University of New South Wales - School of Risk and Safety Sciences

BOccHealth, MOccHealth,PhD (UNSW 2006)
Phone : 938 54746
Email : s.bakand@unsw.edu.au

Dr Shahnaz Bakand obtained a PhD in Safety Science (In Vitro Toxicology) in 2006 and is a University Lecturer at the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences. Shahnaz is currently continuing her research as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the Chemical Safety and Applied Toxicology (CSAT) Laboratories, School of Safety Science, The University of New South Wales. Her research area is: Development of in vitro toxicology methods for toxicity assessment of airborne contaminants.

Occupational and environmental exposure to chemical airborne contaminants is significantly associated with both acute and chronic health effects but the precise mechanisms that drive such effects are not always understood. Conventional animal based toxicity tests are expensive, time consuming, unable to evaluate multiple exposures and present challenges of interspecies extrapolation. The aim of this experimental research was to investigate the potential of in vitro methods as an alternative to animal tests for toxicity assessment of workplace air contaminants. Direct exposure of human cells to airborne contaminants was developed using cultured cells on porous membranes in snapwell inserts. Once cells were established on the membrane, the upper layer of culture media was removed and the cells directly exposed to airborne contaminants at the air/liquid interface. As a part of this method, dynamic direct exposure of human cells was established by utilizing a Harvard horizontal diffusion chamber system for delivery of test atmospheres. The implementation of a range of in vitro bioassays in conjunction with innovative in vitro exposure techniques that have been developed in this research can potentially provide an advanced technology for toxicity testing and biomonitoring of airborne contaminants.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Book Chapter

Amanda Hayes, Shahnaz Bakand, and Chris Winder, C., 2006. Novel in vitro exposure techniques for toxicity testing and biomonitoring of airborne contaminants. In: Drug Testing In Vitro-Breakthroughs and Trends in Cell Culture Technology, Chapter 4: Emerging In Vitro Culture Technologies. Editted by Marx, U. and Volker Sanding, Wiley-VCH, Germany, 103-124, in press.

Journal Papers

Bakand, S., Winder, C. Khalil, C. and Hayes, A., 2006. An experimental in vitro model for dynamic direct exposure of human cells to airborne contaminants. Toxicology Letters. 165: 1, 1-10.
Bakand, S. Winder, C., Khalil, C. and Hayes, A., 2006. A novel in vitro exposure technique for toxicity assessment of volatile organic compounds. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 8: 1, 100-105.
Bakand, S., Winder, C., Khalil, C. and Hayes, A., 2005. Toxicity assessment of industrial chemicals and airborne contaminants; transition from in vivo to in vitro test methods: A Review. Inhalation Toxicology, 17: 13, 775-787.
Bakand, S., Hayes, A.J., Winder, C., Khalil, C. and Markovic, B., 2005. In vitro cytotoxicity testing of airborne formaldehyde collected in serum free culture media. Toxicology and Industrial Health, 21: 7-8, 147-154.

Selected Conference Presentations

Bakand,S., Hayes, A. and Winder, C. 2006. An integrated in vitro approach for toxicity testing of airborne contaminants. Symposium of Challenges in Environmental Toxicology in Australia. 13-14th July. Melbourne, Australia.
Bakand, S., Winder, C., Khalil, C. and Hayes, A., 2005. Toxicity assessment of workplace air contaminants using a novel in vitro cell culture technique. The NSW SIA Safety Conference. 26-28 October, Sydney, Australia.
Bakand, S., Winder, C., Khalil, C. and Hayes, A., 2005. Novel in vitro exposure techniques for toxicity testing and biomonitoring of airborne contaminants. The Fifth World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, 21-25 August, Berlin, Germany. Alternatives To Animal Experimentation (ALTEX), Vol. 22: Special Issue, 184.
Bakand, S., Winder, C., Khalil, C. and Hayes, A., 2005. A novel in vitro exposure technique for toxicity assessment of volatile chemicals. The Fifth International Symposium on Modern Principles of Air Monitoring (including biomontitoring). June 12-16. Loen, Norway.
Bakand, S., Winder, C., Khalil, C. and Hayes, A., 2005. Application of in vitro toxicology methods for toxicity assessment of workplace chemical contaminants. Proceedings of the 18th Asian Conference on Occupational and Environmental Health (ACOH). May 11-13. Wellington, New Zealand.
Bakand, S., Winder, C., Khalil, C. and Hayes, A., 2004. Correlation of in vitro and published in vivo toxicity data for workplace chemical contaminants. The 2nd Australian Health and Medical Research (AHMR) Congress. November 21-26. Sydney.
Bakand, S., Hayes, A., Winder, C. and Khalil, C., 2004. In vitro cytotoxicity of formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde mixtures in human cells. The 6th ICOH International Conference on Occupational Health for Health Care Workers and the 24th UOEH International Symposium. October 8-10, Fukuoka, Japan.
Bakand, S., Winder, C. and Hayes, A., 2004. Development of In Vitro Methods for Toxicity Measurement of Workplace Air Toxicants. Oral presentation in Australia’s Biotechnology Organization NSW Conference. 27th August. Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.
Bakand, S., Winder, C. Markovic, B., Hayes, A. and Khalil, C., 2003. Development of In Vitro Methods for Toxicity Measurement of Workplace Air Toxicants. Proceeding of the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR). 42nd National Scientific Conference. The Cycle of Life: From Cells to Systems. November 23-25. Glenelg, South Australia.

Scholarships, Grants and Awards Received

The winner of the 2006 Australian Museum Eureka prize for research that reduces the use of Animals in inhalation toxicology
Taylor & Francis Gift Certificate for the best oral presentation at the Symposium of Challenges in Environmental Toxicology in Australia awarded by the Australian Centre for Human Health Risk assessment (ACHHRA) and Australian College of Toxicology and Risk Assessment (ACTRA), 2006.
Post Doctoral Research Fellowship offered by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), School of Safety Science, 2006.
The SIA poster paper competition prize awarded by Safety Institute of Australia, 2005.
Travel grant to attend the Fifth World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in Berlin, Germany, Awarded by Procter & Gamble, UK (P&G) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), 2005.
Travel grant awarded by the Fifth International Symposium on Modern Principles of Air Monitoring to attend the “Airmon 2005” conference in Norway, 2005.
Industry Prize awarded by Blackmores Ltd for the best performance in the field of In Vitro Toxicology Laboratory Science, 2005.
Excellence PhD research prize awarded by Academic Representative & Director of Iranian Students in Australia & Malaysia, 2005.
Travel grant awarded by The 6th ICOH International Conference on Occupational Health for Health Care Workers and the 24th UOEH International Symposium to attend the Conference in Japan, 2004.
AusBiotech NSW Students Award for Excellence Finalist, for the Development of In Vitro Methods for Toxicity Measurement of Workplace Air Toxicants, 2004.
Postgraduate Scholarship for duration of PhD research from Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Iran University of Medical Sciences, 2002-2006.