Dr. Spyros Karakitsios from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the winner of Cefic’s Long-range Research Initiative Award (LRI), the prize for early career life scientists in Europe.
The award-winning research proposal from Dr Karakitsios receives Euro 100 000 for applying multi-omics analysis to investigate the potential effect of neurotoxic chemical mixtures, such as heavy metals and plasticizers, on children’s neurodevelopment. The aim of the DOREMI (DOse REsponse to MIxtures) project is to derive time-dose-response levels for predicting and managing the cumulative exposure to chemicals using a combination of analysis on human biosamples and in vitro models. The results from the two-year research of Dr Karakitsios will feed into the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) of the European Commission and 26 countries (2017-2021) linking science to policy.
The award was unveiled at the opening gala ceremony of the 19th annual LRI Scientific Workshop, featuring the topic: “Making Sense of Omics for Regulatory Applications”.
Marco Mensink, Cefic Director General said: “The annual LRI Innovative Science Award shows the continuous commitment of our industry to respond to citizens’ concerns by investing in finding the best scientific solutions for managing chemical risks and improving chemical safety. The award provides early career scientists with the opportunity to develop their breakthrough ideas and find novel approaches to tackle and anticipate emerging risks and challenges”.
Dr Spyros Karakitsios said: “I am honoured to have been selected for Cefic’s LRI award. It will give a boost to my research career and make a valuable contribution to a safer future for our children”.
Dr. Spyros Karakitsios is an environmental health scientist with degrees in physics (B.Sc.), environmental and computational chemistry (M.Sc.) and applied biology (PhD). He is a lecturer in Environmental Chemistry at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and Computational Biology at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Pavia, Italy. He has proven experience in advanced human exposure science and in bio-based models for human risk assessment thanks to his involvement in flagship international projects funded by Cefic LRI and the EU’s LIFE+ and Horizon 2020 Programmes.
About the LRI Innovative Science Award:
Cefic launched the annual LRI Innovative Science Award in 2004 to finance outstanding research contributions by early career scientists based in Europe for developing novel approaches to assess the potential impact of chemicals on human health and the environment. It is part of the LRI Programme – a major voluntary initiative of the chemical industry in USA, Europe and Japan co-ordinated by the International Council of Chemical Associations.
The LRI mission is to identify and fill gaps in understanding the hazards posed by chemicals. It provides scientific advice, based on high-quality peer-reviewed scientific research on which industry and regulatory bodies can draw and respond more quickly and accurately to public concerns.
