Natalia (Natasha) Shilnikova

MD, PhD

Senior Health Risk Analyst

Joined RSI in 2011

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    Country of Residence

RSI's Natalia (Natasha) Shilnikova

Personal Introduction

I earned my first professional degree in Medicine from Perm State Medical Institute, now Perm State Medical Academy (Perm, Russia), and a PhD in Medical Sciences from the State Research Center Institute of Biophysics, now the Federal Medical Biophysics Center of the Federal Medico-Biological Agency (FMBA) of the Russian Federation. I worked for many years at the Laboratory of Epidemiology of the Southern Ural Biophysics Institute (Ozyorsk, Russia). My primary responsibility involved the analysis of mortality and cancer incidence in the cohort of workers at the Russian nuclear complex Mayak and in the population living near the nuclear facility. My work was largely supported by contracts with the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Department of Energy. I moved to Canada in 2007 and joined the University of Ottawa McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment. At the McLaughlin Centre, I worked on several projects related to the assessment of health risks from physical, chemical and biological agents. I joined RSI in December 2011.

Natasha Shilnikova and RSI staff at work

Natasha Shilnikova at the international expert panel workshop organized by RSI and the International Manganese Institute (IMnI)

Natalia (Natasha) Shilnikova: Current Focus

At RSI, Dr. Natalia (Natasha) Shilnikova has been working on projects involving toxicology, epidemiology and human health risk assessment, such as development of toxicity profiles for several chemicals on Health Canada’s Domestic Substances List (DSL); a systematic review of potential cancer and reproductive risks of artificial sweeteners for the International Prevention Research Institute (IPRI) of Lyon, France; a comprehensive review of the literature related to the human health effects of manganese for the International Manganese Institute (IMnI); evidence synthesis on post-approval surveillance of novel cancer drugs, factors associated with abnormal call rate in breast cancer screening, cancer risks associated with cannabis use for the Canadian Partnership against Cancer (CPAC); a clinical drug review of botulinum toxin for the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB).

Works and Accomplishments

Selected Reports

 
Dr. Shilnikova is a co-author of the following (selected) reports.
 

  • Developing Revised Diagnostic Criteria for Manganism: Systematic Review of Pharmacokinetics of Manganese compounds. Report prepared for the International Manganese Institute. May 2020.
  • Clinical Drug Review for WSIB Formulary Consideration. Botulinum Toxin. Prepared for Workplace Safety Insurance Board. May 2019.
  • Rapid Review of Evidence on Cannabis Use and Cancer Risk. Prepared for Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. March 2019.
  • Evidence Synthesis on Factors Associated with Abnormal Call Rate in Breast Cancer Screening. Report prepared for Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. June 2018
  • Ethical Considerations in Risk Assessment. Background Paper prepared for Health Canada Workshop on Ethics in Risk Assessment. March 2018
  • Reproductive and Endocrine Effects Associated with Parabens. Report prepared for Health Canada. April 2018
  • Academic literature search for international colorectal cancer screening indicators. Report prepared for Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. October 2017
  • Exposure Information Gathering for CMP3 Flame Retardant Substances. Report prepared for Health Canada. August 2017
  • Human Health Risk Assessment of Aluminum in Drinking Water. Report prepared for Health Canada. March 2016
  • Evidence Synthesis on Post-Approval Surveillance of Approved Novel Cancer Drugs. Report prepared for Canadian Partnership against Cancer. 8 January 2016
  • Review of Regulations Regarding Fluoride in Drinking Water and Authoritative Reviews of Scientific Literature. Report prepared for Rio Tinto Alcan, Héritage Industriel / Legacy Management Europe. 10 April 2015
  • Artificial Sweeteners and the Risk of Cancers and Pre-Term Delivery: A Systematic Review of Experimental Studies. Prepared for the International Prevention Research Institute (IPRI). September 2014.
  • Identification and Review of the Recent (2009-June 2013) Scientific Literature Relevant to the Human Risk Assessment for Mn & its Inorganic Compounds. Prepared for the International Manganese Institute. October 2014.
  • ESSA Technologies, J. Laurence, Risk Sciences International, Trent University, and Trinity Consultants. 2014. Kitimat Airshed Emissions Effects Assessment. Report prepared for BC Ministry of Environment, Smithers, BC. 205 pp. + appendices.
    • http://www.bcairquality.ca/airsheds/docs/ESSA-Kitimat-Airshed-Report_20140425.pdf
  • ESSA Technologies, J. Laurence, Limnotek, Risk Sciences International, Rio Tinto Alcan, Trent University, Trinity Consultants, and University of Illinois. 2013. Sulfur Dioxide Technical Assessment Report in Support of the 2013 Application to Amend the P2-00001 Multimedia Permit for the Kitimat Modernization Project. Draft for Consultations. Volume 1: Executive Summary. Prepared for Rio Tinto Alcan, Kitimat, B.C . 37pp. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1030053-sulphur-dioxide-technical-assessment.html
  • EPA’s Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments, Volume 1. In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). February 2012. http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris/iris_documents/documents/supdocs/dioxinv1sup.pdf

Selected Publications

  • Kadry Taher M, Farhat N, Karyakina NA, Shilnikova N, Ramoju S, Gravel CA, et al. Critical review of the association between perineal use of talc powder and risk of ovarian cancer. Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, NY). 2019;90:88-101.
  • Ramoju S, Andersen ME, Nong A, Karyakina N, Shilnikova N, Krishnan K, et al. Derivation of whole blood biomonitoring equivalents for titanium for the interpretation of biomonitoring data. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology: RTP. 2020;114:104671.
  • Ramoju S, Andersen M, Poddalgoda D, Nong A, Karyakina N, Shilnikova N, et al. Derivation of whole blood biomonitoring equivalents for lithium for the interpretation of biomonitoring data. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP. 2020;111:104581.
  • Ramoju SP, Mattison DR, Milton B, McGough D, Shilnikova N, Clewell HJ, et al. The application of PBPK models in estimating human brain tissue manganese concentrations. Neurotoxicology. 2017;58:226-37.
  • Milton B, Krewski D, Mattison DR, Karyakina NA, Ramoju S, Shilnikova N, et al. Modeling U-shaped dose-response curves for manganese using categorical regression. Neurotoxicology. 2017;58:217-25.
  • Shilnikova NS, Habash RWY, Turner MC, Zielinski JM, Krewski D. Causes of Breast Cancer: Ionising and Non-Ionising Radiation. World Breast Cancer Report 2012. International Prevention Research Institute, Lyon, France. 2012. Chapter 19, pp. 185-195.
  • Duport P, Jiang H, Shilnikova NS, Krewski D, Zielinski JM. Database of radiogenic cancer in experimental animals exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation. Journal of toxicology and environmental health Part B, Critical reviews. 2012;15(3):186-209.
  • Crump KS, Duport P, Jiang H, Shilnikova NS, Krewski D, Zielinski JM. A meta-analysis of evidence for hormesis in animal radiation carcinogenesis, including a discussion of potential pitfalls in statistical analyses to detect hormesis. Journal of toxicology and environmental health Part B, Critical reviews. 2012;15(3):210-31.
  • Shilnikova NS, Krewski D, Tyshenko MG. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease risk management in Nordic countries. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management. 2010;14(3-4):284-303.
  • Shilnikova NS, Krewski D, Tyshenko MG. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease risk management in Belgium. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management. 2010;14(3-4):179-91.
  • Shilnikova NS, Krewski D, Tyshenko MG. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease risk management in Spain. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management. 2010;14(1-2):145-56.
  • Shilnikova NS, Krewski D, Tyshenko MG. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease risk management in the Netherlands. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management. 2010;14(3-4):192-202.
  • Tyshenko MG, Farhat N, Lewis R, Shilnikova N, Krewski D. Applying a precautionary risk management strategy for regulation of nanotechnology. International Journal of Nanotechnology. 2010;7(2-3):243-64.
  • Zielinski JM, Garner MJ, Band PR, Krewski D, Shilnikova NS, Jiang H, et al. Health outcomes of low-dose ionizing radiation exposure among medical workers: a cohort study of the Canadian national dose registry of radiation workers. International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health. 2009;22(2):149-56.
  • Zielinski JM, Ashmore PJ, Band PR, Jiang H, Shilnikova NS, Tait VK, et al. Low dose ionizing radiation exposure and cardiovascular disease mortality: cohort study based on Canadian national dose registry of radiation workers. International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health. 2009;22(1):27-33.
  • Zielinski JM, Shilnikova NS, Krewski D. Canadian National Dose Registry of radiation workers: overview of research from 1951 through 2007. International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health. 2008;21(4):269-75.
  • Sokolnikov ME, Gilbert ES, Preston DL, Ron E, Shilnikova NS, Khokhryakov VV, Vasilenko EK, Koshurnikova NA. Lung, liver and bone cancer mortality in Mayak workers. Int J Cancer. International journal of cancer. Journal international du cancer. 2008; 123(4):905-911.
  • Shilnikova N, Preston D, Okatenko P, Gilbert E, Ron E, Sokolnikov M, Kuznetsova I, Khokhryakov V, Vassilenko E, Koshurnikova N. Mayak worker mortality: Overview and site-specific risks. [Journal: Conference Paper] Radiation Research. 2007; 167(3): 352-353.
  • Gilbert ES, Sokolnikov ME, Shilnikova NS, Preston DL, Ron E, Okatenko PV, Khokhryakov VF, Vassilenko EK, Koshurnikova NA. Mayak worker study: Risks of lung, liver and bone cancer from plutonium. [Journal: Conference Paper] Radiation Research. 2007; 167(3): 353-354.
  • Koshurnikova NA, Sokolnikov ME, Shilnikova NS, Rogacheva SA, Filippova LG, Okatenko PV, Kuznetsova IS, Bolotnikova MG. (2005). Late health effects of incorporation of plutonium compounds in man. In: Ilyin L.A., Kochetkov O.A., Romanov S.A., eds, Plutonium. Radiation safety. Moscow, IzdAT, pp. 373-398 [in Russian]
  • Shilnikova NS, Preston DL, Ron E, Gilbert ES, Vassilenko EK, Romanov SA, et al. Cancer mortality risk among workers at the Mayak nuclear complex. Radiation research. 2003;159(6):787-98.
  • Koshurnikova NA, Mushkacheva GS, Shilnikova NS, Rabinovich EI, Petrushkina NP, Hall P, et al. Studies on the Ozyorsk population: health effects. Radiation and environmental biophysics. 2002;41(1):37-9.
  • IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Volume 78 “Ionizing Radiation, Part 2: Some Internally Deposited Radionuclides”. Section 2.4.3 “Plutonium. Russian Federation”. IARC Press, Lyon, France, 2001.
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Michael G. Tyshenko

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Anne Wiles

For her work at RSI, Anne has built on her previous experience and academic research through work on communication on nuclear power and nuclear waste disposal; developing communication strategies and messaging on health risk issues; and delivering training on risk communication. She has also applied her familiarity with risk regulation in many projects on government…

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Cemil ‘Jim’ Alyanak

Now serving as RSI’s Vice-President Communications and Strategic Initiatives, for years Cemil has provided organizations with guidance designed to transmit mission-critical messages. An anti-tobacco campaign is not about promoting a strategy, it’s about saving lives. Get the message wrong and people die. That type of commitment to results is what Cemil brings to Risk Sciences International.

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Greg Paoli

As RSI’s Principal Risk Scientist and COO, Greg Paoli is currently working with a broad spectrum of clients in the public and private sectors, with the greatest emphasis on the development of new approaches to transform regulatory systems to be more “risk-based” at multiple levels: how senior decision-makers process risk information and make the “tough choices” in regulating health and safety, how an organization can optimize its resources across a diverse mandate to maximize total “portfolio-level” risk reduction, and how to operationalize key resources like the scheduling of inspections when faced with thousands of inspection targets, but not enough resources to inspect all of them.

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Jennifer Go

Jennifer joined RSI in August of 2017 as a Risk Analyst with specialization in epidemiology. She possesses a diverse set of skills that contributes to her flexibility to work on a wide range of scientific projects. In particular, Jennifer has research experience in programming using SAS, manipulating large datasets, constructing statistical models, interpreting quantitative data, …

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Donald Mattison

Dr. Donald Mattison was appointed Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Risk Sciences International in 2012. Dr. Mattison also serves as Associate Director of the McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment and as Adjunct Professor at the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa. He is also Medical Advisor to QuarterWatch: Monitoring FDA MedWatch Reports published by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

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Martin LeBlanc

Mr. Martin LeBlanc is responsible for growing RSI’s book of business, supporting all activities to this end. His line is always open to assist clients old and new. He strives to understand and provide a client’s unique need on a project, having done so for many government and private clients across the health, nuclear, power generation, aerospace, manufacturing, transportation and national defence sectors.

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Hong Duan

Since joining RSI’s technical team in 2011, Hong has focused on developing risk-based database-driven web projects. Her extensive knowledge and experience, has helped RSI to develop high quality software for multiple clients including the Public Health Agency of Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations based in Rome, and the World Health Organization based in Geneva.

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Nataliya Karyakina

Dr. Nataliya Karyakina has solid knowledge and extensive experience in hazard identification and human health risk assessments of toxic chemicals present in air, water, food and consumer products. Her research focuses on multidisciplinary studies of potential adverse health effects.

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Emma Hartnett

Dr. Hartnett currently works on the development of risk-based decision-making processes and tools to support public risk assessment. Current focus includes: working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency exploring methodologies to support risk-based monitoring of contaminants in food; working with Transport Canada to develop guidelines and methodologies to support risk-based decisions related to public risks from the transportation system; working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on continuing expansions and improvements to the FDA-iRISK tool.

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Franco Momoli

Dr. Momoli is the acting Practice Lead for Chemical and Product Safety at Risk Sciences International, as well as an adjunct professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa.

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Daniel Krewski

Dr. Krewski serves as Chief Risk Scientist and CEO of Risk Sciences International. He also holds academic appointments as Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health and Scientific Director of the McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Krewski is a Fellow of the Society of Risk Analysis and the American Statistical Association, and a lifetime National Affiliate of the US National Academy of Sciences. In 2013, he received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Society for Risk Analysis, for excellent performance in the practice of risk analysis. He has contributed to over 900 scientific and technical publications in the field of risk science during the course of his career to date.

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Paul Stanish

Paul Stanish joined Risk Sciences International in 2021 as a Risk Analyst. Paul’s current focus is on using emerging tools to modernize client’s understanding risk and streamline and rationalize their data culture.

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Todd Ruthman

Todd Ruthman’s current focus is on tools that help regulators visualize and understand the public risk burden within their mandates to help inform risk-based decisions. Mr. Ruthman provides design, management, modelling, coding, and database development expertise for these tools. Mr. Ruthman also manages the RSI development group enhancing previously released tools…

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Mina Maksimovic

Mina joined Risk Sciences International in 2021 as a Project Coordinator. Mina’s focus is helping coordinate projects and implementing project management software to ensure project timelines are met. She also assists with research-based tasks.

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Monique Macdonald

As Office Administrator for RSI, Monique is responsible for managing all functions of the firm’s office environment and administration needs, including liaising with stakeholders, contractors and suppliers, supporting RSI Directors and staff with data management and word processing, maintaining business accounts, licenses, subscriptions, company files and systems. Her duties also include general bookkeeping, sales and marketing support, course and workshop administration and general research support.

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