ToXchange 
SOT FDA Colloquia on Emerging Toxicological Science: Challenges in Food and Ingredient Safety
Emerging Concepts in Hazard Identification and Exposure Assessment
of
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
December 3, 2024 • Webcast • 9:00 AM–12:45 PM Eastern US, UTC -4
Co-Chairs: Jessica Camacho, PhD, US FDA, and Jamie DeWitt, PhD, Oregon State University
The Society of Toxicology (SOT) and the US FDA Human Foods Program (HFP) have partnered to provide this colloquia series. The colloquia present scientific information that is high-quality, cutting-edge, future-oriented toxicological science to provide a well-grounded foundation to inform the work of US FDA employees. These webcasts are open to the public at no charge. These sessions are not a public forum for discussion of toxicology regulatory issues.
Webcast RegistrationFDA employees are encouraged to use their FDA email address when they register and when they log into the colloquium.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of synthetic compounds that have been used across myriad products and processes, including as grease-, water-, and stain-repellant coatings on textiles, cookware, and food contact materials. As a result of their widespread use, PFAS are now found in nearly every environmental matrix evaluated, including human biological tissues and fluids. Although some subsets of PFAS have been well-studied with respect to their human health toxicological hazards and drinking water exposures, questions remain about the vast majority of PFAS. Most of the general population is exposed to PFAS through food, but PFAS in food, including the types of individual PFAS found within various foods and food products and the potential toxicity of less well-studied PFAS found in food are emerging areas of research. An additional challenge of PFAS is communicating their toxicological hazards and potential health risks from various exposure pathways. This colloquium will address these important information gaps in PFAS science and provide an opportunity for discussion.
| 9:00 AM–9:10 AM | Welcome |
| 9:10 AM–9:30 AM | General Introduction and Overview of PFAS and the Need to Grow Emerging Concepts in Their Hazard Identification and Exposure Assessment |
| 9:30 am‒10:15 am | From Fields to Food: Uncovering Dietary Sources of PFAS |
| 10:15 AM–10:30 AM | Break |
| 10:30 AM–11:15 AM | Use of New Approach Methodologies to Address Data Gaps for PFAS Compounds: A Case Study |
| 11:15 AM–11:45 AM | Communicating PFAS Health Risks: Approaches from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry |
| 11:45 AM–12:45 pm | Roundtable Discussion |
| 1:00 PM–2:00 PM | Speaker Discussion with FDA Employees |
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Please note that the Zoom service used allows audio and other information sent during the session to be recorded. By registering for this session, you automatically consent to such recordings. The recording of the event is posted to the SOT website for public access after the event. If you do not consent to being recorded, discuss your concerns with the host or do not join the session.
For registration questions contact Jim Dailey.
Jessica Camacho, PhD
Dr. Jessica Camacho is a Toxicology Reviewer in the Division of Food Contact Substances at the Office of Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements, and Innovation (OFCSDSI) at the Human Foods Program at FDA. Dr. Camacho received her BS in Molecular Toxicology from University of California Berkeley and her PhD in Molecular Toxicology from University of California Los Angeles. Her dissertation work focused on environmental exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA) and its direct and transgenerational reproductive and developmental effects. She completed her postdoctoral training at the FDA’s Office of Applied Research and Safety Assessment. Her postdoctoral work involved establishment of predictive toxicology methods using the small model organism C. elegans, and generating data for interspecies comparisons of toxic responses to increase our understanding of the utility of small model organisms for regulatory purposes. Dr. Camacho currently serves as a subject matter expert in pharmacokinetics/toxicokinetics (PK/TK) in OFCSDSI and is consulted on matters pertaining to evaluating PK/TK profiles of a wide range of chemicals, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). She also serves as a councilor for the SOT’s National Capital Area Chapter.
Jamie DeWitt, PhD
Dr. Jamie DeWitt is a Professor in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology and Director of the Environmental Health Sciences Center at Oregon State University. She has BS degrees in Environmental Science and Biology from Michigan State University and PhD degrees in Environmental Science and Neural Science from Indiana University-Bloomington. She completed postdoctoral training in ecotoxicology and in immunotoxicology and was faculty at East Carolina University before she moved to Oregon State University in 2023. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology and is active within the Society of Toxicology and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Her laboratory’s research program focuses on functional effects of environmental chemicals on the immune system and its interactions with the nervous system during development and adulthood.
A major emphasis of Dr. DeWitt’s research program is on toxicological effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). She has published numerous primary research articles, commentaries, and review articles, two book chapters, and edited a book on PFAS toxicity and has served as an external reviewer of PFAS documents for various agencies and entities. She also has served and does serve as a plaintiff’s expert witness in cases involving PFAS and regularly speaks to members of the press about her understanding of PFAS health effects.
Noel DeStefano, PhD
Dr. Noelle DeStefano serves as the PFAS Lead for Eurofins Environment Testing Southeast, where she drives the expansion of PFAS testing capabilities across the region. In this role, she supports Eurofins laboratories nationwide through method implementation, validation, and continuous improvement of analytical protocols. With over a decade of experience in analyzing emerging contaminants and developing testing methods for environmental pollutants, Noelle specializes in advanced techniques, including liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). Her expertise extends to targeted and non-targeted analysis of PFAS in complex environmental samples, such as drinking water and landfill leachate, to evaluate potential impacts on communities in North Carolina and beyond. Previously, her research focused on using targeted analytical methods to quantify PFAS, advancing her work further by applying high-resolution mass spectrometry and total organic fluorine quantification to uncover additional sources of environmental organofluorine contamination. Dr. DeStefano collaborates closely with interdisciplinary teams across government, academia, and industry to stay at the forefront of scientific developments related to PFAS and other environmental contaminants. Her commitment to these partnerships ensures that Eurofins is equipped to meet evolving analytical needs in environmental testing and supports the advancement of scientific understanding in this critical field.
Dr. DeStefano received a PhD in Environmental Chemistry from Duke University and a BS in Chemical Oceanography from Florida Institute of Technology. She conducted postdoctoral research at North Carolina State University under the guidance of Dr. Detlef Knappe.
Penelope Rice, PhD, DABT
Dr. Penelope Rice has worked as a toxicology reviewer for the Office of Food Additive Safety in the US FDA for over 10 years. During her time at the FDA, Dr. Rice has worked on several issues relating to the hazard assessment of food contact materials, including conducting postmarket safety assessments of perfluorinated greaseproofers and formulating guidance for the toxicity testing of nanomaterials for use in food contact applications. Dr. Rice received a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Clemson University in 1991, followed by a master’s degree in physics from Florida State University in 1993. She received a doctorate in toxicology from the University of Rochester in 2000. Following postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland, she joined the FDA in 2002.
Brittany Szafran, DVM, PhD
Dr. Brittany Szafran is a Veterinary Medical Officer within the Toxicology Section of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Office of Innovation and Analytics. She joined ATSDR in 2021 as an Associate Service Fellow and has been part of the group that develops and summarizes toxicological profiles and minimal risk levels (MRLs). Dr. Szafran serves on the MRL workgroup and chairs the Health Effects workgroup. She has served as the lead chemical manager for the Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls since 2022. Dr. Szafran earned a bachelor’s degree in Animal and Nutritional Sciences and Biochemistry from West Virginia University and completed the combined DVM/PhD program at Mississippi State University. Her PhD in Environmental Toxicology focused on Chlorpyrifos and the role of the endocannabinoid system in immune homeostasis. Dr. Szafran was the recipient of the 2021 Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Research Award for Graduate Veterinarians.
- Esther M. Haugabrooks, PhD, Colloquium Series Co-chairThe Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, GA
- Jason R. Richardson, PhD, DABT, ATS, Colloquium Series Chair, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
- Jason L. Aungst, PhD, FDA Liaison, US FDA, College Park, MD
- Omari Bandele, PhD, US FDA, Rockville, MD
- David C. Dorman, DVM, PhD, DABT, DABVT, ATS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Alex Eapen, PhD, DABT, Cargill Inc, Wayzata, MN
- Suzanne C. Fitzpatrick, PhD, DABT, US FDA, College Park, MD
- Rayetta Henderson, PhD, ToxStrategies Inc., Katy, TX
- Shruti Kabadi, PhD, US FDA, Derwood, MD
- Alexandra Lobach, PhD, Givaudan, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Jeffrey J. Yourick, PhD, DABT, ATS, US FDA, Laurel, MD
- Chidozie Amuzie, Johnson and Johnson, Toronto, Canada, 2023-2024 Council Contact
- Betty Eidemiller, PhD, SOT Staff Liaison, Reston, VA