The 19th International Workshop on (Quantitative) Structure-Activity Relationships in Environmental and Health Sciences (QSAR2020) will take place on June 8-11, 2020 at the Durham Convention Centre, Durham, NC, U.S.
QSAR2020 aims to broaden its scope from QSARs underpinned by traditional (eco)toxicity data to New Approach Methodologies (NAM). NAM is a broadly descriptive term for any non-animal technology, methodology or approach or combination thereof that can be used to provide information on chemical hazard and risk assessment. To that end, we are collaborating with International Council of Chemical Associations’ Long-Range Research Initiative (ICCA-LRI) and American Society of Cellular Computational and Toxicology (ASCCT) to widen outreach to interested stakeholders.
This workshop aims to bring together scientists from around the world along with developers and users of predictive models and their underlying data, to foster discussion and debate around the practical implementation of these approaches. QSAR2020 will focus on answering questions such as:
· How should we view and account for the assumptions of the traditional toxicity data in risk/safety assessment?
· How should we be applying and interpreting NAM data?
· How should we be benchmarking the performance and characterising both confidence and uncertainty of new predictive models?
· How can the level of curation of data used to build predictive models be made explicit?
· What are the short and long-term research and development needs
The Workshop will include:
· Confirmed Keynote speakers: Dr. Rusty Thomas, US Environmental Protection Agency and Professor Mark Cronin, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
· Three Travel awards for students/postdocs available courtesy of ICCA-LRI
· An optional ½ day hands training session on specific computational tools will take place on the 11th June.
· Poster presentation and exhibiting opportunities
· Opportunities for networking and social activities Further information can be found at www.qsar2020.org
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Submission deadline: 15th December 2019
The Programme Committee invites submission of abstracts of original work. Abstracts can be submitted for consideration of an oral/poster presentation in one or more of the following themes:
· Application of New Approach Methodologies (NAM) including QSARs for regulatory purposes (risk-based prioritization, risk assessment)
· Thresholds for Toxicological Concern
· Cheminformatic approaches to employ ‘big data’ including data curation
· Development, Evaluation and Application of QSARs to fill data gaps including complex toxicological endpoints such as reproductive toxicity
· Progress and barriers in the 3 Rs e.g. Replacement of 6 pack acute tests
· Case studies of how QSARs have been used for ICH-M7
· Adverse Outcome Pathways, Integrated Testing and Assessment Approaches (IATA) and Defined Approaches
· Complex substances (UVCBs, PFAS) and emerging issues
· Quantifying uncertainty in model development and the underlying data
· Biological activity profiling using high throughput screening data and high content data (e.g. high throughput transcriptomics, high throughput phenotypic profiling)
· Read-across approaches -transitioning from expert driven assessments to algorithmic approaches for regulatory purposes
· Green Chemistry
· Non-targeted and suspect screening approaches to characterise exposure
Submit abstracts online at www.qsar2020.org paying special attention to the instructions provided. Presenters can indicate preference for an oral or poster presentation and up to two theme categories.
Presenters will have the opportunity to contribute a manuscript to a special issue of Computational Toxicology. Instructions will be sent to presenters in 2020.
Important Dates
Deadline for abstract submission: 15th December 2019
Notification of abstract acceptance: February 2020
Early bird registration deadline: 1st April 2020
Deadline for manuscript submission: 20th June 2020
For general enquiries regarding QSAR2020, please contact QSAR2020@icf.com For sponsorship enquiries regarding QSAR2020, please contact ginah@piscltd.org.uk with the subject heading QSAR2020
Hosts: Grace Patlewicz, US EPA, Kristie Sullivan, ASCCT, Richard A. Becker, ICCA-LRI