Testimonial of Rachel Nadif, Chair of the Expert Committee on Air

When I became an expert at ANSES, I really saw how the results of health research are used. Our mission as experts consists in analysing data from the scientific community in a variety of fields, depending on the topic: toxicology, epidemiology, modelling, microbiology, chemistry, etc. After a 30-year career in biological and epidemiological research, this mission was an opportunity for me to find new meaning in my work. Indeed, being an expert at ANSES allows me to understand how research can help to answer a public health question, such as “What are the health effects of exposure to mould in the home?” or “How does road traffic affect air pollution?”.

I never thought I’d learn so much within the Expert Committee. It’s been an extremely rewarding human and intellectual experience. We’re all scientists with very different backgrounds. We have a wide variety of skills and each one of us has our own way of approaching a problem. It’s therefore very stimulating to be able to learn from one another. We all need to be attentive and open to each other’s ideas. It’s important for us to be able to express our own opinions and analyses of things. Our discussions are therefore about comparing and sharing views that become a complementary whole.

The purpose of the committee is to issue conclusions based on a common product, i.e. the expert appraisal report. Through our discussions, we have to summarise scientific knowledge and provide an answer to a specific question. We also make recommendations for various stakeholders, including the authorities, professionals, and the general public. We make sure to take account of the feasibility and applicability of the recommendations made. Our scientific output addresses questions from society in particular. For example, in the expert appraisal on microsensors, we assessed the usefulness and quality of the data on exposure to air pollution obtained using these technologies; we also highlighted the need for further research. Thinking about this collective work brings to mind an African proverb that says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”.