The program is administered by the Department of Environmental Medicine but is designed to take advantage of the diverse resources available at this academic medical center.
Faculty members are drawn from both basic science and clinical departments, and have particular competence in the specialty areas of molecular, pulmonary and neurotoxicology, as well as immunotoxicology, osteotoxicology, carcinogenesis, forensic, and reproductive and developmental toxicology.
Rochester, NY 14642
Tel: (585) 275-4203 FAX: (585) 256-2591
| Our mission is to increase scientific understanding of
the health risks posed by contaminants at home, in the
workplace, and in the ambient environment. Our department administers the medical school’s Ph.D. program in Toxicology, an Environmental Health Sciences Center that is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a Particulate Matter Center, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as two clinical programs. |
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| The Environmental Health Sciences Center is one of the “Centers of Excellence” sponsored by the NIEHS (P30 ES01247). The Center was established in 1975 and emphasizes the study of. “Environmental Agents as Modulators of Human Disease and Dysfunction.” The major goal is to discover and describe the underlying mechanisms of action of toxic substances. | |
| The Division of Occupational & Environmental Medicine
is comprised of Finger Lakes Occupational Health Services,
with multidisciplinary teams dedicated to diagnosis, treatment,
and prevention of occupational injury and disease; and
Strong Health Occupational & Environmental Medicine, featuring clinical experts who
specialize in such areas as occupational lung disease and reproductive toxicology. |
| Photographs from the 2009 Baltimore Society of Toxicology Alumni Reception are HERE. |
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Bristol-Myers Squibb Awards Toxicology Graduate Student for Research on Xenobiotic-Disease Interaction Jennifer Head, a Ph.D. candidate in toxicology, has received a $15,000 award from Bristol-Myers Squibb for her research. A native of Skaneatales, NY, Jennifer arrived at the University in 2006 and is working on research in the laboratory of Paige Lawrence, Ph.D. Jennifer currently studies how the AhR acts as a modulator of anti-viral immunity. She is investigating the potential of xenobiotic exposure (specifically, dioxin or TCCD) to exacerbate neutrophil recruitment in response to influenza infection. Jennifer Head and Paige Lawrence The student/postdoc award is the first that Bristol-Myers Squibb has extended, and is part of an on-going 5-year collaborative relationship between the Drug Safety organization at BMS and the University to increase interaction between academic and pharmaceutical scientists. This spring, another such award will be given to a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow based upon the merits of a pilot research proposal demonstrating ingenuity, the opportunity for collaboration, and a clear relevance to pharmaceutical research and development. For more information about the program, contact Kevin Sweder, Ph.D. (315-432-2357; kevin.sweder@bms.com ) or Lisa Opanashuk, Ph.D. (585-273-2954; lisa_opanashuk@urmc.rochester.edu). |
Endowment Fund is Established
to Increase Scientific Understanding of Environmental Risks. 
Named in honor of Professor Emeritus Bernard Weiss, it is seeking commitments from alumni and friends to support the deparment’s training programs and other educational efforts. Weiss is a pioneer not only in neurotoxicology but also in laboratory automation. He was among the first researchers to apply computer technology to the study of behavior, an achievement that ushered in a new era of scientific investigation. [more] |
| Departmental Chair Describes Present Status, Future Plans. In response to Dean David Guzick’s request, Tom Gasiewicz has written a planning document, designed to guide Environmental Medicine’s development over the next few years. Comments will be welcomed. “There is mounting evidence that environmental agents contribute substantially to many diseases that are chief causes of morbidity and mortality in humans. 
Cancer, chronic lung disease,
several metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions are among those linked to
environmental exposures. The development of these and other diseases likely owes as much
or more to non-genetic components as it does to genes. The Department of Environmental
Medicine, in conjunction with the University of Rochester Medical Center clinical and basic
science programs, is in a unique position to bridge the interface between environmental
exposures and the study and treatment of these diseases.…”
[much more]
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Revised June 4 2009 (vgl/gbi)