Speciality Sections
Toxicology has a broad remit and encompasses a range of sub-specialities and individual interests across the membership of the BTS. A major expectation of many members is for the BTS to keep them up to date with developments in their respective toxicological field, and to allow a forum for discussion and networking around their professional interests. To facilitate and address this, the BTS Scientific Subcommittee (SSC) endorses and supports a number of Speciality Sections to encourage networking, discussion and professional representation both within the BTS and the wider toxicology community. Each Speciality Section has a Co-ordinator who represents the Section on the SSC.
In particular, the Speciality Sections:
- Promote and facilitate networking, discussion, communication, collaboration and support among BTS members across their specialist area.
- Identify and propose areas of current interest for their respective membership to the SSC through identification of suitable topics and contributors for symposia at the BTS Annual Congress.
- Provide representation across their interest area within the BTS scientific and professional activities.
- Identify and promote opportunities for webinars, satellite meetings, and professional development events, with an expectation of at least one proposed webinar/meeting a year submitted to the SSC from each Speciality Section.
- Uphold the scientific quality of any BTS events relating to their specific speciality and activity.
- Interact with other learned societies, professional bodies and stakeholders in their speciality, on behalf of the BTS.
- Provide representation, when requested by the BTS Executive Committee, for media enquiries and consultations aligned to their specialist areas.
- Provide the SSC with a regular update on their activities, challenges and successes in February each year, for inclusion in the annual SSC report to the BTS Executive Committee.
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The current Speciality Sections are:
Ecotoxicology speciality section
Coordinators: Dr Natalie Burden & Dr Paula Garcia
Ecotoxicology is the discipline concerned with determining effects of chemicals on biological organisms especially at the population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. It is a multidisciplinary field, which integrates toxicology and ecology. Investigations are undertaken to prevent or remediate detrimental effects across different taxonomic groups, spanning plants, invertebrates, and vertebrate animals. The Ecotoxicology Speciality Section represents members involved with, or interested in, basic ecotoxicology research, as well as applied ecotoxicology testing and assessment for regulatory/product registration purposes, crossing the boundaries of industry, government / regulatory bodies, and academic institutions. Ecotoxicology is relevant to all industry sectors of the BTS membership, including those in the pharmaceutical, industrial chemical, food and agrochemical industries. Specific areas within the practice of ecotoxicology are also relevant to human toxicology (e.g. application of pathways-based approaches and cross-species extrapolation). This Speciality Section provides a UK-focused forum for networking, communication, collaboration, discussion, and professional representation both within the BTS and the wider (eco)toxicology community.
Translational Toxicology speciality section
Coordinator: Dr Keith McLuckie
An important area of toxicology is in the support of development of new medical products (pharmaceuticals and medical devices), where Worldwide regulatory authorities (e.g., US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)) have requirements to test these potential treatments in various in vitro and in vivo systems before they can be given to/used by healthy subjects or patients within clinical trials, and subsequently marketed. Guidance on nonclinical aspects of develop medical product development has been published over many years: from regulatory authorities such as the FDA, MHRA, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) along with standalone organisations such as the WHO (World Health Organization), ICH (The International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and ISO (the International Organisiation for Standardisation).
Translational Toxicology, as applied to the development of medical products, is a constantly evolving field. Here an understanding of new advances in testing methodologies and capabilities, disease and safety testing models needs to be combined with awareness of effective regulatory strategies for different product types and for the different regulatory authorities. This speciality section works to enhance understanding of nonclinical aspects of medical product development in the UK’s pharmaceutical, medical device and toxicology industries.
Mechanistic & Discovery Toxicology speciality section
Coordinators: Dr Nic Coltman & Dr Francisco Inesta-Vaquera
The development of novel compounds for human exposure, particularly pharmaceuticals and personal care products, requires evaluation of the risk they pose to human health and wellbeing. It’s now widely accepted that earlier identification of unacceptable safety or toxicological risks during the discovery and pre-clinical phases of the development cycle is a significant objective ethically, financially, and in terms of optimal compound selection. Mechanistic and discovery toxicology is the discipline focused on predictive toxicological and safety evaluation studies to provide an integrated evaluation of both target-related and chemical-related safety liabilities prior to advancement of compounds into non-clinical and clinical development. The Mechanistic and Discovery Toxicology Speciality Section represents members involved with or interested in preclinical and safety assessment methodologies, with utility in a discovery research environment. This Speciality Section also leads on the provision of guidance and education around appropriate application of these approaches to refine or compliment current toxicological practices and frameworks used in research and development.
Clinical & Human Toxicology speciality section
Coordinator: Dr Mat van de Pette
The Clinical and Human Toxicology Speciality Section represents members with an interest in toxicology as it relates to individuals, populations and society as a whole. This crosses the boundaries of industry, regulatory bodies and academic institutions, as well as those interested in occupational medicine, clinical toxicology and epidemiology. This Speciality Section leads on the provision of guidance and education around fundamental mechanisms of toxicity within the clinic and the population, particularly identification, elucidation and management of exposure toxicities within the fields of occupational, regulatory and clinical toxicology.
Regulatory Toxicology speciality section
Coordinator: Dr Miriam Jacobs
The development of regulations governing products for human and animal exposure, and protection of public health are fundamentally grounded on sound science principles. However, ever increasing diversity of scientific innovation continually affects and drives many fields of toxicology, impacting upon regulatory science. It’s therefore of major importance that regulations reflect scientific progress, while maintaining their primary role in the protection of public health. The Regulatory Toxicology Speciality Section represents members involved in this area, and provides a key forum for exchange of views and advances in the scientific and regulatory arena. The topicality and diversity of topics addressed by the Speciality Section is relevant to all sectors of the BTS membership, including those in the pharmaceutical, industrial chemical, food and agrochemical industries. Similarly, the Speciality Section aims to be a primary conduit between regulatory agencies, industry, research organisations and academia.
Risk Assessment speciality section
Coordinator: Dr Susy Brescia
The science of toxicology is continually evolving and it’s therefore important that risk assessment methodologies, approaches and their underpinning principles evolve to keep abreast of these changes. Adaption to the altering toxicological landscape allows a robust communication and appraisal of scientific impact upon hazard and risk assessment. The Risk Assessment Speciality Section represents members with a wide range of toxicological interests, knowledge and skills, across all areas of working practices and environments. The overarching aim of this Speciality Section is to represent and communicate the interests of its members across the wider BTS community in terms of risk assessment advances and its knowledge base.
Computational & In silico Toxicology speciality section
Coordinators: Dr Alex Cayley & Dr Ciaran Fisher
The developmental of mathematical and computer-based models through the integration of toxicological data and information is now central to improved understanding and prediction of chemical risk, adverse health effects and toxicological mechanisms. The in silico study of interactions of putative toxicants and biological systems, at the molecular, cellular, organ, individual and population scale, allows a multidisciplinary approach in toxicological assessment with significant scope for a diverse range of applications, from risk prioritisation and mitigation to clinical exposure and epidemiology. The overarching aim of the Computational and In Silico Speciality Section is to scientifically advance data integration and modelling methods, thereby bridging the computational and life science domains, with a particular focus on model validation, interpretation, and practical applicability, both in the research and the regulatory context.
