Founders
Daniel G. Kougias, PhD, DABT, ERT
Co-Founder | Principal Health Scientist
Dr. Kougias specializes in exposure science, neurotoxicology, developmental and reproductive toxicology, and risk assessment. He has expertise in quantifying dose and human health risk from exposure to a variety of chemicals that are found in consumer products and the environment, including phthalates, PFAS, agrochemicals, and those found in personal care products, dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, and e-cigarettes. With deep experience in systematic and weight-of-evidence review, QSAR modeling, and regulatory support, he provides actionable insight into technically complex and data-limited problems.
Dr. Kougias holds a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and dual BS degrees in Molecular & Cellular Biology and Food Science & Human Nutrition. His formal toxicological training began as a scholar with the Interdisciplinary Environmental Toxicology Program during his graduate career, and it was further advanced through a two-year research internship at Abbott Laboratories and an NIH Traineeship in Endocrine, Developmental, and Reproductive Toxicology. Dr. Kougias has been a member of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) since 2013 and the Society of Toxicology (SOT) since 2018. He has served as a councilor for SOT's Midwest Regional Chapter (2020–2022) and maintains active membership in several specialty sections. Dr. Kougias is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT) and a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT).
Michael Kovochich, PhD, DABT
Co-Founder | Principal Health Scientist
Dr. Kovochich is a board-certified toxicologist with over 15 years of experience in health risk assessment, nanotoxicology, and regulatory consulting. His fields of expertise include toxicology and safety assessment of medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products. He has led major projects involving ISO 10993 biocompatibility testing, complex particle characterization, and risk assessment of alloy constituents, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products.
Dr. Kovochich completed his PhD at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics with an emphasis in Molecular Toxicology. During his doctoral work, Dr. Kovochich received multiple fellowships from the UC Toxic Substances Research and Teaching Program where he completed coursework in molecular toxicology with an emphasis on principles of nanotoxicology. Dr. Kovochich is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT) and a member of the Society of Toxicology (SOT). Over the past 15 years, Dr. Kovochich has published over 55 peer reviewed publications and conference abstracts on the topics of risk assessment, toxicology, immunology, particle characterization methods, as well as medical device, pharmaceutical, and consumer product evaluations.