{"id":4364,"date":"2021-07-29T17:11:07","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T15:11:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.estiv.org\/?page_id=4364"},"modified":"2026-10-07T21:29:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T19:29:12","slug":"ontox","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.estiv.org\/eu-projects\/ontox\/","title":{"rendered":"ONTOX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ONTOX stands for \u201contology-driven and artificial intelligence-based repeated dose toxicity testing of chemicals for next-generation risk assessment\u201d. The project is aiming into the development of animal-free methods for testing chemical substances. The ONTOX consortium consists of 19 European and American partners, and more than 120 scientists, many of them active members of \u00a0ESTIV. The ONTOX project started on 1 May 2021 for a period of 5 years and is coordinated by\u00a0Prof. Mathieu Vinken<\/strong>\u00a0(Vrije Universiteit Brussel-Belgium).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Memorandum of Understanding between ESTIV and the ONTOX project, signed in October 2021<\/strong>, developed into a highly productive and sustained collaboration spanning scientific communication, training, networking and support for early-career researchers. Over the five-year lifetime of ONTOX, ESTIV provided an important platform for sharing project results with the international in vitro toxicology and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) community through ESTIV congresses, webinars, workshops, training activities and communication channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ONTOX scientists contributed extensively to ESTIV Congresses in Sitges (2022), Prague (2024) and Maastricht (2026), while ESTIV congresses also provided a home for ASPIS Open Symposia and ASPIS Academy activities.<\/strong> The collaboration progressively expanded from scientific dissemination to capacity building, with ONTOX-led workshops, dedicated webinars, early-career networking activities and opportunities for young researchers to present their work to an international audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importantly, the partnership created continuity beyond individual events. ESTIV supported the visibility and professional development of ONTOX researchers through awards, congress fee waivers and opportunities for further scientific dissemination<\/strong>. Several researchers active within ONTOX subsequently became closely involved in ESTIV activities, contributing to its Early Career Network, training programme and governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ESTIV\u2013ONTOX collaboration therefore demonstrates how a Memorandum of Understanding can evolve from a formal commitment into an active partnership with tangible outcomes for scientific exchange, capacity building, community development and the long-term dissemination and uptake of NAM-based approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
Date<\/th>ESTIV\u2013ONTOX interaction<\/th>Significance<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
19 Oct 2021<\/strong><\/td>ESTIV\u2013ONTOX MoU signed<\/strong> by Mathieu Vinken and Helena Kand\u00e1rov\u00e1<\/strong>. It committed the organisations to share information on NAM activities, bring ONTOX results to academia, industry, regulators, policymakers and other audiences, and organise mutually beneficial scientific events. (ONTOX project<\/a>)<\/td>Formal starting point of the collaboration.<\/td><\/tr>
21\u201325 Nov 2022 \u2013 ESTIV Congress, Sitges<\/strong><\/td>This was the first major demonstration of the partnership. ONTOX recorded one oral presentation by Eli\u0161ka Kuchovsk\u00e1 and ten ONTOX posters<\/strong>, covering liver steatosis\/cholestasis, kidney toxicity, DNT, PBK modelling, physiological maps, NLP and in-silico methods. Presenters included Anouk Verhoeven, Jiang Jian, Job Berkhout, Luiz Ladeira, Devon Barnes, Alessandra Roncaglioni, Marie Corradi, Ren\u00e9 Geci, Alessio Gamba and Jonas van Ertvelde<\/strong>. (ONTOX project<\/a>)<\/td>Very substantial scientific visibility only one year after the MoU.<\/td><\/tr>
24\u201325 Nov 2022 \u2013 ASPIS Open Symposium, Sitges<\/strong><\/td>The second ASPIS Open Symposium was organised as a satellite event of ESTIV 2022<\/strong>. ONTOX again had a large scientific presence, including work by Kandarova\/Milec, Verhoeven, Caiment, Berkhout, Barnes, Ortega, Kuchovsk\u00e1, Geci, Ladeira\/Gamba and van Ertvelde<\/strong>. (ONTOX project<\/a>)<\/td>ESTIV effectively provided the venue through which ONTOX and the wider ASPIS cluster reached the in-vitro toxicology community.<\/td><\/tr>
28 Apr 2023 \u2013 ASCCT\u2013ESTIV Webinar<\/strong><\/td>A webinar was explicitly titled \u201cModeling of Adverse Outcomes \u2013 Insights from the ONTOX Project.\u201d<\/strong> Devon Barnes <\/strong>presented the kidney tubular-necrosis AOP and Job Berkhout<\/strong> computational modelling of neural-tube closure. (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>Clear example of ESTIV using its international webinar infrastructure specifically to disseminate ONTOX science.<\/td><\/tr>
3\u20134 May 2023 \u2013 ONTOX Annual Meeting, Milan<\/strong><\/td>ESTIV, together with ALTERTOX, supported the ONTOX young-scientist poster competition. Luiz Ladeira<\/strong> won for Physiological Maps Curation Guidelines<\/em> and received a full ESTIV 2024 congress registration waiver<\/strong>. (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>Beginning of a recurring ESTIV mechanism for rewarding exeptional ONTOX ECRs at the ONTOX and ASPIS events.<\/td><\/tr>
24 May 2023 \u2013 ASCCT\u2013ESTIV Webinar<\/strong><\/td>ONTOX coordinator Mathieu Vinken<\/strong> was one of the two featured speakers in \u201cThe Latest in Liver Toxicity Assessment In Vitro.\u201d<\/strong> (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>Featuring the ONTOX scientists in the dedicated ASCCT-ESTIV webinar series<\/td><\/tr>
14\u201315 Sep 2023 \u2013 ASPIS Open Symposium, Ljubljana<\/strong><\/td>ONTOX contributed strongly: Thomas Hartung <\/strong>presented probabilistic risk assessment, Job Berkhout gave a selected flash talk, and the ONTOX technical report records 10 of 34 posters as coming from ONTOX<\/strong>. Anouk Verhoeven <\/strong>won the ASPIS Best Poster Award, with ESTIV providing an ESTIV 2024 Congress bursary<\/strong>. (ONTOX project<\/a>)<\/td>The MoU expanded beyond ESTIV congresses into active support for ASPIS\/ONTOX ECRs.<\/td><\/tr>
21\u201323 Apr 2024 \u2013 ONTOX Hackathon, Utrecht<\/strong><\/td>Yifan Gao <\/strong>won Best Pitch<\/strong> for her presentation on driving the use of AI in chemical risk assessment. The prize was free participation at ESTIV 2024<\/strong>. (ONTOX project<\/a>)<\/td>ESTIV became part of ONTOX’s internal innovation\/reward ecosystem.<\/td><\/tr>
24\u201325 Apr 2024 \u2013 3rd ONTOX Annual Meeting, Utrecht<\/strong><\/td>Bernard Staumont<\/strong> won the ONTOX Young Scientist Best Poster Award for From Physiological Maps to Disease Ontology Maps Using a Systems Biology Approach<\/em> and received complimentary participation at ESTIV 2024<\/strong>. (ONTOX project<\/a>)<\/td>ESTIV-supported ECR incentive.<\/td><\/tr>
14 May 2024 \u2013 ESTIV webinar<\/strong><\/td>Luiz Ladeira <\/strong>presented \u201cFrom physiological maps to ontology maps using a systems biology approach.\u201d<\/strong> ESTIV’s description explicitly states that the five organ-specific physiological maps were developed as part of ONTOX. (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>Dedicated dissemination of an important ONTOX output.<\/td><\/tr>
3\u20136 Jun 2024 \u2013 ESTIV Congress, Prague<\/strong><\/td>ONTOX was integrated directly into the congress programme. The congress opened with the ONTOX-organised workshop \u201cHow to write and manage a successful EU Horizon proposal: From initial idea to execution,\u201d<\/strong> with Mathieu Vinken, Julia Zajac, Helena Kand\u00e1rov\u00e1, Eli\u0161ka Kuchovsk\u00e1 and Luiz Ladeira<\/strong>. (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>A particularly strong example of knowledge transfer from ONTOX beyond scientific results into project management, communication and ECR development.<\/td><\/tr>
4 Jun 2024 \u2013 ASPIS Academy at ESTIV Prague<\/strong><\/td>ESTIV gave the ASPIS Academy a dedicated lunch session. It was chaired by ONTOX scientists Eli\u0161ka Kuchovsk\u00e1 and Luiz Ladeira<\/strong>, with Devon Barnes<\/strong> representing ONTOX through his work on kidney tubular crystallopathy. (ONTOX project<\/a>)<\/td>Important training\/capacity-building component of the relationship.<\/td><\/tr>
ESTIV 2024 scientific programme<\/strong><\/td>ONTOX work was also visible in the scientific sessions: Luiz Ladeira<\/strong> presented physiological-map work and Eli\u0161ka Kuchovsk\u00e1 <\/strong>presented the ONTOX DNT\/AI approach. ONTOX additionally produced congress interviews with Alessio Gamba and Bernard Staumont<\/strong>. (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>Dissemination of ONTOX activities occurring through several channels simultaneously: oral science, Academy, workshop and video.<\/td><\/tr>
11\u201312 Sep 2024 \u2013 ASPIS Open Symposium, Copenhagen<\/strong><\/td>Alessio Gamba<\/strong>, ONTOX, won the Best Poster Award<\/strong> for work using ontology and physiological maps to improve kidney-toxicity prediction. His prize included complimentary registration to ESTIV 2026 in Maastricht<\/strong>. (ONTOX project<\/a>)<\/td>Continued ESTIV investment in ONTOX early-career scientists beyond ESTIV congress years.<\/td><\/tr>
26 Oct 2024<\/strong><\/td>Luiz Ladeira joined the ESTIV Board.<\/strong> ESTIV explicitly described his recent research as being \u201cmostly in the ONTOX project\u201d and linked his Board involvement to promoting alternative methods and supporting the next generation through the ESTIV ECN. (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>A particularly useful sustainability\/legacy point: expertise developed and showcased through ONTOX became embedded in ESTIV’s institutional structure.<\/td><\/tr>
22 Nov 2024 \u2013 ASCCT\u2013ESTIV Award Winners Webinar<\/strong><\/td>Eli\u0161ka Kuchovsk\u00e1 <\/strong>was invited to re-present the ONTOX work for which she had received the JSAAE Best Oral Presentation Award<\/strong> at ESTIV 2024. (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>Award recognition was converted into additional international dissemination.<\/td><\/tr>
23\u201324 Apr 2025 \u2013 4th ONTOX Annual Meeting, Valencia<\/strong><\/td>Devon Barnes<\/strong> won the Best Poster Award for his in vitro<\/em> battery for predicting nephrotoxicity. The prize was complimentary participation at ESTIV 2026 Maastricht<\/strong>. (ONTOX project<\/a>)<\/td>The ESTIV-supported ECR award mechanism continued into the final phase of ONTOX.<\/td><\/tr>
2025 ESTIV Applied Training Course, Bratislava<\/strong><\/td>The ESTIV course was hosted at CEM SAS and included several scientists closely associated with ONTOX, including Mathieu Vinken, Eli\u0161ka Kuchovsk\u00e1 and Luiz Ladeira.<\/strong> (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>Prsonnel\/capacity-building crossover<\/strong> and preparing for sustainability path of ONTOX<\/td><\/tr>
29 Jun\u20132 Jul 2026 \u2013 ESTIV Congress, Maastricht<\/strong><\/td>ONTOX\/ESTIV<\/strong>-sponsored dedicated exhibition booth, #23<\/strong>, and Karolina Kopa\u0144ska<\/strong> presented the poster ONTOX Probabilistic Risk Assessment (OPRA): An AI-enabled framework<\/em>. (ONTOX project<\/a>)<\/td>Direct presentation of one of ONTOX’s major legacy outputs to the ESTIV community.<\/td><\/tr>
29 Jun 2026 \u2013 ESTIV pre-congress workshop<\/strong><\/td>The workshop \u201cResearch output management for NAMs made easy\u201d<\/strong> included Danyel Jennen<\/strong> explicitly as Maastricht University & ONTOX and Luiz Ladeira<\/strong> as University of Li\u00e8ge & ESTIV & ONTOX. (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>Strong sustainability\/FAIR-data and research-output-management link.<\/td><\/tr>
ESTIV 2026 AI session<\/strong><\/td>The session on AI-powered toxicity screening and regulatory adoption<\/strong> explicitly identified its first contribution as ONTOX and covered LLMs\/data integration, with speakers including Thomas Hartung and Marc Teunis<\/strong>. (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>Direct dissemination of ONTOX’s AI\/NGRA work at the end of the project.<\/td><\/tr>
30 Jun 2026 \u2013 ECR networking session<\/strong><\/td>The ASPIS Academy\/PARC Junior Community\/VICT3R session was chaired by Rita Ortega-Vallbona and Luiz Ladeira, both identified as ONTOX<\/strong>. ASPIS explicitly thanked ESTIV for programme space and lunch support and stated that this support built on the long-standing ESTIV\u2013ONTOX MoU signed in 2021<\/strong>. (Aspis Cluster<\/a>)<\/td>One of the clearest retrospective confirmations that the MoU produced a sustained relationship.<\/td><\/tr>
2\u20133 Jul 2026 \u2013 Final ASPIS Open Symposium, Maastricht<\/strong><\/td>The final ASPIS Open Symposium was formally a satellite\/post-congress event of ESTIV 2026<\/strong>. ONTOX and its OPRA framework were among the flagship outputs showcased. It was followed by an ASPIS Academy GIVIMP workshop supported by ESTIV<\/strong>. (European Society of Toxicology In Vitro<\/a>)<\/td>ESTIV-ONTOX organised GIVIMP WS as part of the post-congress event.<\/td><\/tr>
20\u201325 Sep 2026 \u2013 ESTIV Applied Training Course, Paris<\/strong><\/td>The course included substantial ONTOX personnel crossover, notably ONTOX coordinator Mathieu Vinken, Luiz Ladeira, alongside Helena Kand\u00e1rov\u00e1 <\/strong>and other experts involved in the ONTOX\/ASPIS ecosystem. (LinkedIn<\/a>)<\/td>Legacy and transfer of expertise<\/strong> of ONTOX project.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Recognising excellent science <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A particularly successful element of the ESTIV\u2013ONTOX collaboration has been the recognition and support of early-career scientists. Throughout the project, ONTOX researchers received a range of scientific awards at ESTIV Congresses, ASPIS Open Symposia and ONTOX scientific events. ESTIV complemented scientific recognition with practical support, including complimentary congress registrations and opportunities to present award-winning research at subsequent ESTIV events and webinars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This approach created a valuable cycle of scientific excellence, recognition, mobility, visibility and professional development<\/strong>. Young researchers were not only rewarded for outstanding work, but were also given opportunities to expand their international networks, communicate their research to broader audiences and become more actively involved in the NAM community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The awards listed below illustrate both the scientific quality of the ONTOX early-career community and ESTIV’s commitment to supporting the next generation of scientists working toward more human-relevant, animal-free approaches to safety assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
Year<\/th>Scientist<\/th>Award \/ recognition<\/th>ESTIV\u2013ONTOX\u2013ASPIS connection<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
2022<\/strong><\/td>Jiang Jian<\/strong><\/td>Toxicology in Vitro \/ Elsevier Best Poster Award<\/strong> for work applying machine-learning approaches to identify key genes associated with drug-induced cholestasis<\/td>Awarded at the ESTIV 2022 Congress in Sitges<\/strong> for research conducted within ONTOX.<\/td><\/tr>
2022<\/strong><\/td>Job Berkhout<\/strong><\/td>Universitat de Barcelona Best Poster Award<\/strong> for computational modelling of neural-tube closure effects<\/td>Awarded at the ESTIV 2022 Congress<\/strong>, recognising ONTOX research in developmental neurotoxicity and computational modelling.<\/td><\/tr>
2022<\/strong><\/td>Anouk Verhoeven<\/strong><\/td>Bj\u00f6rn Ekwall Memorial Foundation Student Travel Bursary<\/strong><\/td>BEMF Supported her participation at ESTIV 2022<\/strong>, where she presented ONTOX work on adverse outcome pathways for liver steatosis.<\/td><\/tr>
2022<\/strong><\/td>Eli\u0161ka Kuchovsk\u00e1<\/strong><\/td>Best Poster Award<\/strong> for In vitro NAMs for assessing effects of chemicals leading to cognitive function defects in children \u2013 the contribution of ONTOX<\/em><\/td>Awarded during the ASPIS Open Symposium<\/strong>, organised as a satellite event of ESTIV 2022.<\/td><\/tr>
2023<\/strong><\/td>Luiz Carlos Maia Ladeira<\/strong><\/td>ONTOX Annual Meeting Best Poster Award<\/strong> for Physiological Maps Curation Guidelines<\/em><\/td>ESTIV and ALTERTOX supported the award. The prize included a full registration fee waiver for the ESTIV 2024 Congress<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr>
2023<\/strong><\/td>Anouk Verhoeven<\/strong><\/td>ASPIS Best Poster Award<\/strong> for work on an updated adverse outcome pathway network for chemical-induced liver steatosis<\/td>ESTIV supported the award with an ESTIV 2024 Congress registration bursary<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr>
2024<\/strong><\/td>Yifan Gao<\/strong><\/td>ONTOX Hackathon Best Pitch Award<\/strong> for How to drive the use of AI in chemical risk assessment<\/em><\/td>The prize included complimentary participation at the ESTIV 2024 Congress<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr>
2024<\/strong><\/td>Bernard Staumont<\/strong><\/td>ONTOX Young Scientist Best Poster Award<\/strong> for From Physiological Maps to Disease Ontology Maps Using a Systems Biology Approach<\/em><\/td>The prize included complimentary participation at ESTIV 2024<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr>
2024<\/strong><\/td>Eli\u0161ka Kuchovsk\u00e1<\/strong><\/td>JSAAE Best Oral Presentation Award<\/strong> for Ontology-Based AI-driven Innovative Approach Using DNT NAMs for NGRA<\/em><\/td>Awarded at the ESTIV 2024 Congress in Prague<\/strong> for research developed within ONTOX.<\/td><\/tr>
2024<\/strong><\/td>Alessio Gamba<\/strong><\/td>ASPIS Open Symposium Best Poster Award<\/strong> for work using ontology and physiological maps to improve predictive models for kidney toxicity<\/td>The award included complimentary registration for the ESTIV 2026 Congress<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr>
2025<\/strong><\/td>Devon Barnes<\/strong><\/td>ONTOX Annual Meeting Best Poster Award<\/strong> for development of an in vitro<\/em> battery for predicting nephrotoxicity<\/td>ESTIV supported the award with complimentary participation at the ESTIV 2026 Congress<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr>
2026<\/strong><\/td>Karolina Kopa\u0144ska<\/strong><\/td>ESTIV Early Career Award 2026<\/strong> recognising outstanding contributions to in vitro<\/em> and in silico<\/em> toxicology<\/td>The award recognised research including her contributions to ONTOX<\/strong> and related European initiatives and included an ESTIV Congress registration waiver, monetary prize, certificate and invited award presentation<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr>
2026<\/strong><\/td>Konrad Patyra<\/strong><\/td>Winner of the ASPIS Academy Photo Competition<\/strong> for One Billion Voices in a Flask: The Human Side of Chemical Safety<\/em><\/td>The competition promoted effective communication of human-relevant, animal-free science. The prize included an ESTIV 2026 Congress registration fee waiver<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr>
2026<\/strong><\/td>Saad Lodhi<\/strong><\/td>ASPIS Open Symposium Best Poster Award \u2013 ONTOX<\/strong> for R-ODAF-Shiny: An interactive and reproducible transcriptomics analysis framework for regulatory application<\/em><\/td>Awarded during the final ASPIS Open Symposium<\/strong>, held as a satellite event of ESTIV 2026 in Maastricht, with ESTIV supporting the young-scientist awards.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

More at: www.ontox-project.eu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read more about the ONTOX project<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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