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4th Online Workshop on Harmonisation and Standardisation of Test Methods: The Challenges of NAMs and Advanced Materials
Description
What the workshop will cover
The workshop will review the current state of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for human and environmental safety testing. It will examine strategies for closing the gaps in harmonised testing standards and give an overview of how regulators are approaching NAMs. Interactive sessions with international experts will bring developers, regulators and industry into direct discussion.
The workshop is co-organised by the Horizon Europe projects CHIASMA, DESIDERATA, iCARE, NAMWISE, nanoPASS and RADAR, together with the Malta Initiative.
Online, 24 and 25 November 2026, 10:00–16:00 CET. Participation is free of charge.
For questions about the workshop, contact info@desiderata-project.eu.
Agenda
All times are in Central European time (CET)
24 November
| 10.00-10.10 | Welcome and introductions | Wanda van der Stel (RIVM) |
| Session 2 (Due to time zones) NAMs in non-EU Countries – Chair Blanca Suarez Merino (NIA) | ||
| 10.10-10.30 | Development of a New In Vitro Test Method for Evaluating the Immunotoxicity of Inhaled Nanomaterials through Measurement of Activation in Tissue-Resident Alveolar Macrophages | Takao Ashikaga (Section Chief, National Institute of Health Sciences) and Yuki Yamamoto (CEO, HiLung Inc.) |
| Session 1 Introduction to NAMs Policy, Regulations and Future Direction – Chair Wanda van der Stel (RIVM) | ||
| 10.30-10.50 | NAMs in regulatory assessment | Elise GRIGNARD (Policy analyst, OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)) |
| 10.50-11.10 | TBC: DG RTD role in the future of NAMs | Fergal Donnelly (DG RTD) |
| 11.10-11.30 | TBC: How does ECHA see NAMs | Tomasz Sobanski (ECHA) |
| 11.30-11.40 | Coffee BREAK | |
| 11.40-12.00 | EFSA work on NAMs and phasing out animal testing | Sofia Batista Leite (Pesticide Peer review Unit, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)) |
| 12.00-12.20 | TBC: VAMAS’s role in NAMs development | Sam Gnaniah (NPL) |
| 12.20-12.40 | TBC: NAMs qualification scheme from NAMs4Nano | Andrea Haase (BfR) |
| 12.40-13.00 | ECVAM’s perspectives on the acceptance of NAMs for chemical safety assessment | Ingrid Langezaal (Scientific Project Officer, European Commission Joint Research Centre) |
| 13.00-13.20 | Validation strategies for regulatory acceptance of NAMs | Kevin Schlüppmann (Validation Project Manager, Pepper) |
| 13.20-13.50 | Lunch | |
| Session 3 Part 1: Integrating NAMs into frameworks – Chair Sean Kelly (NIA) | ||
| 13.50-14.10 | TBC: Integration of NAMs in IATAs to stimulate acceptance | Kristie Sullivan (Institute for In Vitro Sciences) |
| Session 2 NAMs in non-EU Countries – Chair Blanca Suarez Merino (NIA) | ||
| 14.10-14.30 | From Promising Biology to Trusted Safety Assays: Advancing Cardiac and Neural NAMs Towards Regulatory Use | Mike Clements (SVP Scientific Partnerships & Strategy, Axion BioSystems) |
| 14.30-14.50 | Integrating New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for Safe and Sustainable Cosmetic Development | Damaris Cristine Marios Ferreira Pinto (Research Specialist, Boticario Group) |
| 14.50-15.10 | TBC: Developing of Absentia Labs Hepatotoxicity AI model as NAM on FDA’s iSTAND list | Robert Betancourt (Absentia Labs) |
| 15.10-15.50 | Panel discussion on NAMs development throughout the world. What role should Europe play? | All speakers Chair Blanca Suarez Merino (NIA) |
| 15.50 | Wrap-up and conclusions | Sean Kelly (NIA) |
| 16.00 | Close | |
25 November
| 10.00-10.10 | Welcome and introductions | Chair Elisabeth Heunisch (BAuA) |
| Session 3 Part 2: Integrating NAMs into frameworks – Chair Sean Kelly (NIA) | ||
| 10.10-10.30 | TBC: SSbD Hubs and the use of NAMs | Hedwig Braakhuis (TNO) |
| Session 4 Developing and Using NAMs – Chair Elisabeth Heunisch (BAuA) | ||
| 10.30-10.50 | TBC: In silico from the Desiderata project | Anastasios (Tassos) Papadiamantis (Entelos) |
| 10.50-11.10 | TBC: High content, high throughput imaging assays – towards multi-parameteric NAMs | Jacek Kolanowski (IBCH PAS) |
| 11.10-11.30 | In-vitro-learned digital twin: a NAM for chronic lung inflammation | Janez Štrancar (CEO, Infinite d.o.o. / Infinite Biotech) |
| 11.30-11.40 | Coffee Break | |
| 11.40-12.00 | TBC: Transcriptomics in the Desiderata project | Jack Morikka (TAU) |
| 12.00-12.20 | TBC: Applied Omics: High-Throughput NAMs for SSbD | Francisco Jose Roig Molina |
| 12.20-12.50 | Panel discussion | All speakers Chair: Elisabeth Heunisch (BAuA) |
| 12.50 | Lunch Break | |
| Session 5 Developing and Using NAMs Part 2 – Chair Alberto Katsumiti (Gaiker) | ||
| 13.20-13.40 | Beyond the guideline endpoint: what sub-lethal responses add to harmonized testing of advanced materials | Kahina Mehennaoui (Senior R&T Associate, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)) |
| 13.40-14.00 | TBC: In silico in the Desiderata project | Santiago Aparicio (UBU) |
| 14.00-14.20 | Application of NAM-based in vitro screening model for the neurotoxicity assessment of advanced materials. | Itziar Polanco Garriz (PhD student/researcher at GAIKER Research Centre) |
| 14.20-14.40 | TBC: CHIASMA project work on in vitro model validation | Wanda van der Stel (RIVM) |
| 14.40-15.40 | Panel discussion | All speakers Chair Alberto Katsumiti, Gaiker |
| 15.40 | Wrap-up and Summary | Sean Kelly (NIA) |
| 16.00 | Meeting close | |
Why Attend?
- Review of the current state of NAMs development for human and environmental safety testing
- Strategies for closing gaps in harmonised testing standards
- Overview of regulators’ approaches to NAMs
- Collaboration between method developers, regulators and industry
- Interactive sessions with international experts
Relevant for
Researchers, industry, standardisation bodies, regulators and all other interested stakeholders. Participation is free of charge and registration is open to all.
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Event Schedule & Venue:
Online Event
Tuesday, November 24, 2026
10:00 AM -
4:00 PM
CET