Professor Clare Thorp

Biography 

Professor of Business and Innovation.

Clare joined the Royal Agricultural University after working in senior and executive level positions in private companies, industry associations, government and academia. She was executive director of the International Life Sciences Institute in Washington DC and founded a private consultancy that worked with industry consortia and private companies to support decision making under risk and uncertainty. A significant part of her experience has been in assisting innovative SMEs and large multinationals navigate regulatory and policy environments that impact their route to market or freedom to operate.

Clare has been involved in policy and decision making around strategically important issues relating to agriculture and food systems, food safety and nutrition, industrial and environmental biotechnology, and international trade throughout her career. She is experienced in the development and implementation of strategic planning, enterprise-wide risk management, and in leading change in large and small organisations.

Clare previously directed the Irish national food and food safety research programme and has published in the academic literature, government policy documents, and provided expert comment to the US government and its regulatory agencies on behalf of industry. She has extensive public speaking experience at a variety of fora and has served on government committees in Ireland, EU legislative committees in Brussels and on US Environmental Protection Agency expert working groups.

Member of professional bodies and associations

Previous member of:

  • British Association of Animal Science
  • The Nutrition Society
  • American Chemical Society
  • Society for Risk Analysis

Teaching
  • Responsible Leadership and People Skills 4763
  • International Business 2027
  • Business Informatics 1417
  • Leadership and Personal Development 4261
  • Commodities Marketing and Data Handling 2341
  • Farm Business and Enterprise Management 4015

Publications

Book Chapters (peer reviewed)

  • Supplementation of Forage Diets D.E. Beever and C. In: Biotechnology for Dairy Production 1996.Published by OECD and the New Zealand Pastoral Research Institute Ltd.
  • Advances in the understanding of factors influencing the nutritional value of legumes. D.E. Beever and C.L. Thorp. In: Legumes in Sustainable Farming Systems. BGS Occasional Symposium No. 30, 1996. Ed. D. Younie, pp 194-207

Theses

  • Doctoral Thesis, Agriculture (Animal Science) 1995: Endocrinological, Metabolic And Behavioral Responses To Variations In Forage To Concentrate Ratio In Finishing Beef Cattle. C.L. Thorp, Ph.D. Thesis 1995, Queens University Belfast. (Thomas Henry Scholar)
  • Masters Thesis in Economics and Policy Studies, 2003: Public Good Research For The Irish Food Industry, A Mid-Term Evaluation Of The Food Institutional Research Measure. C.L. Thorp, M.Sc. in Economic Policy Studies, 2003, Trinity College Dublin

Scientific Publications (peer reviewed)

  • Effect of forage : concentrate ratio in the diet on concentrations of IGF-1, insulin, glucagon and volatile fatty acid Supplementation of Forage Diets appearing across the splanchnic tissues of steers. C.L. Thorp, A.R.G. Wylie, R.W.J. Steen, J. McEvoy, C. Shaw. Animal Production 1995, Vol. 62, Abstr. No. 44
  • Effects of incremental changes in forage : concentrate ratio on plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations and products of rumen fermentation in fattening beef steers. Thorp, C.L., Wylie, A.R.G., Steen R.W.J., Shaw, C., McEvoy, J.D. 2000, Animal Science 71: 93-109
  • Temporal variations in plasma amino acid concentrations across the gut tissues of steers offered silage and silage concentrate diets once daily Wylie, A.R.G, Thorp, C.L., Kilpatrick, D.J., Steen, R.W.J., McEvoy C. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 1997, Vol 56, no.2.
  • Effect of energy intake and forage: concentrate ratio in the diet on the behavior, rumen fermentation and hormone concentrations of finishing beef steers. Thorp, C.L., Steen, R.W.J., Wylie, A.R.G., Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research, 1993, Vol 32:97 (abstr)
  • The effects of energy intake and forage: concentrate ratio in the diet on the behavior, metabolite and hormone concentrations in beef cattle Thorp, C.L. Steen, R.W.J., Wylie, A.R.G British Grassland Society, Proceedings of the 3rd research Conference, 1992, p145-146
  • Effects of different forage: concentrate ratios and intake restriction on the rumen fermentation and hormone profiles of finishing beef steers C.L. Thorp, A.R.G. Wylie, R.W.J. Steen, J. McEvoy, C.Shaw. Publications & Presentations 2022 | Clare Thorp, PhD, NAnimal Production 1994, Vol. 58: 444,
  • Portal vein ammonia concentrations in steers following 1-hour silage meals, Wylie, A.R.G, Thorp, C.L., Kilpatrick, McEvoy C., D.J., Steen, R.W.J., Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 1994, Vol 33, 90A

Other publications/presentations

CropLife America:

  • Use of open literature toxicity and epidemiology studies in regulatory decision making Sean C Gehen (1), Carol J Burns(2), Clare Thorp (3). (1) Dow AgroSciences (2) The Dow Chemical Company, (3) CropLife America. American Chemical Society 246th National Meeting and Exposition Chemistry In Motion September 8-12, 2013
  • White Paper: Joint proposal from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG) Proposal for a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory
  • Representation and Equivalency Determinations for Renewable and Sustainable Bio-based Chemicals. January 2018 C. Thorp, R. Engler, M. Marrapese and P. Sayre
  • https://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/octobernovember-2015/the-nexus- between-foodsafety-and-food security/ 13th IUPAC Congress of Pesticide Chemistry: “Crop, Environment and Public Health Protection: Technologies for a Changing World” Scientific Program Committee and Symposia Organizer – Implementing a Risk Paradigm for Pesticide Use Decisions in the Real World.
  • 13th IUPAC International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry ACS Division Of Agrochemicals (Agro).859. “Global Food Security: What's in the mix?” C. Thorp, CropLife America “The US Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program - an industry perspective”. Clare Thorp, CropLife America June 2014, Invited Speaker, Annual meeting of the PDP Program, Manassas, VA.
  • “EU-US Agricultural Trade: Co-Dependant Partners” Clare Thorp, CropLife America, April 2014. Meeting with Joe Glauber, USDA Chief Economist to discuss the trade impact of EU pesticide regulations on US and international commodity exports.

Creme Global:

  • “Data Management and Why Modelling Matters” C Thorp, Creme Global, Presentation to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, October 2020
  • “Big Data and Artificial Intelligence in the Chemical Senses”, C. Thorp, Guest Speaker/Panel Moderator Monell Spring Symposium, April 7 2020
  • “The Next Generation Sequencing Revolution: Impacts on Manufacturing Safety” C Thorp, Creme Global, USDA Food Safety Inspection Service, March 2020
  • Integrated Data Gathering and Scientific Modelling Systems to Risk Assess the Fate of Pesticidal Chemicals From their Site of Application to Exposed Endangered Species C. Thorp, Creme Global; J. O’Brien, Creme Global C. McNamara, Creme Global. SETAC North America 41st Annual meeting 15– 19 November 2020, SETAC In Focus:
  • Environmental Quality Through Innovative Science, Environmental Risk Assessment Track 5. 5.04.21 NGS Case Study - The Challenges and Solutions to Implementing Genomics in a Live Factory Environment” B. Publications & Presentations 2022 | Clare Thorp, PhD, Ring, C. Thorp, J. O'Brien, P. Skandami, D. Akins-Lewenthal, P. Carrion, J. Donaghy, Séamus Fanning, Kalliopi Rantsiou, M. Weidmann, IAFP 2021 July 19 https://iafp.confex.com/iafp/2021/onlineprogram.cgi/Session/6941
  • “Advances in Modelling Residential Exposures to Pesticides – A Thought Starter.” C. Thorp, L. Schultz. American Chemistry Society, August 25, Fall 2021 Meeting. Session on Human Health Paradigms: Exposure, Risk Assessment & Policies for Agrochemicals.
  • “Novel and Integrated Approaches to Modelling Aggregate Exposures to Chemicals Across Different Conditions of Use and Routes of Exposure’ C. Thorp & J. O’Brien. Toxicology Excellence in Risk Assessment Workshop: Beyond Science and Decisions: From Problem Formulation to Risk Assessment Workshop XI February 18 - 20, 2020 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Cincinnati, Ohio
  • “Baysian Modelling to Support Food Safety”, C. Thorp, L. Schultz. Society for Risk Assessment Annual Meeting: Risk Science and the Policy Interface, Session: Hazard identification and Classification. Theme: Decision Analysis and Risk. Dec. 9 2021.
  • “SAFE – A Paradigm Shift in managing Microbial Risk” C. Thorp, S. Fanning, Society for Risk Assessment Annual Meeting: Risk Science and the Policy Interface, Session: Advanced methods in Risk Assessment for Food safety. Theme: Microbial Risk Analysis. Dec 7, 2021

Government publications

  • Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation 2006-2013, July 2006 ISBN 0-7557-7417-5
  • National Code of Practice for Managing and Commercializing Intellectual Property from Public Private Collaborative Research, 2005. Published by the Advisory Council for Science Technology and Innovation and Forfas, the National Policy and Advisory Board for Enterprise Trade Science Technology and Innovation.
  • Coexistence of GM and Non-GM Crops in Ireland: Report of the Working Group on the Coexistence of GM Crops with Conventional and Organic Farming, 2005.
  • Report of the Group on Research Overheads, 2003. Published by the Higher Education Authority and Forfas.

Public comments on behalf of industry

Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)

  • Technical comments the US Environmental Protection Agency on the implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) as amended by the Frank Lautenburg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act of 2016:
  • January 2018: BIO comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0559 on the development of EPA OPPT’s Strategic Plan for Developing and Implementing Alternative Test Methods and Strategies to Reduce, Refine, or Replace Vertebrate Animal Testing for Chemical Substances or Mixtures.
  • January 2018: BIO’s comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0585on the New Chemicals Review Program Implementation Under the Amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
  • January 2017: Docket ID EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0658, New Chemicals Review Program Under the Amended Toxic Substances Control Act; Notice of Public Meeting and Opportunity for Public Publications & Presentations 2022 | Clare Thorp, PhD
  • January 2017: BIO comments on the nominees to the SACC docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0713
  • January 2017: Docket ID EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0675, TSCA Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements; Standards for Small Manufacturers and Processors
  • November 2016: BIO Comments to Docket ID EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0508 on the Draft Algae Guidance for Preparation of Toxic Substances Control Act Biotechnology Submissions
  • November 2016: Letter to Dr. Tracey Williamson, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, US EPA, with respect to the Toxic Substances Control Act Reset of the Chemical Inventory
  • September 2016: TSCA Section 26, application of fees to activities under Sections 4, 5, 6 and 14

Croplife America Public Comments

Comments Regarding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)

  • January 20, 2015.CLA submits comments on the European Union Roadmap for the Establishment of Criteria for Determination of Endocrine Disrupting Properties
  • April 15, 2013. CLA signs letter to the Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs about the Trans Pacific Partnership.
  • April 15, 2013. CLA signs letter responding to the Chairman of the House Committee on Ways & Means about the Trans Pacific Partnership Sanitary & Phytosanitary Chapter.
  • April 10, 2013. CLA and ECPA Provide Comments to the US-EU High-Level Regulatory Cooperation Forum – Stakeholder Session
  • May 29, 2013: CLA Comments to USTR Concerning Proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Agreement
  • November 14, 2012: Docket No. USTR-2012-0028, Comments to Daniel Mulaney, Assistant US Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East: Joint CLA-ECPA Comments on Promoting US EU regulatory compatibility between the US and the European Union in the area of crop protection products.

Technical comments to public dockets on the regulation of pesticidal products under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) and the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA)

  • April 2015: CLA comments to Mr Joel Wolf EPA OPP regarding: Chlorpyrifos Registration Review; Revised Human Health Risk Assessment Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0850
  • July 2014: Docket ID no. EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0219. Pesticides: Consideration of Volatilization in Pesticide Risk Assessment: Reopening of Comment Period. 79 FR 33550.
  • August 18 2014: CLA Public Comment to Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0184 Pesticides: Worker Protection Standard Revisions
  • May 1 2013: CLA comments on the Request for Information and Citations on methods for Cumulative Risk Assessment Federal Register Vol. 78, No. 84 EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-0292; FRL-9807- 5
  • May 17 2013: Comments on the Endocrine Disrupter Screening Program (EDSP) Evaluation of Tier 1 Screening Assays and battery performance” [Federal Register/Vol.78, No. 36/Friday, February 22, 2013/Notices 12311-12313] EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0075
  • Publications & Presentations 2022 | Clare Thorp, PhD
  • August 23 2013: Letter to Dr. Elizabeth Maull and Dr. John Bucher, The National Institute Of Environmental Health Science regarding: Request for Information: The National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences National Toxicology Program Requests The Nomination And Prioritisation Of Environmentally Responsive Genes For Use In Screening Large Numbers Of Substances Using Toxicogenomics Technologies
  • August 21 2013: RE: EPA’s planned Information Collection Request (ICR) –“Tier 2 Data Collection for Certain Chemicals Under the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP)”identified by EPA ICR No. 2479.01 -EPA-HQ-OPPT-2013- 0171
  • September 20 2013: CropLife America comments to the Committee on Review of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) draft paper “State of the Science on Nonmonotonic Dose Response”. RE: DELSBEST-12-06. Second Meeting of the National Academy of Sciences Committee Review of EPA's draft paper State of the Science on Nonmonotonic Dose Response. September 30, 2013.
  • October 11 2013: CLA Comments to Docket identification number EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-0680. Request to extend the public comment period for the draft document entitled “Next Generation Risk Assessment: Incorporation of recent Advances in Molecular, Computational and Systems Biology”
  • January 28 2013: CLA Endocrine Policy Forum comments submitted with regard to the FIFRA SAP on prioritization. Docket Identification Number EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0818
  • November 30 2012: CLA Endocrine Policy Forum -Nomination of candidates to serve as ad hoc members of the FIFRA SAP. Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0818
  • October 9 2012: CLA Endocrine Policy Forum comments on Agency Information Collection Activities, Proposed Collection, comment request. Docket no. EPA-HQ-OPPT-2011-096