Targeted Research Training Core

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This supplemental application describes the competing renewal of the ERG allied research training program entitled Biomarkers of Occupational Exposure and Susceptibility (BOES). The focus of this program is interdisciplinary research training for PhD and DrPH degree candidates in the development and application of biological markers in human populations exposed to occupational and environmental hazards. The main objective of the BOES Training Program is to graduate highly qualified doctoral students with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop, evaluate and apply molecular and biochemical biomarkers of exposure, effect and susceptibility in occupational settings. Doctoral research projects focus on current problems in occupational health that are amenable to study by molecular and biochemical biomarkers, and reflect the expertise of the program-affiliated faculty. Graduates from the program are prepared to enter research, teaching, or regulatory careers in several venues, including academic universities, research institutes, governmental health agencies and international health organizations. BOES faculty have advised an average of six doctoral students per year over the past five years in this program area, whereas these faculty advised an average of only three-to-four doctoral students prior to the beginning of NIOSH funding in 2002. More importantly, the BOES Program has provided a more defined curriculum for these students, as well as interaction with students and faculty with related interests through affiliation with the ERG. In response to the previous review, this application describes the program's ongoing student research and faculty expertise in rapidly developing new technologies. Other existing resources, such as faculty with expertise in proteomics and coursework in bioinformatics, have been formally incorporated into the Program. The training provided by this program has broad application in occupational health research and practice. General areas of importance for research include, but are not limited to: the better identification of causal factors; the more precise delineation of dose-effect relationships; the development of techniques for the earliest identification of adverse effects; contributions to the scientific basis of monitoring, including biologic monitoring and surveillance; the ethical use of biomarkers in occupational settings; the evaluation of preventive measures, including health promotion; and an understanding of important pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in the development of occupational disease. Thus, the expertise and knowledge gained by program graduates is applicable in risk assessment, biomonitoring, disease etiology and the diagnosis and prevention of human diseases of occupational origin.