Kristine Witt, M.S., is Group Leader of Genetic Toxicology at the National Toxicology Program (NTP), headquartered at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, NC. Her programmatic responsibilities include managing the NTP Genetic Toxicity Testing contract; overseeing a variety of in vitro and in vivo assays characterizing the genotoxicity potential of compounds of interest to the NTP, and interpreting and reporting the findings; co-chairing the Assay Evaluation and Screening working group for the Tox21 Program; developing and validating higher throughput approaches and technologies for genotoxicity testing; applying new molecular approaches to provide information on genotoxicity mode-of-action; and providing genetic toxicology support for all NTP and NIEHS projects as needed.
In addition to her work for NTP, Witt manages NIEHS research studies on cytogenetic endpoints in study populations exposed to medications (e.g., AZT, methylphenidate, antineoplastic drugs) or dietary supplements (black cohosh) with known or suspected genotoxicity. She has an extensive background in both clinical cytogenetics (Mailman Center for Child Development - University of Miami, and the University of Utah Medical Center) and genetic toxicology, and has made numerous presentations at national and international meetings and workshops on topics related to genetic toxicology and public health implications.
Witt received her B.S. (zoology) and M.S. (genetics) from The Ohio State University. She is an active member of the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society, the Genetics and Environmental Mutagenesis Society, and the Genetic Toxicology Technical Committee of the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI). Witt also serves as an expert panel member for several international organizations (e.g., IARC, WHO, OECD). She serves on the Editorial Board of Mutation Research, Environmental and Genetic Toxicology section.
