Department of Environmental Medicine
University of Rochester
Phone: (585) 275-3804
Fax: (585) 256-2631
Email: Gunter Oberdorster
Mark J. Utell, M.D.
Co-Director
Phone: (585) 275-4861
Fax: (585) 272-1058
Email: Mark Utell
Michael A. Terry, B.S.
Assistant Director for Administration
Phone: (585) 275-4203
Fax: (585) 256-2591
Email: Mike Terry
Judy Havalack
Department of Environmental Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
Box EHSC 575 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642
Tel: (585) 275-3804 FAX: (585) 256-2631
Email:Judy Havalack
EPA
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Particulate Matter Center| The Other PM Centers—and Some Useful Links |
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EPA Northwest Center for Particulate Matter and Health. Sponsors: University of Washington, Washington State University, and the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies (Alaska). Center Director: Jane Q. Koenig; Deputy Center Director: Dave Kalman. This is “. . . one of five centers around the country funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency to study the effects on human health of particulate air pollution. It is important to estimate these effects accurately. On one hand they could add up to a significant public health burden. On the other hand reductions in particulate pollution beyond what is necessary for public safety could have serious economic impacts. Our planned research, together with that of other groups around the world, will contribute to decisions about air quality standards and to the understanding of how we are affected by the air we breathe. “The Northwest Center for Particulate Air Pollution and Health is one of five centers around the country funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency to study the effects on human health of particulate air pollution. It is important to estimate these effects accurately. On one hand they could add up to a significant public health burden. On the other hand reductions in particulate pollution beyond what is necessary for public safety could have serious economic impacts. Our planned research, together with that of other groups around the world, will contribute to decisions about air quality standards and to the understanding of how we are affected by the air we breathe The Northwest PM Center is an interdisciplinary collaboration, with members from the departments of Atmospheric Sciences, Biostatistics, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Epidemiology at UW and Civil & Environmental Engineering at WSU and the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies in Alaska. “In addition to the concentration of PM research expertise in the Pacific Northwest, the region is important because particulate pollution here is very different from that in the Eastern US. The main components here are from car and truck exhaust and burning vegetation. These regional differences offer an opportunity to gain insight into the importance of different components of PM. ” |
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NYU-EPA Particulate Matter Health Research Center. Sponsor: New York University. Center Director: Morton Lippmann. “...established in 1999 as one of five new U.S. academic programs focused on the characterization of the biological basis for the effects of ambient air PM on excess mortality and morbidity. The NYU Center has the particular focus of identifying the specific PM components that have a disproportionate influence on health. The research in the NYU PM Center includes characterization of: 1) the components of ambient air PM; 2) the association between specific components and/or source-related mixtures and effects in human populations through panel and cohort studies and through epidemiological studies involving large data bases on daily mortality and hospital admissions and community air quality parameters; and 3) controlled exposure studies of groups of normal and ‘susceptible’ laboratory animals to either concentrated ambient PM (CAPs) or specific PM components that may account for health effects.” |
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Southern California Particle Center and Supersite. Sponsor: University of California at Los Angeles. Center Director: John R. Froines. “The overall objective of the Southern California Particle Center (SCPC) is to investigate the underlying mechanisms that produce the health effects associated with exposure to particulate matter (PM), and to understand how toxic mechanisms and resulting health effects vary with the source, chemical composition and physical characteristics of PM.” |
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EPA Center For Ambient Particle Health Effects
Sponsor: Harvard University. Center Director: Petros Koutrakis; “The Harvard Particulate Center addresses key scientific issues regarding the health effects of ambient particles. The specific aims of the Center reflect eight of the National Research Council's ten highest research priorities for ambient particle research. To meet these objectives, the Center focuses on three research themes: exposure, susceptibility, and biological mechanisms/dosimetry. By building the Center around these three defined research themes, the Center remains focused while maintaining an integrated and inter-disciplinary research approach, both of which are critical to our ability to address key particulate health effect issues in a timely manner. Each of our three research themes includes projects that span several disciplines and that draw from the expertise and experience of our Center investigators..” |
| Some Useful Links |
| American Thoracic Society Scientific Assembly on Environmental and Occupational Health. “The Environmental & Occupational area of the ATS website contains programs developed by the Environmental & Occupational Health Assembly. In addition, we invite individuals to submit material for publication here. Interactive educational materials are especially sought. Work submitted will be peer reviewed before being posted on the site (just as if submitted to print journals).” |
| Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology of the National Research Council. This committee is “. . .the National Academies' principal study unit for environmental pollution problems affecting human health, human impacts on the environment, and the assessment and management of related risks to human health and the environment. BEST addresses questions about air and water pollution; solid and hazardous waste; toxicology;epidemiology; risk assessment; applied ecology; natural resources; and environmental engineering, economics, law, and policy.” Selected recent reports are available |
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Health Effects Institute.
“ HEI is a nonprofit corporation
chartered in 1980 as an independent research organization to provide
high-quality, impartial, and relevant science on the health effects of
air pollution. Typically, HEI receives half of its core funds
from the US Environmental Protection Agency and half from the
worldwide motor vehicle industry (see HEI Sponsors). Other public
and private organizations periodically
support special projects or certain research programs.
“To accomplish its mission, HEI:
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| Institute of Nanotechnology. “The Institute of Nanotechnology (IoN) was founded by Ottilia Saxl in 1994. Originally the Centre for Nanotechnology, it was one of the world's first nanotechnology information providers and is now a global leader. The IoN works closely with governments, universities, researchers, and companies worldwide on developing and promoting all aspects of nanotechnology. It also serves as a key organizer of international scientific events, conferences, and educational courses designed to encourage nanotechnology takeup by industry, as well as stimulating interest in less developed countries..” |
| NIPR: New Ideas in Pollution Regulation. Sponsored by the World Bank, this is “. . . a site for researchers, government officials, and citizens interested in understanding and improving control of industrial pollution, especially in developing countries. NIPR is the primary source for materials produced by the World Bank's Economics of Industrial Pollution Control Research Project.” |
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National Environmental Respiratory Center (NERC).
This Center features “an
integrated program of information
and laboratory research to improve our understanding
of the relationship between complex
mixtures of environmental (outdoor) air pollutants
and human health. It is located at the Lovelace
Respiratory Research Institute (LRRI) in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is funded by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other
government and non-government sponsors.”
The Center’s principal activity is the conduct of a multi-year series of interrelated studies aimed at determining the contributions of pollution mixture constituents to the respiratory health effects of real-world, complex pollutant mixtures. The laboratory studies and associated research resources of NERC are made available to external investigators for collaborative studies. NERC maintains bibliographic databases and other information pertaining to the pollution mixtures under study, and the LRRI library provides a range of information search and delivery services. |
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency: Researchers & Scientists.
“Sound science provides the foundation for credible environmental
decision-making and is one of EPA's guiding principles to fulfill its mission to protect
human health and the environment. These pages show you the
role of science at EPA and give you access to scientific information that may be useful in
understanding and protecting our environment.”
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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
This site presents many links to components of the institute in a compact fashion.
Some major programs: |
Revised January 29, 2008 (vgl/gbi)