Hamner Scientist Wins NAA Award
Research Triangle Park, NC, February 19, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Dr. Melvin E. Andersen, Director of the Program in Chemical Safety Sciences at The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences (The Hamner), has received a North American Alternative Award for outstanding scientific contributions to the advancement of viable alternatives to animal testing. This is the third consecutive year that The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and The Procter & Gamble Company have joined together in this commitment to eliminate animal testing for consumer product safety while ensuring marketed products are safe for consumers and the environment. The HSUS and The Procter and Gamble Company awarded two $25,000 grants in December 2008.
Dr. Andersen was recognized for his role as a key author of the National Research Council’s June 2007 visionary report, Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century, calling for a paradigm shift in toxicity testing of chemicals away from animal use and towards non-animal methods. The new approach relies on modern advances in biology and technology and emphasizes human—rather than animal—biology. The award will assist with in vitro research method development at The Hamner that will help implement aspects of the vision.
Dr. Melvin Andersen is the Director of the Program in Chemical Safety Sciences and Director of the Division of Translational and Computational Biology at The Hamner. During his 35- year career in toxicology and risk assessment, he has developed biologically realistic models pertaining to the uptake, distribution, metabolism, and biological effects of toxic chemicals and drugs, and applied these models to safety evaluations and quantitative health risk assessments. His research has pioneered new uses of pharmacokinetic and mechanistic data in federal risk assessment programs.
Quotes:
“Translating the vision set forth by Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century report into practice will have two major consequences for current approaches to toxicity testing,” said Mel Andersen, Director of Computational and Translational Biology at The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences. “It will emphasize new risk assessment tools that focus on human biology and simultaneously shift the toxicity testing paradigm toward in vitro methods.”
Len Sauers, Ph.D., vice president of product safety, regulatory and technical relations for Procter & Gamble, explains “we believe the pioneering work of these preeminent scientists has created a promising path forward in the development of new animal free methods for evaluating the health effects of chemicals. We are pleased to be able to partner with The Humane Society of the United States in supporting this important work.”
“Award recipient Melvin Andersen, Ph.D., of the Hamner Institute in Research Triangle Park, N.C., was a key author of the 2007 NAS report,” said Wayne Pacelle, Chief Executive Officer of The Humane Society of the United States. “He’s a tireless promoter of its vision and a researcher with promising ideas on translating that vision into reality."
About the Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences:
The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences is a nonprofit research organization strategically located on a 56-acre campus in the heart of Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. For 35 years, scientists at The Hamner have conducted preeminent research in environmental health sciences and chemical risk assessment. Built upon an integrated systems-biology platform, The Hamner has broadened its mission to include translational research in biopharmaceutical safety, metabolic disorders, and oncology. The site also includes an Accelerator, which houses emerging companies and provides opportunities to develop collaborative research and educational programs with academia, industry, and government. The Hamner model for translational research and technology development integrates innovative science with business development while capitalizing on academic and industry partnerships. The Hamner supports the discovery of new, safer drugs and formation of new companies, which leads to research-based public health policy and enhanced economic development. For more information, visit www.thehamner.org or call (919) 558-1200.
About The Humane Society of the United States:
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — on the web at humanesociety.org.
About The Procter and Gamble Company:
Three billion times a day, Procter and Gamble brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about Procter and Gamble and its brands.
The Hamner Media Contact:
Ryal Curtis
MMI Associates, Inc.
(919) 233-6600
(919) 233-0300 (fax)
ryal@mmimarketing.com
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Dr. Andersen was recognized for his role as a key author of the National Research Council’s June 2007 visionary report, Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century, calling for a paradigm shift in toxicity testing of chemicals away from animal use and towards non-animal methods. The new approach relies on modern advances in biology and technology and emphasizes human—rather than animal—biology. The award will assist with in vitro research method development at The Hamner that will help implement aspects of the vision.
Dr. Melvin Andersen is the Director of the Program in Chemical Safety Sciences and Director of the Division of Translational and Computational Biology at The Hamner. During his 35- year career in toxicology and risk assessment, he has developed biologically realistic models pertaining to the uptake, distribution, metabolism, and biological effects of toxic chemicals and drugs, and applied these models to safety evaluations and quantitative health risk assessments. His research has pioneered new uses of pharmacokinetic and mechanistic data in federal risk assessment programs.
Quotes:
“Translating the vision set forth by Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century report into practice will have two major consequences for current approaches to toxicity testing,” said Mel Andersen, Director of Computational and Translational Biology at The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences. “It will emphasize new risk assessment tools that focus on human biology and simultaneously shift the toxicity testing paradigm toward in vitro methods.”
Len Sauers, Ph.D., vice president of product safety, regulatory and technical relations for Procter & Gamble, explains “we believe the pioneering work of these preeminent scientists has created a promising path forward in the development of new animal free methods for evaluating the health effects of chemicals. We are pleased to be able to partner with The Humane Society of the United States in supporting this important work.”
“Award recipient Melvin Andersen, Ph.D., of the Hamner Institute in Research Triangle Park, N.C., was a key author of the 2007 NAS report,” said Wayne Pacelle, Chief Executive Officer of The Humane Society of the United States. “He’s a tireless promoter of its vision and a researcher with promising ideas on translating that vision into reality."
About the Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences:
The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences is a nonprofit research organization strategically located on a 56-acre campus in the heart of Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. For 35 years, scientists at The Hamner have conducted preeminent research in environmental health sciences and chemical risk assessment. Built upon an integrated systems-biology platform, The Hamner has broadened its mission to include translational research in biopharmaceutical safety, metabolic disorders, and oncology. The site also includes an Accelerator, which houses emerging companies and provides opportunities to develop collaborative research and educational programs with academia, industry, and government. The Hamner model for translational research and technology development integrates innovative science with business development while capitalizing on academic and industry partnerships. The Hamner supports the discovery of new, safer drugs and formation of new companies, which leads to research-based public health policy and enhanced economic development. For more information, visit www.thehamner.org or call (919) 558-1200.
About The Humane Society of the United States:
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — on the web at humanesociety.org.
About The Procter and Gamble Company:
Three billion times a day, Procter and Gamble brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about Procter and Gamble and its brands.
The Hamner Media Contact:
Ryal Curtis
MMI Associates, Inc.
(919) 233-6600
(919) 233-0300 (fax)
ryal@mmimarketing.com
###
Contact
The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences
Patty Briguglio
919-233-6600
www.mmimarketing.com
Patty Briguglio
919-233-6600
www.mmimarketing.com
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