Resource > Webinars >
Harnessing Liver-on-a-chip models for drug safety
Webinar Series 8 Episode 2
Filed under: Safety toxicology
Video content if present
Discover how researchers leverage microphysiological systems in toxicology studies.
Improving data translatability between preclinical testing and clinical applications is crucial for advancing drug safety assessment. A major challenge lies in enhancing the predictivity of standard toxicology workflows to better identify complex or species-specific toxicity risks. In this webinar, we describe how Liver microphysiological systems (MPS), also called Liver-on-a-chip technology, can improve safety testing by providing greater physiological relevance, longevity, and cross-species insights to support research decisions and therapeutic development.
Key Learning Objectives
- Leveraging species-specific MPS and mechanistic endpoints to improve data translatability and prevent misclassification of drugs
- Addressing workflow limitations with the routine use of human liver MPS in toxicology testing
- Overcoming drug development challenges with insights provided by liver MPS
Speakers
Dr. Emily Richardson
Lead Scientist, CN Bio
Dr. Richardson is a Lead Scientist in the R&D team at CN Bio. She joined the team in 2020 as a Senior Scientist and lead the development of the PhysioMimix® Lung and Lung/Liver MPS models. Emily is highly experienced in the application of complex cell biology to drug discovery, having previously worked in cellular therapeutics in an industry setting and as a trained biochemist with specialty in molecular biology. She completed her PhD at the University of Leicester, using 3D cell culture to determine molecular mechanisms driving highly metastatic lung cancers. She now leads R&D projects within the CN Bio team revolving around toxicology in the liver and the lung MPS, as well as driving collaborative projects with various academic, industry and regulatory partners.
Dr. Tomasz Kostrzewski
CSO, CN Bio
Dr Kostrzewski has more than 15 years of experience in molecular and cellular biology research. He joined CN Bio in 2015 and was promoted to Director of Biology in 2018 with responsibility for biological model development and collaborative research projects with academia, pharma, and regulators. In 2021 he was promoted to VP of Science and Technology and then to Chief Scientific Officer in 2023, with responsibility for all technical activities, including developing new products, technologies, and assays, as well as contract research services. Dr Kostrzewski has managed multiple grant-funded collaborative projects at CN Bio and is currently the project lead for the collaborative project between CN Bio and the FDA. He has published more than twelve peer-reviewed scientific articles in the last five years and submitted several patent applications.
Prior to joining CN Bio, he worked at Imperial College London in the Department of Life Sciences studying immune cell development and stem cell differentiation, as well as at GlaxoSmithKline working in biopharmaceutical drug discovery and development. Dr Kostrzewski holds three degrees from the University of Sheffield and Imperial College London in Cell and Molecular Biology.
Dr. Rhiannon Hardwick
Scientific Associate Director, Discovery Toxicology, Bristol Myers Squibb