Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center

将西南环境健康科学中心(SWEHSC)的研究活动统一起来的主题是需要了解暴露于环境因素导致人类疾病的机制。查明因环境暴露而导致人类疾病的因素，是制定旨在尽量减少环境暴露和这种暴露的不利影响的战略的先决条件。SWEHSC是一个充满活力的组织，促进协作、跨学科研究，重点是检测和预防环境介导性疾病。SWEHSC的成员被组织成三个研究核心(RC)，这些核心(RC)具有重叠的感兴趣领域；环境化学毒性机制(RC1)、肺毒理学和肺部疾病(RC2)以及化学-染色质相互作用(RC3)。研究核心为制定治疗或预防环境疾病的战略提供了科学基础。SWEHSC的研究工作得到了五个设施核心(FC)的补充：细胞成像、基因组学、蛋白质组学、合成化学和生物信息学。该设施的核心提供最先进的仪器和专业知识，以协助调查人员开发和利用尖端技术。行政核心提供丰富方案，包括研讨会、研讨会、年度科学博览会、通讯，并支持内部和外部咨询委员会的活动。SWEHSC还积极参与通过试点项目方案促进创新研究，并招募新的研究人员。社区推广和教育计划(COEP)提供以环境健康科学和毒理学为基础的教育计划，面向学生(K-12)、卫生专业人员和公众。通过COEP，SWEHSC向卫生组织、政府机构和私营部门提供服务。三个相互依存的主要目标将成为今后5年支助工作的重点。SWEHSC将(1)促进“全球”以系统为中心的毒理学方法(蛋白质组学、毒素基因组学、SNP、细胞和组织成像)在基本环境健康科学研究问题上的利用和整合。(2)促进基础研究发现扩展到临床和公共卫生领域。SWEHSC的教职员工将与公共卫生、医学、药学和护理学院的教员合作，专注于易感性的新生物标记物(SNP、蛋白质、蛋白质加合物等)的一般领域，特别是在少数族裔人群(西班牙裔、印第安人)中。新出现的边境卫生倡议将在发展这些新的重点领域方面发挥不可或缺的作用。(3)在亚利桑那大学健康科学中心校区(如亚利桑那呼吸中心、亚利桑那大学萨弗心脏中心、亚利桑那癌症中心、亚利桑那老龄中心、斯蒂尔纪念儿童研究中心和基本输入输出系统研究所)启动和扩大与姊妹英才中心的合作。这最后一个目标与将基础研究发现扩展到临床和公共卫生领域的目标是协同的。

The theme that unites the research activities of the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center (SWEHSC) is the need to understand the mechanisms by which exposures to environmental agents contribute to human disease. Identifying factors that contribute to human diseases that arise as a consequence of environmental exposures is a prerequisite for the development of strategies designed to minimize both the environmental exposure, and the adverse effects of such exposures. The SWEHSC is a dynamic organization that promotes collaborative, interdisciplinary research, with an emphasis on the detection and prevention of environmentally-mediated diseases. Members of the SWEHSC are organized into three Research Cores (RC) with overlapping spheres of interest; Mechanisms of Environmental Chemical Toxicity (RC1), Pulmonary Toxicology and Lung Disease (RC2), and Chemical-Chromatin Interactions (RC3). The Research Cores provide the scientific foundation that provides the basis for strategies designed to treat or prevent environmental diseases. The research efforts of SWEHSC are complemented by five Facility Cores (FC); Cellular Imaging, Genomics, Proteomics, Synthetic Chemistry, and Bioinformatics. The Facility Cores offer state-of-the-art instrumentation and expertise to assist investigators in developing and utilizing cutting-edge technologies. The Administrative Core provides enrichment programs, including seminars, workshops, an annual Science Fair, newsletters, and supports the activities of the Internal and External Advisory Boards. The SWEHSC is also actively involved in promoting innovative research through the Pilot Project Program, and in the recruitment of new investigators. The Community Outreach and Education Program (COEP) offers environmental health science and toxicology based educational programs that are geared to students (K-12), health professionals, and the public. Through the COEP, the SWEHSC provides service to health organizations, government agencies, and the private sector. Three major inter-dependent goals will provide the focus for the next 5 years of support. The SWEHSC will (1) Facilitate the utilization and integration of" global" systems-centered toxicological approaches (proteomics, toxicogenomics, SNP's, cell and tissue imaging) to basic environmental health science research questions. (2) Facilitate the extension of basic research discoveries into the clinical and public health arenas. SWEHSC faculty, in collaboration with faculty in the Colleges of Public Health, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing, will focus in the general area of novel biomarkers (SNP's, proteins, protein adducts, etc) of susceptibility, particularly within minority populations (Hispanic, Native American). Emerging border health initiatives will play an integral role in developing these new areas of emphasis. (3) Initiate and expand collaborations with sister Centers of Excellence on the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center campus (e.g., Arizona Respiratory Center, The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center, Arizona Cancer Center, Arizona Center on Aging, Steele Memorial Children's Research Center and the BIOS Institute). This last goal is synergistic with the objective of extending basic research discoveries into the clinical and public health arenas.