Feb
11
2025
Engineering the Future of Toxicology
From Molecular Disruption to Physiological Outcome in Early Vertebrate Fish Models and 3D Human Heart Organoids
Lisa Gölz
Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University
4:00 PM
SR41
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent pollutants with widespread environmental and human health risks, particularly affecting the endocrine and cardiovascular system. However, their underlying mechanisms of action across vertebrate species remain poorly understood. Using a One Health approach, we employ engineered human iPSC-derived heart organoids—featuring an epicardium and contractile activity—alongside early zebrafish models to identify PFAS-sensitive biological pathways.
Our zebrafish-based biomarkers for cardiotoxicity and endocrine activity complement human tissue-level assessments, enabling cross-species comparisons. This integrative, multilevel approach maps Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs), linking molecular disruptions to functional impairments in cardiac and endocrine systems. By bridging human organoid research with aquatic vertebrate toxicology, we help to establish human-relevant in vitro systems, advancing mechanistic understanding and supporting more predictive frameworks for chemical risk assessment.
Biosketch
Lisa Marie Gölz earned her PhD in 2023 from the Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) at Heidelberg University in the field of aquatic toxicology. During her doctoral studies, she developed the integrated Fish Endocrine Disruptor Test (iFEDT) and established an Adverse Outcome Pathway, pioneering zebrafish-based methods to study thyroid disruption and eye development.
She conducted postdoctoral research at the Pharmacological Institute at Heidelberg University, where she developed innovative hiPSC-derived 2D and 3D human cell systems and heart organoids and established a hiPSC subteam within Prof. Marc Freichel’s research group. Since January 2025, Lisa Gölz is leading her own junior research group, funded by the Vector Stiftung in Stuttgart. Her team integrates expertise in zebrafish toxicology and human organoid technologies to unravel the mechanisms of environmental pollutants and uncover cross-species biological pathways.
Dr. Gölz’s interdisciplinary research advances sustainable approaches in toxicology and her work has been recognized with the Viktor & Sigrid Dulger Ecology Prize and the Otto-Schmeil Prize for outstanding scientific contributions.