Martha Byrd

Martha Byrd is a chemist at Exponent with over 30 years of experience in analytical chemistry, food testing, formulation development, and regulatory affairs for plant protection and biocidal products. She has extensive expertise in confidential dossier preparation, technical equivalence applications, and the assessment of active substances and products, with a strong focus on regulatory compliance, analytical methods, and scientific data supporting product registrations and authorisations for plant protection products and biocides.

Martha has extensive consulting experience supporting clients with formulation changes, analytical and regulatory challenges, regulatory strategy development, data gap analyses, and technical equivalence applications, including the use of (Q)SAR assessments to evaluate impurities and support regulatory decision-making. She has significant experience in responding to queries from Rapporteur Member States (RMSs), helping to resolve misunderstandings, address regulatory concerns, and facilitate efficient regulatory reviews and approvals.

She previously held a licence for the shipment of dangerous goods and has provided high-level consulting support to clients on the transport and regulatory classification of hazardous materials. She has advised on compliance, risk management, and practical solutions to complex shipping challenges involving dangerous goods.

Martha uses her broad experience to help clients move their projects forward, integrating sound scientific judgement with creative problem-solving. She is committed to maintaining open and continuous communication with her clients, ensuring that challenges are addressed efficiently and project objectives are successfully achieved.

In addition to a First-Class Honours degree in Chemistry, Martha holds a Master's degree in Toxicology from Birmingham University. Before joining Exponent, she worked as a Regulatory Chemist and Toxicologist at Battelle, where she provided scientific and regulatory consulting support to a diverse range of clients. She was responsible for the assessment of active substance renewals on behalf of a Rapporteur Member State (RMS), reviewing chemistry, toxicology, analytical methods, and confidential dossier sections. Martha also delivered internal training on CLP classification and operator exposure assessment, supporting the development of technical and regulatory expertise within the organisation.