Iris Camacho-Ramos, Ph.D., is a toxicologist specializing in human health risk assessments conducted to support the safety of chemicals in foods, food packaging, and other chemical uses requiring regulatory review.

Iris assists clients in gathering, evaluating, and interpreting hazard, exposure, and risk information for both novel and existing chemicals in products that require review for regulatory acceptance. She develops risk assessment methods and approaches that are scientifically defensible to regulatory programs, ultimately ensuring the safety of the clients’ products.

Iris has extensive experience in hazard identification/dose-response assessments, exposure assessment, and risk characterization of both new and existing chemicals, including nanomaterials and biotechnology products. Her scientific evaluations provide insight to our attorneys and their clients related to compliance with the technical requirements of national, regional, international, and global regulations, including those of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), and other comparable international agencies.

Prior to joining Keller and Heckman, Iris was a regulatory toxicologist and risk assessment practitioner at EPA. During her 20 years at the agency, she gained a deep understanding of chemical risk assessment through developing emergency response values in the Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGL) program and conducting fit-for-purpose risk assessments for new and existing chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Leveraging her wealth of expertise in toxicology and regulatory sciences, she collaborated with an extensive network of stakeholders, both within and beyond EPA, driving the science evolution of programs vital to the advancement of TSCA. Half of her tenure at EPA was in leadership positions where she oversaw the work of multi-disciplinary teams supporting the implementation of TSCA. Iris was also an active participant in international efforts at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where she collaborated with international experts to develop and update various inhalation test guidelines and guidance documents, as well as advance the use of new approach methodologies for risk assessment purposes.

Iris has authored numerous scientific papers and risk assessment documents and earned multiple recognitions throughout her 20-year career at EPA.

Memberships

• Society of Toxicology
• Society for Risk Analysis

Awards

• EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP):
  • Samuel F. Brown Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Award (2022)
  • Manager of the Year (2020)
  • Leaders in Science for Systematic Review (2020)
  • Collaboration Award recognizing the Systematic Review Technical Team (2018)
  • Bronze Medal for the TCE proposed rule (2017) (Vapor Degreasing, Aerosol Spray and Dry-cleaning teams)
  • Bronze Medal for the paint removers’ section 6 proposed rule team (2017)
  • Bronze Medal for the completion of the AEGL program (2016)
• EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT):
  • Mission Award recognizing leadership and technical contribution to the TSCA biotech program through the biotech algae workshop (2016)
  • Mission Award recognizing the product alternatives analysis team supporting TSCA section 6 rules (2016)
  • Mission Award recognizing the Risk Assessment Division’s quality assurance audit team (2016)
  • Collaboration Award for outstanding cross-organizational collaboration and creativity in developing innovative approaches to support the Formaldehyde in Composite Wood Products Act (2012)
• Federal Executive Board Excellence in Government Bronze Medal award for commendable service in recognition of innovative solutions in polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) compliance agreements allowing USS Wisconsin to safely serve as a naval history museum (2010)
• EPA’s Trudy A. Speciner Non-Supervisory Award for Advancing Environmental Protection in the Development of AEGLs and the assessment of the Human Health Risks of PCBs (2007)
• EPA’s Silver Medal for Superior Service in the Oriskany PCB Disposal Approval Team (2007)
• Federal Executive Board’s Certificate of Excellence for Outstanding Partnership Award Supporting the Oriskany PCB Disposal Approval (2006)
• EPA’s Science Achievement Award for Scientific Contributions to the AEGL Program (2005)