Joining Forces to Advance AI-driven Risk Assessment

‌

On 28–29 October 2025, ONTOX joined ECETOC and VHP4Safety in a workshop on digital infrastructures harnessing AI for health risk assessment. Regulators, scientists, and industry professionals explored how AI can be trusted, validated, and integrated into risk assessment.

‌

By involving end‑users early, ONTOX, ECETOC and VHP4Safety are working to ensure AI‑based tools for human health risk assessment are both scientifically robust and trusted for regulatory use.

Rita Ortega – Polytechnic University of Valencia

‌

Driven by a childhood curiosity for biology and technical drawing, Rita has forged her path as a researcher in computational toxicology, developing human-relevant liver toxicity models and DockTox, an automated tool for predicting organ toxicity.

Julen Sanz Serrano – Vrije Universiteit Brussel

‌

Inspired early on by his mother’s healthcare career, Julen found his scientific home in toxicology. His work focuses on understanding liver toxicity and developing advanced in vitro models to support safer, animal-free chemical assessment. 

Behind the Science: How ONTOX Works

‌

ONTOX is structured around a series of interconnected Work Packages (WPs) that drive its research, innovation, and impact. These WPs cover everything from collecting and analysing toxicological and chemical data, developing advanced mechanistic models and AI‑supported tools, to evaluating risk assessment strategies and ensuring regulatory relevance. Together, they form the backbone of the project’s strategy to deliver human‑relevant, animal‑free chemical safety assessment solutions.