SOT 2026

The Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting is the premier global forum for toxicologists, researchers, and industry leaders advancing the science of toxicology and brings together experts from academia, industry, and government to share cutting-edge research, explore emerging methodologies, and discuss regulatory and safety challenges shaping the future of human and environmental health.

LifeNet Health LifeSciences is proud to showcase how our innovative new approach methodologies (NAMs) can help reduce uncertainty and deliver more predictive insights than traditional approaches alone. Designed to better reflect human biology across discovery and safety assessment, our solutions empower toxicologists to generate data they can trust with greater confidence. From high-quality, prospectively recovered human biospecimens to advanced in vitro models and integrated multi-organ microphysiological systems (MPS), our portfolio supports human-relevant science that strengthens safety evaluation and risk assessment.

TruVivo® 2D+ Hepatic System

TruVivo is an advanced long-term hepatic system that enables in vitro measurement of thyroxine (T4) glucuronidation in rat and human systems to support mechanistic evaluation of indirect thyroid hormone disruption driven by liver metabolism. By preserving nuclear receptor responsiveness over repeated-dose exposures, TruVivo allows quantification of baseline and induced T4G, helping toxicologists distinguish liver-driven clearance effects and interpret species relevance within mechanistic, weight-of-evidence thyroid risk assessments.

Human 3D Thyroid Microtissue Model

The human 3D thyroid microtissue model is a 96-well, organotypic model built from primary human thyrocytes that enables quantitative measurement of thyroid hormone synthesis and secretion. By directly assessing functional hormone output, this assay identifies chemicals that disrupt thyroid hormone production in a human-relevant system, providing mechanistic insight beyond single-target approaches. Available as both a product and a fully supported assay service, it helps discovery and safety teams confidently evaluate potential thyroid liabilities within modern NAM-based workflows.

Integrated Multi-Organ MPS Platform

Our integrated multi-organ MPS platform provides flexible, human-relevant evaluation of pharmacokinetics and toxicity with greater simplicity and affordability than traditional organ-on-chip systems. Isolated tissues are linked via simulated vascular flow in configurable 2-, 3-, or 4-organ designs, such as intestine–liver–kidney or intestine–liver–thyroid, enabling simultaneous assessment of metabolism, clearance, and organ-specific toxicity. The system supports key PK parameters, PBPK modeling, improved IVIVE, and can be deployed in GLP study designs.

Join us for a session highlighting novel in vitro primary cell–based models designed to assess direct and indirect thyroid hormone disruption. We will highlight collaborative efforts among industry, academic, and regulatory stakeholders to promote harmonized and human-relevant NAMs that help reduce reliance on animal testing. Speakers will review data sets using known reference compounds to illustrate how mechanistic testing strategies can inform human risk assessment.

The discussion will feature:

The development and validation of a human thyrocyte in vitro assay, including an interlaboratory validation of a 3D human thyroid microtissue model.
The novel application of TruVivo for evaluating thyroxine (T4) metabolism via glucuronidation pathways.

Learn how these complementary approaches strengthen human-relevant screening and risk assessment by providing a holistic framework to characterize disruption of thyroid hormone synthesis, secretion, and metabolism.

Chad Deisenroth, PhD, Principal Laboratory Toxicologist, Center for Chemical Informatics and Screening at ULRI Chemical Insights

Chad Diesenroth Dr. Chad Deisenroth earned his Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed postdoctoral training in chemical safety sciences at The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences. Prior to joining ULRI, Dr. Deisenroth served as a principal investigator in the Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he advanced the development and application of in vitro new approach methods (NAMs) for predictive toxicology. His work at the EPA centered on engineering human-relevant cell culture models and innovative testing approaches to improve the speed, reliability, and biological relevance of chemical hazard identification for human health effects.

Dr. Deisenroth has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in leading toxicology journals and received recognition for several high-impact contributions in the field of in vitro toxicology. He has also led U.S. efforts to validate NAM technology in collaboration with international partners and currently contributes to an OECD working group focused on standardizing and implementing NAMs for endocrine toxicity testing.

View Abstract: Predictivity Assessment of the Human Thyroid Microtissue Assay

Board # J641

Ahtasham Raza, PhD, Senior Toxicologist, Department of Genetics and Molecular Toxicology at Corteva Agriscience

Dr. Ahtasham Raza earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Tissue Engineering from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, where his doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on engineering human-relevant 3D in vitro models to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of novel metal-based compounds.

Prior to joining Corteva, Dr. Raza served as a Senior Scientist at contract research organizations, where he led the development of NAMs to identify toxic liabilities using diverse cellular models and high-throughput screening platforms, supporting chemical hazard identification for human health.

Since joining Corteva in 2022, Dr. Raza has played a key role in the development of in vitro, cell-based assays for mechanistic and mode of action toxicology studies. His current work focuses on advancing NAMs to assess thyroid hormone disruption, with the goal of improving human-relevant chemical hazard identification and supporting regulatory and translational decision-making.

View Abstract: Robustness and Predictive Utility of the TruVivo® T4 Glucuronidation Assay in Primary Hepatocytes for Regulatory Safety Evaluation

Board # E431

Leveraging a Human-Based Microphysiological System for In Vitro Pharmacokinetic Assessment of Oral Drug Formulations

Date & Time: Monday, March 23; 1:45 - 4:15 pm

Board No. G544

This study explores the utility of a three-organ MPS platform to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) delivered via a self-nano-emulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS), a formulation strategy designed to enhance oral bioavailability and protect APIs from degradation and first-pass metabolism.

3D Spheroid Formation of Rat and Human Cryopreserved Hepatocytes to Develop Model Systems for Liver Disease and Drug Development

Date & Time: Tuesday, March 24^; 9:15 - 11:45 am

Board No. A113

Discover how cryopreserved rat and human hepatocytes form functional 3D spheroids that maintain liver phenotype for 21 days. Using both non-diseased and diseased human donors, spheroids showed sustained albumin and urea production, stable CYP3A4 activity, viable ATP levels, formation of bile canalicular networks, and lipid accumulation consistent with steatosis.

Evaluation of Thyroxine Synthesis in Cryopreserved Primary Human Thyrocytes for Screening Thyroid-Disrupting Chemicals Using ELISA and LC-MS/MS

Date & Time: Tuesday, March 24; 9:15 - 11:45 am

Board No. H608

This study with the U.S. EPA Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program addresses a need for advancing human-relevant NAMs for identifying thyroid-disrupting chemicals. Results showed that cryopreserved human thyrocyte 3D microtissues enable physiologically relevant, reproducible screening to support human health risk assessment across chemical, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries.

Jean-Louis Klein

Chief Scientist

Jean-Louis Klein, PhD, is an accomplished scientific leader with more than 30 years of experience in primary human and animal cell culture and extensive expertise in complex in vitro systems, including organoids, spheroids, 3D printed tissues, tissue slice culture, and organ on a chip platforms. His work focuses on the development and validation of human predictive cell models that advance drug development, safety assessment, and translational science.

Jean-Louis brings extensive industry experience to his role, including over 25 years of experience at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). As Scientific Director at GSK, he led multidisciplinary teams in developing cutting edge model systems such as high content imaging and advanced tissue technologies in multiple disease areas covering liver diseases, metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and osteoarthritis.

Edward LeCluyse, PhD

Research Fellow

Dr. LeCluyse received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Kansas and did his post-doctoral training in Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Kansas Medical School. He has over 35 years of experience in basic research and in vitro translational model development in industry, biotech and academia, and has held prior positions at Merck & Co., Invitrogen (ThermoFisher), The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences and UNC’s Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

Dr. LeCluyse has done extensive research, development, and implementation of novel in vitro human hepatic model systems to study mechanisms of liver metabolism, DILI, and disease. He is the author of over 135 publications, book chapters, and review articles, and has presented numerous lectures and workshops on in vitro liver-related model systems and research applications.

Jamin A. Willoughby, Sr., PhD

General Manager of Operations, In Vitro Assay Services

Dr. Jamin A. Willoughby, Sr., has over 17 years of experience in the development and validation of novel in vitro assays to predict clinical toxicity. He received his B.S. in Biology from Indiana University South Bend in 2002. After graduation, Dr. Willoughby attended the University of California Berkeley and obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology in 2007. Dr. Willoughby has held positions of Senior Research Scientist, Study Director, Project Manager, Director of In Vitro Toxicology, and Vice President of Toxicology. He is currently serving as General Manager of Operations, In Vitro Assay Services, for LifeNet Health LifeSciences.

Visit Us at Booth 2211!

High Quality Solutions that Better Represent Human Biology

Cells & Cell Models

In Vitro Assay Services

Prospective Biospecimens

Innovative NAMs for Human Risk Assessment

TruVivo® 2D+ Hepatic System

Human 3D Thyroid Microtissue Model

Integrated Multi-Organ MPS Platform

Exhibitor-Hosted Session

Advancing NAMs for Assessing Thyroid Hormone Disruption: Liver and Thyroid Models for Risk Assessment

Monday, March 23, 2026; 1:45 - 2:45 pm

Guest Speakers

Poster Presentations

Interpreting In Vitro Permeation Testing Layer-Deposition Data Using a Mechanistic Skin Model in MoBi

Board No. E388

Presenter: Alec Salminen, PhD

Presenter: Eda Rogers, PhD

Assessment of a 3D Primary Human Thyroid Microtissue Assay for Identifying Thyroid-Disrupting Chemicals

Board No. G528

Leveraging a Human-Based Microphysiological System for In Vitro Pharmacokinetic Assessment of Oral Drug Formulations

Board No. G544

Presenter: Jamin Willoughby, Sr., PhD

Presenter: Danielle Parks