Ricardo S. Tieghi

Washington, D.C.

Ricardo Scheufen Tieghi

I work on replacing animal testing with machine learning

Research Engineer — Human Chemical Company

Read publications Curriculum vitae
Portrait of Ricardo Scheufen Tieghi
he/him · BS Biology, UNC-Chapel Hill 2025
Peer-reviewed
8
Citations
68
h-index
5
Awards
18
Invited talks
13
Posters
5

Scholar metrics updated November 2026 · Google Scholar profile

  • NEJM AI
  • NIH Replication Prize
  • Complement-ARIE Challenge
  • SOT Paper of the Year
  • NIEHS Paper of the Month ×2
  • Chancellor's Award
  • $1.8M project funding
  • UNC Chapel Hill

About

I work at the intersection of computational toxicology, machine learning, and federal science policy. My research builds models that predict chemical toxicity from structure, so that questions once answered with animal tests can be answered computationally instead.

I'm a research engineer at Human Chemical Company in Washington, D.C. Before that I supported the Office of the NIH Director on AI strategy: I co-led the $5M AI and Biomedical Foundation Model Challenge, ran portfolio analysis for the $1.2B Bio Genesis Mission, and co-authored the NIH AI Strategic Plan for 2026 to 2029. Earlier I spent two years at NIEHS in the NICEATM group and two years in the UNC Molecular Modeling Lab, where our work drew more than $1.8M in project funding.

I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2025 with a BS in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Medical Anthropology, and I review for ACS Chemical Research in Toxicology and JCIM.

Aug 2021 – May 2025
BS Biology — minors in Chemistry and Medical Anthropology University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill GPA 3.9 · Highest Distinction · Dean's List · Carolina Research Scholar
Domains
  • Computational Toxicology
  • Machine Learning
  • Large Language Models
  • Agentic AI
  • Data Modeling
Tools
  • Python
  • PyTorch
  • RDKit
  • Scikit-Learn
  • Optuna
  • Plotly
  • Matplotlib
  • HTML
  • CSS
  • Microsoft Azure
Ricardo Scheufen Tieghi at his UNC-Chapel Hill graduation
UNC-Chapel Hill, May 2025

Featured research 4

  • Figure from The Promise of Animal Testing Alternatives at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health

    NEJM AI 2025

    The Promise of Animal Testing Alternatives at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health

    R. S. Tieghi, T. B. Høeg, M. Makary, N. Kleinstreuer

    Read in NEJM AI
  • Figure from A Novel Machine Learning Model and a Web Portal for Predicting the Human Skin Sensitization Effects of Chemical Agents

    Toxics (MDPI) 2024

    A Novel Machine Learning Model and a Web Portal for Predicting the Human Skin Sensitization Effects of Chemical Agents

    R. S. Tieghi, J. T. Moreira-Filho, H. Martin, J. Wellnitz, M. Canamary Otoch, M. Rath, A. Tropsha, E. Muratov, N. Kleinstreuer

    • Editor's Choice
    • SOT Paper of the Year
    • NIEHS Paper of the Month
    View DOI
  • Figure from DeTox: an In Silico Alternative to Animal Testing for Predicting Developmental Toxicity Potential

    Environmental Health Perspectives 2026

    DeTox: an In Silico Alternative to Animal Testing for Predicting Developmental Toxicity Potential

    R. S. Tieghi, et al.

    View DOI
  • Figure from External Validation of STopTox – Novel Alternative Method (NAM) for Acute Systemic and Topical Toxicity

    Environmental Health Perspectives 2025

    External Validation of STopTox – Novel Alternative Method (NAM) for Acute Systemic and Topical Toxicity

    R. S. Tieghi, et al.

    View on PubMed

Publications 13

Topic

Published 8

  1. The Promise of Animal Testing Alternatives at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health

    R. S. Tieghi, T. B. Høeg, M. Makary, N. Kleinstreuer

    NEJM AI 2025

    Written with the FDA Commissioner, the FDA CDER Director, and the NIH Deputy Director.

    14 citations

    Read in NEJM AI

  2. A Novel Machine Learning Model and a Web Portal for Predicting the Human Skin Sensitization Effects of Chemical Agents

    R. S. Tieghi, J. T. Moreira-Filho, H. Martin, J. Wellnitz, M. Canamary Otoch, M. Rath, A. Tropsha, E. Muratov, N. Kleinstreuer

    Toxics (MDPI) 2024

    • Editor's Choice
    • SOT Paper of the Year
    • NIEHS Paper of the Month

    13 citations

    View DOI

  3. DeTox: an In Silico Alternative to Animal Testing for Predicting Developmental Toxicity Potential

    R. S. Tieghi, et al.

    Environmental Health Perspectives 2026

    7 citations

    View DOI

  4. External Validation of STopTox – Novel Alternative Method (NAM) for Acute Systemic and Topical Toxicity

    R. S. Tieghi, et al.

    Environmental Health Perspectives 2025 IF 10.1

    3 citations

    View on PubMed

  5. Automating Data Extraction from Scientific Literature and General PDF Files Using Large Language Models and KNIME: an Application in Toxicology

    J. T. Moreira-Filho, R. S. Tieghi, et al.

    WIREs Computational Molecular Science 2025

    11 citations

    View DOI

  6. The medicinal chemist's map to deep learning: Concepts, applications, and case studies

    M. Mahale, R. S. Tieghi, et al.

    Elsevier Reference Module in Chemistry, Molecular Sciences and Chemical Engineering 2025 Co-first author

    View DOI

  7. Synergistic Toxicity in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease and PFAS Exposure

    A. Stem, R. S. Tieghi, N. Kleinstreuer, V. Vasiliou

    Toxicological Sciences 2025 IF 4.1

    9 citations

    View DOI

  8. Democratizing Artificial Intelligence in Toxicology: Real-World Applications and Automated Computational Workflows

    K. Mansouri, J. T. Moreira-Filho, R. S. Tieghi, N. Kleinstreuer

    ACS Chemical Research in Toxicology 2026

    View DOI

Preprint 1

  1. Breaking the Phalanx: Overcoming Bacterial Drug Resistance with Quorum Sensing Inhibitors that Enhance Therapeutic Activity of Antibiotics

    J. M. Beasley, D. Dorjsuren, […] R. S. Tieghi, E. Muratov

    bioRxiv 2025

    4 citations

    View DOI

Under review 1

  1. Importance and Challenges of Computational Modeling of Pesticides and Chemical Mixtures in Environmental Health: A Review

    C. Melo-Filho, R. S. Tieghi

    ACS Chemical Reviews Co-first author

In preparation 3

  1. AI Agents as Collaborators in Drug Discovery and Development

    S. Seal, D. L. Huynh, R. S. Tieghi, et al.

    Nature

  2. CAMERA: A Centralized Public Resource for Validated Alternative Methods to Support Regulatory Decision-Making

    R. S. Tieghi, et al.

  3. Elucidation of Adverse Outcome Pathways for Compound-induced Developmental Neurotoxicity using Knowledge Graphs

    R. S. Tieghi, et al.

Talks & workshops 18

Status
Type

  1. Workshop Upcoming

    Continuing Education Course — Speaker & Co-Chair

    SOT 66th Annual Meeting San Antonio, Texas

  2. Workshop Upcoming

    Continuing Education Course — Speaker & Co-Chair

    ACT Annual Meeting San Antonio, Texas

  3. Talk

    Brown Paper Bag Seminar

    Dynanet Corporation Virtual

  4. Talk

    AI, Animals, and the Law

    George Washington University Law School Washington, D.C.

    Watch recording
    Ricardo presenting on replacing animal testing at George Washington University Law School

  5. Workshop

    Comprehensive Toxicity Assessment with Agentic AI — CE Course Speaker & Co-Chair

    ASCCT 13th Annual Meeting Durham, North Carolina

  6. Talk Early Career Best Oral Presentation

    Two presentations on in silico alternatives to animal testing

    13th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    13th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  7. Talk BDRP Innovator Award Finalist

    Innovator Award Finalist presentation

    Society for Birth Defects Research & Prevention Annual Meeting Denver, Colorado

    Ricardo receiving the BDRP Innovator Award certificate in Denver Ricardo with colleagues at the BDRP 65th Annual Meeting in Denver

  8. Talk

    Division of Translational Toxicology Science Forum

    NIEHS Virtual

  9. Talk

    Annual Symposium presentation

    NIEHS Scholars Connect Program Durham, North Carolina

    NIEHS Scholars Connect Program, Durham, North Carolina

  10. Poster SOT Undergraduate Research Award

    A Novel Machine Learning Model and a Web Portal for Predicting the Human Skin Sensitization Effects of Chemical Agents

    SOT 64th Annual Meeting Orlando, Florida

    SOT 64th Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida

  11. Talk

    Symposium Speaker & Co-Chair

    SOT 64th Annual Meeting Orlando, Florida

    SOT 64th Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida

  12. Webinar

    ASCCT–ESTIV Award Winners Webinar

    ASCCT & ESTIV Virtual

    Watch recording

  13. Talk 1st Prize

    Three Minute Thesis Competition — NIEHS Fall Connection

    NIEHS Durham, North Carolina

    NIEHS, Durham, North Carolina

  14. Poster ASCCT Travel Award

    HuSSPred: an in-silico HPPT-based tool for Human Skin Sensitization Prediction & the DeTox Project

    ASCCT 13th Annual Meeting Durham, North Carolina

  15. Talk Suzanne Fitzpatrick Award

    Flash Talk

    ASCCT 13th Annual Meeting Durham, North Carolina

    ASCCT 13th Annual Meeting, Durham, North Carolina

  16. Poster 1st Prize

    HuSSPred: an in-silico HPPT-based tool for Human Skin Sensitization Prediction

    NCSOT Annual Meeting Durham, North Carolina

    Ricardo called on stage for the NCSOT undergraduate poster award Ricardo discussing the HuSSPred poster at the NCSOT Annual Meeting

  17. Poster SURF Award

    Endothelial Nuclear Proteins SUN1 & SUN2 regulate Microtubule Organization in Endothelial Cells

    UNC Celebration of Undergraduate Research Chapel Hill, North Carolina

    Ricardo with the endothelial-cell poster at the UNC Celebration of Undergraduate Research

  18. Poster BMSS Abstract Award Finalist

    PregPred: A Novel Web-Accessible Computational Tool for Predicting Developmental Toxicity

    SOT 63rd Annual Meeting Salt Lake City, Utah

    SOT 63rd Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah

Awards 18

Research awards 5

Presentation & institutional 13

  • Recipient 2025

    UNC Chancellor's Walter S. Spearman Award

    Awarded to the senior whose academic achievement, leadership, and strength of character are judged most outstanding.

  • Winner ~$1,500 2025

    SOT Undergraduate Research Award

  • Winner ~$500 2025

    Best Oral Presentation, Early Career — 13th World Congress

    Sponsored by AIVT.

  • Winner ~$1,000 2025

    Travel Award — 13th World Congress

  • 2nd Prize ~$300 2025

    BDRP Innovator Award

  • 1st Prize ~$400

    RDTSS Poster Competition

    Sponsored by Pfizer and Elsevier.

  • Winner ~$500 2025

    Society for Birth Defects Research Travel Award

  • Winner ~$1,000

    SOT Diversity Initiatives Career Development Award

  • 1st Prize ~$300 2024

    NCSOT Undergraduate Student Poster Competition

  • Winner ~$1,000 2024

    ASCCT Suzanne Fitzpatrick Student Travel Award

  • 1st Prize 2024

    NIEHS Scholars Connect Elevator Pitch Competition

  • Winner ~$300

    UNC Office of Undergraduate Research Travel Award

  • Finalist 2024

    SOT 63rd Annual Meeting Biological Modeling Specialty Section Abstract Award

Ricardo and a fellow UNC student holding their SOT Undergraduate Research Award plaques at the SOT 64th Annual Meeting in Orlando
SOT Undergraduate Research Award · Orlando, March 2025
Receiving the UNC Chancellor's Walter S. Spearman Award
UNC Chancellor's Awards · Chapel Hill, 2025

News & media 13

Contact

I'm always glad to talk about computational toxicology, new approach methodologies, or AI in federal biomedical research.

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Message on LinkedIn View CV