https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/n544296

ICCVAM Communities of Practice webinars

In 2015, ICCVAM initiated a series of Communities of Practice webinars to provide detailed presentations on a current topic relevant to alternative test method development. ICCVAM chair Natalia Vinas, Ph.D., presented a retrospective of ten years of Communities of Practice webinars at the 2025 meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods (SACATM). She reviewed the topics covered in all of the webinars and noted those that had set the stage for subsequent activities including collaborations and workshops.

  • The January 29, 2024, Communities of Practice webinar was titled Implementing Computational Approaches for Regulatory Safety Assessments. It focused on how to establish confidence in computational approaches for regulatory applications. Michael Lowit, Ph.D., presented an overview of EPA Office of Pesticide Programs goals for applying new approach methodologies (NAMs), including computational models, to ecological risk assessments and described ongoing projects in support of those goals. Pras Pathmanathan, Ph.D., summarized recent FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health guidance on reporting of computational modeling studies in medical device submissions. Jon Arnot, Ph.D., of Arnot Research and Consulting and the University of Toronto, described tools and approaches for bioactivity and exposure modeling and provided examples of how they can be used to support regulatory decision-making.
  • The 2025 webinar was presented on July 21 and focused on Evolution of Complex In Vitro Models. Three scientists from government and academic laboratories and the private sector described how they are approaching validation of complex in vitro models such as microphysiological systems (MPS). Danilo Tagle, Ph.D., of NCATS presented an overview of their Tissue Chips for Drug Screening program. Ivan Rusyn, M.D., Ph.D., described activities of the Texas A&M University’s Tissue Chip Testing Center, which is funded through a public–private consortium. Remi Villenave, Ph.D., from Roche, summarized pharmaceutical industry perspectives on NAMs use, including perceived barriers to NAMs usage.