From 22 to 25 March 2026, the ASPIS cluster will be strongly represented at the annual meeting of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) in San Diego, USA. Researchers from across ASPIS projects will contribute to the scientific programme through presentations, posters, and discussions, showcasing the latest advances in animal-free chemical safety assessment.
Throughout the conference, ASPIS scientists from ONTOX, PrecisionTox and RISK-HUNT3R will also be present at booth #618, engaging with the international toxicology community and sharing how European research is driving innovation in New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), combining advanced biological systems, computational modelling, and AI-enabled tools.
Recognition for advancing animal-free science
A key highlight of this year’s SOT meeting is the recognition of the ASPIS and ONTOX coordinator in advancing alternatives to animal testing.
Professor Mathieu Vinken (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VUB), coordinator of ONTOX and ASPIS (2024–2026), will receive the SOT Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award. This prestigious award honours contributions to toxicological science through the development and application of methods that replace, refine, or reduce the use of experimental animals.
Reflecting on this achievement, Prof. Vinken stated:
“This recognition reflects the work of our HEPx team at VUB on the development and application of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), including our contributions to the ongoing ONTOX project and the ASPIS cluster. My sincere thanks to the Society of Toxicology and to all our collaborators around the world for their support and partnership.”
The award will be presented on 22 March during the official ceremony at the Convention Center in San Diego.
Scientific contributions from ASPIS researchers
ASPIS scientists will contribute to a wide range of sessions across the SOT programme, highlighting the breadth of expertise within the cluster.
22 March 2026
- Mathieu Vinken (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, ONTOX): SOT Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award Ceremony
🕒 4:45 PM – 6:30 PM | 📍 Ballroom 6A / Convention Center
23 March 2026
- Bob van de Water (Leiden University, RISK-HUNT3R): IPS-KOM: Immunocompetent Kidney Organoids as an Advanced in vitro Model for Immune-related Kidney Injury
🕒 9:15 AM – 11:45 AM | 📍 Poster E409 / Exhibit Hall B
- Lucy Sinke (Leiden University, RISK-HUNT3R): Enhancing Mechanistic Neurotoxicity Evaluations with in vitro LUHMES-based Gene Co-expression Network Analysis
🕒 9:15 AM – 11:45 AM | 📍 Poster C251 / Exhibit Hall B
- Philip Marx-Stölting (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung, RISK-HUNT3R): Considerations When Developing Thyroid PBK Models for Regulatory Application
🕒 11:20 AM – 11:50 AM | 📍 Ballroom 6E / Convention Center
- Joseph (Joe) Shaw (O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, PrecisionTox): Searching for the Evolutionary Origins of Chemical Toxicity
🕒 12:15 PM – 12:35 PM | 📍 Ballroom 6D / Convention Center
- Arthur de Carvalho e Silva (University of Birmingham, PrecisionTox): In silico and in vitro approaches to risk assess tropane alkaloids as food contaminants
🕒 1:45 PM – 4:15 PM | 📍 Poster M836 / Exhibit Hall B
24 March 2026
- Nynke Kramer (Wageningen University, ONTOX): Using In Silico Modeling to Support In Vitro ADME Parameterization of Physiologically Based Kinetic Modeling
🕒 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM | 📍 Ballroom 6D / Convention Center
(Workshop chair: Integrating In Vitro Data and PBK Modeling for Exposure-Led Risk Assessment)
25 March 2026
- Steven J. Kunnen (Leiden University, RISK-HUNT3R): Human liver microtissue gene networks enable mechanisms-based chemical safety assessment
🕒 9:15 AM – 11:45 AM | 📍 Poster A140 / Exhibit Hall B
- Tom Luechtefeld (Insilica, ONTOX): Agentic AI for Chemical Risk Assessment (Live demo)
🕒 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM | 📍 Room 23A / Exhibit Hall B
ToxIndex: An agentic AI orchestrator for toxicology expert tools
🕒 1:45 PM – 4:15 PM | 📍 Poster A140 / Exhibit Hall B
- Philip Marx-Stölting (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung, RISK-HUNT3R): Challenges with Developing NAMs for Microbes
🕒 2:40 PM – 3:05 PM | 📍 Ballroom 6F / Convention Center
Meet ASPIS at SOT 2026
SOT 2026 offers an important opportunity to connect with the global toxicology community and exchange on the future of chemical safety assessment.
Visitors are invited to stop by booth #618 to meet ASPIS scientists and learn more about how the cluster is advancing next-generation, animal-free approaches for regulatory toxicology in Europe and beyond.
