HOPF Nancy

Head, Section for Exposure Sciences, Department of occupational and environmental health (DSTE)

Biography

Prof. Nancy B. Hopf is a recognized expert in exposure science, with over 25 years of experience in developing methods to characterize and quantify human exposure to chemical hazards. Her work is rooted in a public health perspective, with the primary goal of reducing health risks associated with occupational and environmental exposures and supporting prevention and evidence-based decision-making.

Her research covers a wide range of chemical substances, including solvents, metals, particulates, and complex mixtures. It aims to better understand the determinants of human exposure in diverse populations, particularly in occupational settings, and to establish links between exposure levels and health effects, including genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, and endocrine disruption.

Her approach is centered on biomonitoring, defined as the measurement of chemicals or their metabolites in biological matrices such as blood or urine. She combines this approach with environmental measurements, toxicokinetic modeling, and the development of biomarkers of exposure and effect.

Prof. Hopf develops integrated experimental approaches that link human studies with in vitro models. She conducts controlled inhalation exposure studies as well as skin exposure studies in human volunteers, measuring biomarkers in urine and blood. In parallel, she performs in vitro skin permeation experiments using human skin. This combined approach enables a better understanding of absorption mechanisms, supports the validation of experimental models, and strengthens the reliability of biomonitoring methods.

Her work contributes to the development and application of effect biomarkers, including micronuclei, for the assessment of genotoxic exposures. More broadly, she promotes biomonitoring as a key tool to identify at-risk populations, evaluate the effectiveness of preventive measures, and support public health policies.

Prof. Hopf collaborates closely with major national and international organizations, including IARC, the OECD, and ACGIH. She is also active in international scientific networks such as the International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) and the Society of Toxicology (SOT), as well as in occupational hygiene associations in Switzerland and worldwide, including the Swiss Society of Occupational Hygiene (SSHT). These collaborations strengthen the links between science, risk assessment, and regulation, and contribute to the international impact of her work.