Member profile

Dr Lesley Stanley

Last updated: 14 November 2022

Dr Stanley’s educational background includes First Class Honours in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Edinburgh and postdoctoral fellowships at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the MRC Toxicology Unit and the Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford. Her PhD and postdoctoral research focused on xenobiotic metabolism and mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis.

In 2005, after six years as a key player in the multidisciplinary Biomedical Science team at De Montfort University and three years as Head of Operations at CXR Biosciences Ltd, Dundee, Dr Stanley established her own business as an Independent Consultant in Investigative Toxicology. Since then she has successfully completed numerous consultancy commissions, including:

  • Advising the Food Standards Agency on its T01 Research Programme on Risk Assessment of Food Chemicals and Phytoestrogens (2009-2011).
  • Conducting a comprehensive review of data on the food additive aspartame to support the EFSA re-evaluation of the safety of this controversial artificial sweetener (EFSA, May 2012).
  • Compiling a glossary of scientific terms used in risk assessment for lay audiences (EFSA, January 2015).

Dr Stanley published a single author textbook, Molecular and Cellular Toxicology: An Introduction in 2014 and is currently an Associate of the School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University.

Dr Stanley has been a Panellist of the UK Register of Toxicologists for ten years. She was Vice-Chair from 2012-2015 and Chair for three years to the end of 2018. The Panel oversees the Register’s strategy and regulations. It reviews all applications for membership and 5-yearly renewal.

Dr Stanley is a Eurotox Registered Toxicologist (ERT) and a Fellow of the British Toxicology Society (FBTS).

In November 2018 Dr Stanley was awarded a Fellowship by the British Toxicology Society in recognition of her substantial contributions to the discipline of toxicology and to the work of the Society.

In December 2019 Dr Stanley was appointed to the Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC).

She has previously been a member of the Scottish Food Advisory Committee (March 2009 to March 2015), the Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee (January 2007 to December 2016) and the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT; October 2001 to March 2007).

Dr Lesley Stanley was appointed to the ACNFP in July 2016.

Register of interests

In line with FSA policy and established good practice for accessing external expertise, Scientific Advisory Committee members are required to declare any personal or non-personal interests which represent a real or potential conflict in respect of general or specific aspects of work undertaken. Interests will be managed in accordance with the FSA’s policy and guidance. 

If members have interests not specified in these notes, but which they believe could be regarded as influencing their advice or other work for FSA, they should declare them. However, members are not under any obligation to search out interests of which they might reasonably not be aware. For example, either through being unaware of all the interests of family members, or of not being aware of links between one company and another. 

Current

Personal Interest

Category of Interest

Organisation / Body and Nature of Interest

Direct employment

None

Consultancies and other fee-paid work

2022: Ad Hoc consultancy commission, Office for Product Safety and Standards. Peer review of OPSS rapid literature review report on human health effects of Melanotan II. 

2022: Informal unpaid consultancy with PhaSER, potential company aiming to provide drug-drug interaction services using 8HUM P450 humanised mice. Collaborators: C.R. Wolf, University of Dundee; K. Sullivan, Spectrum IPS; H. Delahaye, Deltohn Ltd.

2022: Health and Safety Executive, UK REACH Restriction Proposals. Moderator for RP003, Tattoo Inks, Challenge Panel Member for RP004, Lead in Ammunition.

2021-22: University of Dundee, preparation of learned review on HepG2 and HepaRG cell lines for publication in Drug Metabolism Reviews.

Shareholdings

Aviva Stocks and Shares ISA and Personal Pension

Investment portfolio managed by Quilter Cheviot

Clubs and other organisations

British Toxicology Society

UK Register of Toxicologists

Other personal interests

Church of Scotland Ordained Local Minister and Chaplain, University of Stirling (non-stipendiary)

Non-personal interests

Category of Interest

Organisation / Body and Nature of Interest

Fellowships

Fellow of the British Toxicology Society (unremunerated)

Other public appointments

Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC) - Member

Office for Product Safety and Standards Register of Specialists - Member.

REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool - Member

Historic

Personal Interests

Category of Interest

Organisation / Body and Nature of Interest 

Other fee-paid work from relevant organisations, consultancies

2020-21: Dundee Medical School, support with REF2021 Impact Cases.

University of Dundee, School of Medicine (2019)

2018-19: Research and Innovation Services, University of Dundee, advice on development and marketing of humanised mouse models.

University of Oxford, School of Medicine (2017-2018)

Zhejiang University, China (2017-2018)

2017: Hangzhou Genesis Biodetection and Biocontrol Co. Ltd., China, editorial assistance with English language manuscripts for publication.