Ludek Blaha – Masaryk University (MU), Czech Republic
From chemical exposure to health outcomes (AOPs) – 28 April – 2:25 pm CEST
In HBM4EU WP13, we integrate mechanistic toxicology (Adverse Outcome Pathways, AOPs) with cohort studies to understand relationships between human exposures and human health. Here, we highlight outcomes from HBM4EU that allowed to link concrete health effects to selected priority substances. The examples from cohort studies (namely PFAS, acrylamide, PAHs or metals) include associations with immune outcomes, growth of offspring or lipid metabolic disruptions (see deliverable D13.7 Final report on exposure-response associations). We further present outcomes from integrative research (see D13.6 „Final report on AOPs“) that supported biological plausibility for – for example – endocrine disruption related to phthalates, flame retardants or novel bisphenols, or developmental neurotoxicity of pyrethroid pesticides or fumonisin FB1. In WP13 we also developed a practical guidance on AOP use for risk assessors, and the new bioinformatic tool AOPHelpFinder was developed and implemented.
Ludek Blaha, is professor of Environmental Toxicology active in research and teaching of mechanistic toxicology, ecotoxicology, endocrine disrupters, natural toxins, water quality. He is heading Environmental Toxicology programme at RECETOX (40 researchers), he coordinated 13 competitive grants including two largescale framework projects. Currently he coordinates EU H2020 MSCA ITN project PRORISK (2020-2023), is/was involved in several international projects including the EU COST Action ES1105 Cyanocost (vice-chair), H2020 HBM4EU, H2020 OBESOGENS and others funded by EC, NATO or US NIH. He is a member of Environmental Risk Assessment Working Party at European Medicines Agency and the Certification Committee of SETAC Certified Risk Assessor Programme. He serves as editor in Springer Nature journals (ESEU, ESPR). Published over 160 WoS papers (4400 citations, h-index 37), 14 book chapters, presented over 100 conference contributions including 15 invited talks, supervised 15 successful PhD graduates.
Disclaimer
The HBM4EU project was launched in 2016 with the aim of improving the collective understanding of human exposure to hazardous chemicals and developing HBM as an exposure assessment method. The project had €74m in funding and jointly implemented by 120 partners from 28 participating countries – 24 EU member states plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Israel and the European Environment Agency. One of its aims was to ensure the sustainability of HBM in the EU beyond 2021. The project ended in June 2022. The website will not be updated any longer, except the page on peer reviewed publications, but will be online until 2032.
