Scientific Liaison Coalition (SLC) was formed to strengthen scientific collaboration to promote human health. Our primary guiding principle is that greater collaboration between scientists across sectors (academia, industry, government) and disciplines advances the science that can be used to directly improve public and environmental health.
Our member organizations benefit through global partnerships, the promotion of interdisciplinary scientific advances, and content only available to members. We operate through virtually monthly teleconferences and an annual face-to-face gathering. These are opportunities for raised awareness of member society events and to update on the progress of SLC-planned events.
Currently, the SLC comprises 13 members, among Societies and Association, including one Union (IUTOX) and one Federation (Eurotox). Since its creation, SLC has organized various work groups to explore and develop issues of cross-cutting impact of interest of our members. The SLC currently has four active work groups: Animal Models and Alternatives; Data Analysis, Visualization, and Risk Communication; Occupational Exposures; and Psychedelics and Cannabis. Although these groups have specific objectives that can be found at the SLC website, many intergroup activities are developed. During the past year, SLC work groups organized events and activities on multiple topics. The Occupational Exposures work group offered the CE Course on Considerations for Occupational Risk Management during Pregnancy at the Congress of Toxicology in Developing Countries held in Santiago de Chile in April 2024. The presentations of this course have been compiled in a manuscript that is under review. The Animal Models and Alternatives produced a paper entitled Protecting Human and Animal Health: The Road from Animal Models to New Approach Methods. (doi: 10.1124/pharmrev.123.000967) authored by some SLC Animals Models and Alternatives work group members and published in 2024 in Pharmacological Reviews. This material was presented at the Plos Comm blog and as a poster during some of the SLC Societies members meeting as CTDC and ASPE, will be presented at BDRP and submitted to ACT 2024. A webinar was presented by Dr. Jessica Creety regarding NAMs initiates at NIH.
Work group activities are fundamental for SLC development. Some challenging issues are in discussion as the implementation of NAMs in the regulatory sector, psychedelic and cannabis use and developmental and reproductive toxicology, environmental contaminants in psychedelics and cannabis, challenges in communicating the exposure-related risk of psychedelic and cannabis among others.
SLC's activities only happen thanks to the voluntary commitment, expertise, and enthusiasm of its members' representatives
As the new SLC chair since May 2024, I thank my predecessors, who put all their efforts into keeping SLC strong and active. I will do my best to fulfill the interests of the members and their representatives.Best regards,
Silvia Barros, MSc, PhD
Chair (2024–2025), Science Liaison Coalition