manager, Scientific Operations & Exposure Modeling at RIFM, has been shortlisted for the inaugural Changemaker Award presented by Replacing Animal Research, a UK-based organization dedicated to advancing human-relevant science and replacement methodologies.
The Changemaker Award was established to recognize individuals who help drive meaningful change in research by advancing non-animal approaches, scientific innovation, education, policy, and advocacy. According to Replacing Animal Research, the award celebrates those “championing the replacement of animals and creating change in research,” particularly individuals advancing modern scientific methods.
Ms. Ritacco was nominated by colleagues at the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) in recognition of her contributions to the development and advancement of non-animal approaches to fragrance safety assessment, including work on photosafety endpoints and exposure-driven safety evaluation.
In a letter announcing the shortlist, Replacing Animal Research noted that the judging panel was “so impressed” by the nomination and commended the “fantastic work” being done to develop non-animal test methods addressing photosafety endpoints.
At RIFM, Ms. Ritacco’s work supports the Institute’s broader scientific mission to advance human health risk assessment by leveraging high-quality existing data, exposure science, computational approaches, and other modern scientific methodologies. Her work contributes to ongoing efforts across the scientific community to improve the relevance, efficiency, and predictive value of safety assessment approaches.
“We are proud to see Gretchen’s contributions recognized by organizations working to advance human-relevant science,” said RIFM President Anne Marie Api, PhD, Fellow ATS. “This recognition reflects both Gretchen’s scientific leadership and the collaborative efforts across the broader scientific community to continue evolving modern safety assessment approaches.”
About Replacing Animal Research
Replacing Animal Research (formerly FRAME) is a UK charity dedicated to supporting and promoting the replacement of animals in scientific research through human-relevant methods, scientific collaboration, education, and policy engagement.