Julia Fentem, VP Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre at Unilever R&D, receives prestigious award
22 August 2011
Julia Fentem, from Unilever’s Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre at Colworth Science Park, has been honoured by the Human Society of the United States for her work to advance alternative methods to the use of animals in testing. The ‘Russell and Burch Award’ award was presented at the ‘8th World Congress, in August, on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences’ in Montreal.
The award is given to scientists for helping to advance alternative methods that accomplish one or more of the “Three Rs”: Replacing animals entirely with a non-animal method, Reducing the number of animals used in an experiment, and Refining methods so that animals experience less suffering.
In her role as Vice President Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Julia is responsible for safety risk assessments for the company’s products and processes. Over many years she has been instrumental in initiating Unilever’s ambitious scientific research program, based on integrating and applying new science and technology for human health risk-based decision making. Julia has been a leading figure in the alternatives to animal testing community for the past 20 years.
Recipients of the Russell & Burch Award receive a $5,000 prize and trophy.
Career Summary:
Julia started her career in 1991 as a Scientific Liaison Officer at the Fund for Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments, a non-governmental organization based in Nottingham, UK, before becoming the Toxicology Head of Section at the European Centre for Validation of Alternative Methods, a European Union government agency, in 1994. She moved to Unilever in 1998 and served as an Expert Toxicologist and the Head of the Human Safety Department of SEAC before moving into her current role.
Julia received a Ph.D. in Biochemical Toxicology from Nottingham University, an MSc in Toxicology from Birmingham University and a BSc in Biochemistry from Leeds University.