PANELISTS
Alison Elder, PhD
ANIMAL STUDIES
Alison Elder, Associate Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester, is an inhalation toxicologist with research interests that include the pulmonary, cardiovascular, and central nervous system inflammatory and oxidative stress-related effects of air pollution and engineered nanomaterials. Particle biokinetics and the impacts of age and other underlying vulnerabilities on response are also of interest. She directs the Inhalation Exposure Facility and the Toxicology PhD Training Program at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Elder has authored numerous research papers in the field, as well as review articles and book chapters, and serves on several editorial boards. She also served for over 10 years on the Threshold Limit Value-Chemical Substances committee of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
Robert Blink, MD
HUMAN STUDIES
Dr. Blink provides independent consulting services in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, based in San Francisco, CA. He has served as Medical Director to employers, joint labor-management health programs, a nationwide US medical provider network, a large group of hospitals in California, and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Group of ICBA. He is medical advisor to a federally-funded USA research project to reduce needless work disability. He holds leadership roles with the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He previously served on the California OSHA Standards Board. He currently serves as consultant to diverse industries including heavy industry, biotechnology, health care, and materials production.
Ann Hubbs
ANIMAL STUDIES
Ann Hubbs DVM, PhD is a Veterinary Medical Officer at the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is also a faculty
member at West Virginia University. She is board-certified in veterinary pathology, board eligible in laboratory
animal medicine and the author or co-author of more than a hundred peer-reviewed papers, principally
dealing with respiratory and toxicologic pathology. Her studies include many studies of emerging workplace
hazards, including nanoparticles and flavoring vapors. She has received numerous awards and according to
Scopas, her publications have been cited more than 6000 times in the scientific literature resulting in an h-
index of 39. In addition, she has used her knowledge to respond to public health emergencies, including the
Anthrax events in 2001, the monkey pox outbreak in 2003, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and COVID-19.
Tim Bowmer
REGULATORY APPLICATION OF SCIENCE
Tim Bowmer is the full-time Chairman of the ECHA Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) since 2012. RAC is responsible for making recommendations to the European Commission on: REACH Restrictions and Authorisations, harmonised Classification and Labelling (CLP) and Occupational Exposure Limits. Tim has steered RAC to adopt over 600 opinions to date. Born in Dublin in 1957, he studied zoology at the National University of Ireland, Galway, receiving a PhD in 1983. He worked principally in the field of environmental science and regulatory ecotoxicology, for many years advising on the classification of chemicals transported by sea.