Breanne Holmes

Dr. Breanne Holmes serves as a Scientist in Risk Assessment at the Ecotox Centre, a joint initiative between Eawag and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), where she is embedded within the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Institute of Environmental Engineering. Her primary responsibilities include deriving environmental quality criteria for surface waters for the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU) and developing ad hoc soil guidance values.

Her research expertise spans endocrine disruption, aquatic ecotoxicology, and environmental risk assessment, with significant contributions to developing novel methodologies such as iPSC-derived organoids, MALDI mass spectrometry imaging, and embryo-based toxicity tests. She integrates analytical and bioanalytical chemistry approaches to address complex water quality challenges, particularly focusing on hormonally active substances and disinfection byproducts.

Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent focus on endocrine-disrupting compounds in water systems, with methodological advancements in biomarker validation (e.g., fish vitellogenin assays) and molecular mechanisms of receptor binding. Her work bridges regulatory toxicology and environmental chemistry, emphasizing practical applications for water safety standards.

Dr. Holmes actively collaborates with international regulatory bodies and industry partners through her role at the Ecotox Centre, contributing to cross-laboratory validation studies and quality criterion development. Her current projects center on ecotoxicological quality criteria derivation for surface waters, leveraging both experimental and computational risk assessment frameworks.

She operates within the Ecotox Centre’s specialized infrastructure at EPFL’s Lausanne campus (GR B0 391, Station 2), which provides advanced capabilities for sediment and water ecotoxicity testing, bioanalytical screening, and environmental quality criteria development.