Professional Profile
Dr. Stephanie Kennedy is an ecotoxicologist at ToxStrategies with expertise that contributes to both the Health Sciences and Exposure Practices. Dr. Kennedy has experience in ecotoxicological hazard identification and ecological risk assessment and is well versed in aquatic ecotoxicology. She has worked with a diverse client base, including industry and industry trade associations, government (federal and state), and nonprofit organizations. Dr. Kennedy has applied various regulatory paradigms when assessing chemical hazards and deriving ecological toxicity values, including guidance from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Commission (EC), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Dr. Kennedy has experience in collecting, extracting, appraising, and synthesizing scientific evidence and communicating findings effectively to facilitate informed decision-making. She has performed chemical hazard assessments according to criteria from GHS and Cradle to Cradle methodologies. Dr. Kennedy has served as an ecotoxicological technical expert on multi-disciplinary work groups, including the Interstate Technology and Research Council (ITRC), and has provided expert comment and support regarding ecological issues on draft regulatory documents.
In addition to her ecotoxicological technical skills, Dr. Kennedy is also proficient in information sciences. She is familiar with searching and navigating databases such as ToxPlanet, PubMed, and Embase for literature review and establishing workflows in systematic review software such as DistillerSR. Dr. Kennedy has streamlined reference management for a large evidence base and managed literature review for the rapidly evolving knowledge base on a contaminant of emerging concern, incorporating QA/QC throughout the project to ensure data accuracy. She also developed a novel ecological toxicity study reliability assessment framework which integrated concepts from existing critical appraisal tools (NTP-OHAT, CRED, USEPA-TSCA) and was applied to PFAS ecotoxicity studies.
Dr. Kennedy previously worked at the state regulatory level in water quality and environmental health monitoring programs. She assisted in project management by coordinating biological sampling efforts and laboratory activities. She also used her capability with geographic information system software (ArcGIS) to correlate water quality parameters with site physical characteristics. She is also well versed in water quality topics such as aquatic ecology, harmful algal blooms, water chemistry, and the application and integration of these topics within the context of state and federal regulations. Her diverse educational background includes a B.S. in Marine Science, an M.S. in Environmental Health Science, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology. Her dissertation research investigated the acute and chronic toxicity of tire-wear particles to aquatic organisms, using biomarker analyses to identify adverse effects. This research included field surveys of stormwater ponds to determine environmental exposure. She also incorporated outreach within her dissertation research that provided opportunities for undergraduate and high school students to develop practical laboratory skills and encouraged scientific inquiry related to microplastic and environmental science research. Her additional research projects extend into evaluating the endocrine-related effects on largemouth bass within a PCB-contaminated reservoir.