Director of the Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Member of the Executive Board - CEM
Dr.rer.nat., Ing. Helena Kanďárová, ERT
Dr. Helena Kandárová (Slovakia) is Director and Senior Scientist at the Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava. She is internationally recognised as a leader in the development, validation, and regulatory implementation of non-animal methods in toxicology, with particular expertise in 3D reconstructed human tissue models for topical toxicity, phototoxicity, ocular safety, and biocompatibility assessment. She is currently the deputy coordinator of the ONTOX project (Communication, Dissemination, Exploitation and Data management, Leader of WP14 - Communication and WP-6 Risk Assessment and Implementation).
From 2007 to 2018, Dr. Kandárová served as Senior Scientist and General Acting Manager for Europe at MatTek Corporation, USA. She founded MatTek In Vitro Life Science Laboratories in Europe and led the organization as Executive Director from 2009 to 2018, helping bridge innovative science, industry application, and regulatory acceptance of advanced in vitro models. Between 2021 and 2026, she also held an academic position at the Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, where she contributed to university teaching and mentoring in toxicology and related biomedical sciences.
Dr. Kandárová has played a major role in international efforts to modernise safety assessment and advance the uptake of New Approach Methodologies. She serves as the Slovak National Coordinator for the OECD Test Guidelines Programme and is actively involved in OECD activities, including the Working Party of the National Coordinators of the Test Guidelines Programme and the Working Party on Hazard Assessment and serves on several specialised expert panels. Through these roles, she has contributed to the scientific development, validation, and international regulatory acceptance of methods that have been incorporated into OECD Test Guidelines and ISO 10993 standards. She is also engaged in ERA4NAMs and related European initiatives focused on accelerating innovation, harmonization, and implementation of NAMs across research and regulatory frameworks. In addition, she contributes to broader scientific strategy and policy discussions through her involvement in the EASAC Biosciences Steering Panel.
A respected figure in the European toxicology community, Dr. Kandárová serves since 2020 as President of the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro and remains active on several European and international scientific boards and expert panels. She has authored more than 90 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and has received several prestigious international awards recognising her outstanding contributions to the advancement of alternative methods, regulatory science, and humane innovation in toxicology.
Detailed online CV: www.helenakandarova.com
From 2007 to 2018, Dr. Kandárová served as Senior Scientist and General Acting Manager for Europe at MatTek Corporation, USA. She founded MatTek In Vitro Life Science Laboratories in Europe and led the organization as Executive Director from 2009 to 2018, helping bridge innovative science, industry application, and regulatory acceptance of advanced in vitro models. Between 2021 and 2026, she also held an academic position at the Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, where she contributed to university teaching and mentoring in toxicology and related biomedical sciences.
Dr. Kandárová has played a major role in international efforts to modernise safety assessment and advance the uptake of New Approach Methodologies. She serves as the Slovak National Coordinator for the OECD Test Guidelines Programme and is actively involved in OECD activities, including the Working Party of the National Coordinators of the Test Guidelines Programme and the Working Party on Hazard Assessment and serves on several specialised expert panels. Through these roles, she has contributed to the scientific development, validation, and international regulatory acceptance of methods that have been incorporated into OECD Test Guidelines and ISO 10993 standards. She is also engaged in ERA4NAMs and related European initiatives focused on accelerating innovation, harmonization, and implementation of NAMs across research and regulatory frameworks. In addition, she contributes to broader scientific strategy and policy discussions through her involvement in the EASAC Biosciences Steering Panel.
A respected figure in the European toxicology community, Dr. Kandárová serves since 2020 as President of the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro and remains active on several European and international scientific boards and expert panels. She has authored more than 90 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and has received several prestigious international awards recognising her outstanding contributions to the advancement of alternative methods, regulatory science, and humane innovation in toxicology.
Detailed online CV: www.helenakandarova.com