About the Cosmetic Ingredient Review

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review was established in 1976 by the industry trade association (then the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association, now the Personal Care Products Council), with the support of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. Although funded by the Council, CIR, the Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety, and the review process are independent from the Council and the cosmetics industry. CIR and the Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety operate under a set of procedures.

General policy and direction are given by a 7-member Steering Committee chaired by the President and CEO of the Council, with a dermatologist representing the American Academy of Dermatology, a toxicologist representing the Society of Toxicology, a consumer representative representing the Consumer Federation of America, an industry scientist (the current chair of the Council's CIR Committee), Chair of the Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety, and the Council’s Executive Vice President for Science.

Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety

Learn more about the Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety here.

CIR Staff

Administration

  
Bart Heldreth, Ph.D.
Executive Director
  
Dr. Heldreth directs the daily administration of the CIR staff and matters related to the Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety, including receipt of all documents submitted by any interested person with respect to the CIR, distribution of all data and information to the Expert Panel, and arranging for all aspects of the meetings of the Expert Panel, including public notice thereof, and management of all CIR work products. Moreover, he sets agency priorities, designs and implements strategies, plans and assigns work distribution across a team of analysts, orientates analysts on project strategies that relate to human safety, and provides interpretive direction on all issues. Dr. Heldreth also leads the presentation, defense, and recording of findings for public comment and review by the Expert Panel, and edits finalized findings for peer-reviewed publication.  
Monice Fiume, B.S., M.B.A.
Senior Director
Monice Fiume collaborates with the Executive Director to provide overall leadership of the CIR program. This includes the planning and execution of all activities necessary to perform the CIR mission and to meet program requirements specified in the formal CIR Procedures. She maintains a continual awareness of scientific research and other activities that may impact on the CIR Program, and develops and/or recommends approaches to the Executive Director to address those activities that may impact the program. Also, Monice represents the interests and value of CIR to stakeholders, both nationally and internationally.

Carla Jackson
Administrative Coordinator

Subject Matter Expertise

Jinqiu Zhu, Ph.D., D.A.B.T, E.R.T., D.C.S.T.
Toxicologist
Dr. Jinqiu Zhu joined the CIR in 2018.  He assists in developing effective risk assessment strategies and implementing coordinated approaches into safety evaluation process, provides expert review and evaluation on toxicological issues, as well as prepares documents that clarify the rationale and procedure for addressing significant health concerns relevant to cosmetics use.  Dr. Zhu received his Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology from Texas Tech University in 2009 and obtained postdoctoral training in the departments of Pharmacology and Cell Biology at Emory University School of Medicine (2009-2013).  Before joining the CIR, he worked as a toxicology scientist at University at Buffalo-SUNY.  He is a board-certified toxicologist in the USA (D.A.B.T.), Europe (E.R.T.), and China (D.C.S.T.).

Analysis

Christina L. Burnett, M.S.E.S
Senior Scientific Analyst
  
Priya Cherian, M.S.
Senior Scientific Analyst
  
Priya Cherian joined the CIR in 2018 as a Scientific Analyst and was promoted to Senior Scientific Analyst in 2021. She executes project strategies that relate to human safety and provides innovative solutions to developing issues. She also prepares, presents, and defends analyses for review by the Expert Panel. Priya is concurrently completing her M.S. degree in Clinical Toxicology at the University of Florida.  
Thushara Diyabalanage, Ph.D.
Senior Scientific Analyst
Dr. Thushara Diyabalanage joined the CIR in 2024 as a Senior Scientific Analyst.  He executes project strategies that relate to human safety and provides innovative solutions to developing issues. He also assists in expert review and evaluation on chemical issues, as well as preparing documents that clarify the rationale and procedure for addressing significant health concerns relevant to cosmetics use.  Dr. Diyabalanage received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of South Florida in 2006 and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Michigan State University (2007)  and the National Cancer Institute, (2008-2012).  He has extensive experience in cosmetic ingredient development from natural sources as a Research Scientist at Actives International (2013-2023).  In addition to expertise in organic and natural products chemistries, Dr. Diyabalanage is an expert in natural complex substances (NCS, e.g., botanicals).

Preethi S. Raj, M.S.
Senior Scientific Analyst

Information Services

Kevin Stone Fries, M.L.S.
Information Services, Manager

Liaisons to the Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety

CONSUMER FEDERATION OF
AMERICA

Courtney Griffin, J.D.
Director of Consumer Product Safety
Consumer Federation of America
1620 I Street, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006

CIR INDUSTRY LIAISON
Alexandra Kowcz, M.B.A
Executive Vice President-Science
Personal Care Products Council
1620 L St Street, NW Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20036

FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION

Linda Katz, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, Office of Cosmetics
and Colors
Chief Medical Officer, CFSAN
Food and Drug Administration
5100 Paint Branch Parkway, HFS-100
College Park, Maryland 20740

1620 L St NW Suite 1200
Washington DC 20036-4702
phone: 202-331-0651

© 2016 Cosmetic Ingredient Review