Sites of Note

Metals Epidemiology Research Group

The Mission of the Harvard-Michigan/Michigan-Harvard Metals Epidemiology Research Group (MERG) is to gain new insights into the impacts of exposure to potentially toxic metals that are of critical importance to public health and medicine by applying multi-disciplinary and novel methods of exposure assessment, genetics, nutrition, psychosocial factors and clinical measurements in epidemiologic studies of human populations around the world.

Center for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention

In June of 2004, we established a new Center for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. Our Center addresses the concerns of a community living in the Tar Creek Superfund site of Oklahoma — an area highly contaminated by metals (lead, cadmium, iron, manganese, and others) in mining waste and populated by many residents of Native American descent. Our overall goal is to take a highly innovative approach to addressing a “real world” problem, i.e., the potential of the mixtures of metals that are present in “chat” (mining waste) to interact with each other in terms of exposure, absorption, dose, and adverse effects on the development of children.

Cyprus International Institute for the Environment and Public Health: E-Period

EH516 Environmental Genetics (WinterSession) 2.5 credits

Lectures, case studies. Course will be held at the Cyprus International Institute in Limassol, Cyprus.

The interaction between genes and environmental and/or occupational exposures plays a major role in disease development. This course will focus on the underlying science of gene-exposure interactions and will use examples of such interactions and their health consequences. Gene-environment interactions will be discussed using an epidemiologic approach to address how genetic polymorphisms can influence susceptibility to disease. This course will enable students to understand and apply findings of genetic association studies and will consist of detailed evaluation of specific examples of gene-exposure interactions and their health consequences, as well as their social implications.

Course note: No Auditors. HSPH degree candidates only.