About the Team

Lauren Brown, MS, DABT

Founder and Principal Toxicologist

Lauren Brown is a board‑certified toxicologist with more than 15 years of experience supporting consumer product, cosmetic, and environmental health decision‑making through rigorous, evidence‑based science. Her consulting approach is grounded in a commitment to public health protection and the clear, defensible interpretation of complex data.

Trained at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and experienced across government, NGOs, start‑ups, and Fortune 500 companies, Lauren specializes in toxicological risk assessment, ingredient and product safety evaluations, next generation risk assessment, systematic literature reviews, and the development of toxicological reference values. She has led assessments for a wide range of chemical ingredients and exposure scenarios, integrating diverse evidence streams to deliver transparent, actionable conclusions.

Before founding Applied Risk and Toxicology, Lauren served in senior scientific roles at highly respected consulting firms, where she conducted and directed risk assessments for consumer products, cosmetics, OTC ingredients, and drinking water contaminants.

Lauren brings a collaborative, solutions‑oriented mindset to every project, helping clients navigate scientific uncertainty, regulatory expectations, and emerging safety questions with confidence and precision.

  • 2022 Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Safety Assessment of Cosmetics in the EU

    2019 Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (Recertification 2024)

    2010 M.S., Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

    2005 B.A., Zoology and Environmental Science, Miami University , Ohio (cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa)

  • Doepker C, Franzen A, Brorby G, Brown L, Choksi N, East A, Wikoff D. 2026. Smoke flavoring—A case study demonstrating the value of using benefit-risk analysis for foods (BRAFO) to provide transparency for risk management decisions. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 106033. Advance online publication Jan. 21, 2026; doi: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2026.106033.

    International Collaboration on Cosmetic Safety. 2025. Best Practice Guidance Document. Skin Sensitization Assessment: Using New Approach Methods for Substances in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products. v1.0. Prepared by Neepa Choski and Lauren Brown (ToxStrategies, LLC) https://www.iccscosmetics.org/education/best-practice-guidance/bpg-skin-sensitization-assessment-using-new-approachmethods

    Rudisill C, Jacobs M, Roy M, Brown L, Eaton R, Malloy T, Davies H, Tickner J. 2024. The use of alternatives assessment in chemicals management policies: Needs for greater impact. Integr Environ Assess Manag 20(4):1035–1045; doi: 10.1002/ieam.4826.

    Buser M, Roney N, Antezana A, Derrick H, Chiger A, Brown L, Beins K. (Chemical Manager Team). 2022. Toxicological profile for disulfoton. (Draft for public comment). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp65-p.pdf

    Keith S, Alman B, Brown L, Beins K, Derrick H, Diskin K, Chiger A, Juergens M, Lynch M. (Chemical Manager Team). 2022. Toxicological profile for chloromethane. (Draft for public comment). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp106.pdf.

    Pohl H, Buser M,… Brown L, et al. (Chemical Manager Team). 2022. Toxicological profile for glyphosate. Final Draft. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp214.pdf

    Williams M, Przybyla J, Keith S, Brown L, et al. (Chemical Manager Team). 2022. Toxicological profile for nitrobenzene (Draft for public comment). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp140-p.pdf.

    Brown L, Lynch M, Belova A, Klein R, Chiger A. 2020. Developing a health impact model for adult lead exposure and cardiovascular disease mortality. Environ Health Persp 128(9):097005; doi: 10.1289/EHP6552.

  • Brown L, Wikoff D. Building your evidence base: approaches and tools for identification, selection, evaluation and assembly of existing data for ingredient safety. Personal Care Products Council Science Symposium, Arlington, VA, October 2025.

    Brown L. Integrating new approach methodologies to inform sustainable chemical decisions. Abstract 1156, Society of Toxicology 64th Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, March 2025.

    Brown L. Safety substantiation of complex cosmetic ingredients – Considerations and approaches to comply with MoCRA. Society of Toxicology 63rd Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, March 2024.

    Brown L, Norman K. The modernization of cosmetics regulation act and confirming cosmetic safety. Webinar presentation hosted by the Regulatory and Safety Evaluation Specialty Section, December 2023.

    Brown L, Katz L, Sullivan K, Cuevas A. Evaluating and confirming safety in the context of the modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act. ToxForum Summer Meeting, Arlington, VA, July 2023.

    Brown L, McMillan DA, Urban JD, Mihalchik AL. A tiered approach for assessing the safety of polymeric ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. Poster presented at Society of Toxicology 62nd Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN, March 2023.

    Whitaker M, Brown L. Safer chemical tools and practices: Successes in advancing safer chemical selection on a global scale. Co-Chair. Society of Toxicology 61st Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2022.

    Brown L, Klein R. Understanding the relationship between maternal thyroid hormones and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Poster presented at International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, virtual, 2021.

    Brown L, Forth H, Reichle L, Casner AJ, McFadden A. Using alternatives assessment approaches to inform the ranking of TRI-listed solvent chemicals. Poster presented at Society for Risk Analysis, Arlington, VA, 2019