59th Annual Meeting | 2025 Robert Bedoukian Award | Leading the Conversation | Milestones and Momentum | Excellence in Action
G. Frank Gerberick, PhD, is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in the fields of skin sensitization, photosafety, and respiratory allergy. With over three decades of experience in immunology, microbiology, and toxicology, he has played a pivotal role in advancing non-animal methods and innovative approaches to safety assessment for consumer products and fragrance ingredients.
Trained in immunology and microbiology, Dr. Gerberick holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from West Virginia University School of Medicine, an MS in Microbiology from Duquesne University, and a BS in Biological Sciences from PennWest Edinboro. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in Immunology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Gerberick spent 31 years at The Procter & Gamble Company, where he served as a Victor Mills Society Research Fellow, the company’s highest scientific distinction. During his tenure, he developed and validated novel methods for assessing skin allergy, respiratory allergy, and phototoxicology risks, including the groundbreaking Direct Peptide Reactivity Assay (DPRA), a cornerstone of today’s animal-alternative approaches to evaluating skin sensitization potential. His work has shaped international testing guidelines and regulatory frameworks, and his research continues to influence dermatotoxicology and immunotoxicology across industries.
Following his retirement from P&G in 2018, Dr. Gerberick founded GF3 Consultancy, LLC, providing scientific guidance worldwide to organizations advancing alternative testing strategies. He also continues to mentor researchers and helps drive the development of the next generation of in vitro toxicology methods.
In recent years, Dr. Gerberick has worked closely with the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM), lending his expertise to ongoing research on skin sensitization, respiratory allergy, and the development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for photoallergy. Known for his calm, methodical approach and collaborative spirit, he is widely admired as both a scientific innovator and a generous mentor.
The Robert Bedoukian Excellence in Science Award honors Dr. Gerberick’s enduring contributions to the science of fragrance safety and his commitment to advancing rigorous, humane, and innovative toxicological methods. He has received numerous international honors in addition, including the SmithKline Beecham Laboratory Animal Welfare Prize, the Society of Toxicology’s Animal Welfare Award, the William and Eleanor Cave Award, and the Lush Black Box Prize, and was further recognized as the 2017 Alexander A. Fisher Lecturer by the American Contact Dermatitis Society and the 2019 recipient of the Vos Award for Career Achievement in Immunotoxicology from the Society of Toxicology.
Dr. Gerberick’s work continues to exemplify the leadership, integrity, and curiosity that define excellence in fragrance safety science.
The Robert Bedoukian Excellence in Fragrance Science Award (formerly the RIFM Board of Directors Excellence in Science Award) honors those whose contributions meet the highest standards in the industry for excellence and distinction by conducting original research and publishing in peer-reviewed journals on fragrance chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, biotechnology, toxicology, medicine, psychology, and public health. The previous award recipients were Robert “Bob” Safford (2024), Daniel C. Liebler (2023), Benjamin Smith (2022), Andreas Natsch (2021), Peter Cadby (2020), and David R. Bickers (2019).
