Laurie Couture Haws MS, PhD, DABT

Dr. Laurie Haws is a co-founder and Managing Principal Scientist with ToxStrategies and is based in Austin, Texas. She is a board-certified toxicologist with 30 years of experience in the areas of toxicology, human health risk assessment, risk communication, and scientific and regulatory policy.

Dr. Haws has substantial experience evaluating potential human health risks associated with exposures to a wide variety of chemicals and metals present as additives, ingredients, or contaminants in foods, consumer products, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and environmental media (air, water, soil, and sediments). She also has extensive experience assessing potential human health risks associated with personal, occupational, and community-wide exposures to air contaminants, particularly related to chemical, petrochemical, and shale gas exploration and production activities.

Dr. Haws is a recognized expert at evaluating data concerning modes and mechanisms of action and in using this type of data to assess the relevance of findings to humans. She routinely applies these skills in the development of state-of-the-science toxicity values via the application of both default and more rigorous approaches, such as benchmark dose modeling, application of weight-of-evidence techniques, and consideration of mode-of-action information. In addition, Dr. Haws also has experience designing, placing, and overseeing a broad range of toxicology laboratory studies, including ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion), developmental toxicity, and cross-fostering studies. She also has experience designing, conducting, and interpreting data from biomonitoring studies, and is adept at using such data to assess concerns regarding potential exposures.