UNC-CH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SUSCEPTIBILITY

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The UNC-Chapel Hill Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility brings population science, medical and biomedical researchers together to examine major issues in environmental health resulting from gene environment interactions that affect an individual's susceptibility to disease. The highly complex nature of such interactions demands in-depth expertise in many different disciplines to understand the influence of genetic, metabolic, endocrine, developmental and toxicological issues on disease outcomes. This proposal seeks core support to achieve this goal by fostering enhanced interaction and collaboration among researchers, so that the expertise of experts in diverse fields of environmental health can expand the vision and capabilities of a preeminent cadre of researchers to excel far beyond the norm. Such interaction and collaboration has been demonstrated during the first three years of support and will continue among the five research cores: Genetic Susceptibility, Developmental Susceptibility, Toxicokinetic Susceptibility, Transomics, and Obesity Research. The core support will also make state-of-the-art resources and expertise available to our scientists through the support of four facility cores. Molecular Epidemiology will provide centralized resources for biospecimen collection, preparation, storage and tracking, and high throughput genetic analysis. Biostatistical and Epidemiologic Methods will provide consultation on statistical and study design and analysis to help ensure that valid scientific conclusions emerge from our environmental health research. The Biomarkers core makes available training, expertise and sample analysis using expensive and sophisticated instrumentation for mass spectrometry, molecular biology, genomics, proteomics and metabolomics. Finally, the Nutrient Assessment core will supply analysis and dietary assessment of nutrients and biomarkers of nutritional status that may modulate environmental health and disease. The core support also provides funds for a multifaceted Pilot Project Program that promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, encourages young investigators to enter environmental health research, and enhances use of the facility cores. In addition, the requested support will provide a diverse enrichment program that will increase interactions with visiting investigators and broaden the scope of environmental health research. Support for a Community Outreach and Education Program will facilitate translational activities that communicate the scientific advances of the Center to the lay community, concerned citizens groups, and government. This NIEHS Center of Excellence will be coordinated by an Administrative core that reports through the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina.