Executive scientist (Dirigente di Ricerca)

Emanuela Testai received her doctoral degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Pisa (Italy) in 1981. Her experimental training was carried out at the National Research Council in Pisa (1979-1981). Her post-doctoral training was completed at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute for Health, ISS) Rome (1982-1984), becoming in 1985 part of the permanent staff. Her current position is Executive Scientist (Dirigente di ricerca- since 2007) at ISS-Department of Environment and Health (head of Mechanism of Toxicity Unit 2009-2016; haed of mechnaim Biomarkers and Model Unit since 2022). During her carrier she has been involved in research as well as in regulatory activities in the area of toxicokinetics, modes of action and human health risk assessment associated to exposure to natural and synthetic chemicals as well as in the implementation of alternative methods to animal testing or NAMs. Active as a Member of various National (Ministry of Health) and International Scientific Committees and Working groups (EU, EFSA, OECD, WHO), as the scientific leader of RU funded Research Projects, teacher in several master in various Universities or training courses for the National Health Service, serving as reviewer for a number of highly impacted scientific journals. Authors of >150 peer-reviewed papers and books and >500 technical reports. Overview of selected activities Member of: Scientific Committees within the European Community (Scientific Committee for Health and Environmental Risks –SCHER 2004-2012, Scientific Committee for Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks SCENIHR 2013-2015; Scientific Committee for Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks since 2016); several WGs within the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA); National Committees for Plant Protection Products (since 2001) and for Biocides (2003-2006), Member of the National Inspectorate for Good Laboratory Practice (1997-2014). Expert within the OECD Test Guidelines Program and consultant for the Italian Ministry of Health and Eurl-ECVAM (JRC-DG Santè). Expert within WHO WG for Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality: Chemical aspects (since 2017) and WHO WG for the revision of Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water (since 2016). Scientific Leader/WP Leader of National/International Research Projects on xenobiotics metabolism, toxicity, in vitro methods for toxicity testing, risk assessment, cyanotoxins, granted by the Italian Ministry of Health, EU (FP7), National Research Council, EFSA. Member of the Scientific/Organizing Committee of more than 30 National and International Scientific Meetings. Active participation to 6 Twinning Projects financially supported by EU. Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of toxicity; biotransformation, toxicokinetics and toxicity of xenobiotics (environmental pollutants, pesticides, natural toxins); enzymology of drug-metabolizing systems in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues; application of mechanistic and toxicokinetic data to risk assessment; molecular epidemiology (genotyping of populations to identify metabolic biomarkers of individual susceptibility to toxic compounds); risk assessment associated to exposure to cyanotoxins and study of cyanobacterial communities.