Date: Friday, 7th March 2025
Time: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM CET
Location: Hybrid (Physical & Online)

Details for joining physically: Sciensano Headquarters 14 rue Juliette Wytsmans/ Juliette Wytsmanstraat 1050 Bruxelles – Meeting room Nelis

More Information: alternative-project.eu

About the Workshop

The ALTERNATIVE project, funded under the Horizon 2020 programme, is developing an innovative platform for assessing the cardiotoxicity of chemicals. This platform is designed to help regulators and industry stakeholders identify, quantify, and prevent cardiotoxic co-exposures to industrial chemicals and pharmaceuticals in a cost-effective manner. By integrating cutting-edge methodologies, such as Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) networks, Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) tools, and Physiologically Based Kinetic (PBK) models, the project aims to improve chemical risk assessment and support regulatory decision-making.

This Stakeholder Briefing Workshop will provide an opportunity to present key developments from the ALTERNATIVE project and discuss their implications for the wider scientific and regulatory community. Participants will gain insights into the latest advancements in AOP network development, QSAR tools, and PBK models, as well as explore potential exploitation opportunities for the project’s outcomes. The event will feature presentations from project experts, followed by an open discussion where stakeholders can share their perspectives and ask questions.

Agenda and Key Topics

The workshop will begin with an overview of the ALTERNATIVE project’s progress, followed by four focused presentations.

• Presentation 1: AOP network development
• Presentation 2:  AI-Driven QSAR Models: Predicting Cardiotoxicity Through AOP Networks
  
• Presentation 3: The Role of Computational Tools in the Risk Assessment of Cardiotoxic Chemicals
  
• Presentation 4: Exploitation opportunities & discussion
• Open Discussion and Audience Q&A

Following the presentations, an open discussion and Q&A session will allow participants to engage directly with project experts and other stakeholders. This will be an opportunity to explore the potential implementation of the ALTERNATIVE platform in regulatory and industrial settings and discuss challenges and future directions.

Speakers

The workshop will feature contributions from key members of the ALTERNATIVE project team, including:

Alexandra Schaffert : Postdoctoral Researcher at FHAIVE at Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology in Finland

Alessandra Roncaglioni : Head of the Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Mario Negri Institute Milan, Italy

Edoardo Vigano : PhD student in Artificial Intelligence for experimental pharmacology, Mario Negri Institute Milan, Italy

Ronette Gehring : Professor of Veterinary Pharmacotherapeutics and Pharmacy at Utrecht University

Maria Zaragoza : Technology Consultant, Innovation Ecosystem and Policies, Eurecat, Barcelona

Discussion Points

• AOP network development: How did ALTERNATIVE project integrated technological innovations on the AOP network development?
• QSAR tools: How did the QSAR tools were developed in the project and their potential use?
• QSAR and PBK Models: Explain the case study including QSAR and PBK?
• Exploitation discussion with participants: Which are the most potential strategies and actions to make use of ALTERNATIVE results? How targeted stakeholders can boost their impact in the long-term?

Who Should Attend?

This event is particularly relevant for researchers, industry professionals, regulatory authorities, and policymakers involved in chemical safety, toxicology, and risk assessment. Whether you are working on chemical regulation, pharmaceutical safety, or computational modelling, the insights shared in this workshop will provide valuable perspectives on the latest advancements in cardiotoxicity assessment.

Participation 

The workshop will be held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend either in person or online. This ensures accessibility for a broad audience and facilitates engagement from international stakeholders.

The location details for joining physically: Sciensano Headquarters 14 rue Juliette Wytsmans/ Juliette Wytsmanstraat 1050 Bruxelles – Meeting room Nelis

Download the flyer here

Registration