Study Directors
Allison Hilberer, MS, DABT
Toxicologist II
Study Director, Photosafety, Ocular & Dermal Assessment
Allison joined IIVS in 2004 as a Biologist I and is now part of our team of Study Directors. Allison’s primary area of focus is the photosafety programs at IIVS. She also oversees ocular and dermal safety assays, as well as specialized 96-well based assays such as the Short Time Exposure (STE) assay.
Allison is dedicated to our international training workshops, and has provided training on alternative safety methods in Brazil, China, and Vietnam. She continues to interact with colleagues who are looking to implement or are using in vitro in their laboratories.
Allison earned her Master’s Degree in Biology from George Mason University in 2011, and received certification as a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT) in 2016.
Nathan Wilt, BS
Toxicologist II
Study Director, Ocular & Dermal Assessment
Nathan serves as Toxicologist and Study Director for our Ocular and Dermal Assay Systems, including the EpiOcular™, BCOP and Corrositex™ assays.
Nathan joined IIVS in 2001 as a Biologist and quickly learned and worked with multiple assay systems before taking on the role as lab manager, and ultimately Toxicologist and Study Director.
Nathan has contributed to multiple posters and manuscripts for his work. He has also been one of the primary leaders for our international training workshops, contributing to training programs in Brazil, Vietnam, Japan, and China.
Nathan graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Biology.
Rishil Kathawala, PhD
Toxicologist I
Study Director, Skin Sensitization
Dr. Rishil Kathawala joined IIVS as a Study Director/Toxicologist I to support the skin sensitization team. He brings to the team his expertise in cell- and molecular biology assays and will assist commercial clients in developing appropriate in vitro toxicology programs for their products.
Dr. Kathawala has his Ph.D. and Masters of Science (both in Pharmacology) from St. John’s University, New York, and a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Gujarat University, India. He further developed his skill set as a postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford University School of Medicine working on cancer pharmacology. Before joining IIVS, Dr. Kathawala worked at Medicon Pharmaceuticals Inc., where he conducted in vitro research on novel small molecule inhibitors.