In September the Center held a symposium on "Environmental Genetics and Epigenetics" at the Harvard School of Public Health. This Symposium honored Dr. James Whittenberger, who was the first Harvard-NIEHS Center Director from 1962 to 1982. Professor Whittenberger passed away earlier in the year. This symposium kicked off the initiative being undertaken in this grant application to encourage and support Center investigators in the application of genetic and epigenetic methods in environmental health research. The first session provided background and context for the use of genetic and epigenetic approaches. Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, a Visting Scientist, gave an "Introduction to Epigenetics." Dr. Robert Wright, the Director of the Metals Research Core then described "Genetics and Epigenetics Studies of Neurodevelopment in Children." The second session was the keynote James L. Whittenberger Lecture by Dr. David Schwartz of NIEHS entitled "Epigenetics and Environmental Asthma." Dr. Schwartz described his laboratories recent work on how immune/asthma phenotype be altered in the postnatal period through epigenetic mechanisms. This symposium was videotaped and available online at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/departments/environmental-health/the-10th-james-l-whittenberger-symposium/seminar-videos/index.html. The third session was viewing of posters by Center investigators. See a picture gallery.

Poster presentations at 2007 Environmental Genetics and Epigenetics Symposium