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Research and Clinical
Division
of Environmental and Industrial Hygiene
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Director: C.
Scott Clark, Ph.D. |
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Faculty
and Research
Aerosol
Research and Exposure Assessment Laboratory
Biomechanics
and Ergonomics Laboratory
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The Environmental
and Industrial Hygiene program was initiated in 1952 and has grown considerably
since that time into a first-class faculty team widely-recognized for
research. Diverse research interests of the nine full-time faculty
members and 4 postdoctoral research associates currently includes: air
monitoring and characterization in indoor environments contaminated
with leaded particles or airborne microorganisms, methods and
techniques for aerosol measurement, various aspects of human exposure
assessment and risk assessment in occupational and residential
environments, exposure reduction and intervention, respiratory
protection, interaction between occupational exposure and genetic
susceptibility, biomarkers of human exposure, hazardous wastes,
physical and chemical risk factors on the neuromuscular performance of
humans, and other aspects of environmental and occupational hygiene
and ergonomics. Faculty research is supported by grants and contracts
from various agencies, such as EPA, NIOSH, US Departments of HUD and
Energy, NIST, NIEHS, as well as major industries. |
Division
of Molecular Toxicology
| Director:
George D. Leikauf, Ph.D. |
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Faculty
and Research
Center
for Environmental Genetics
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Research interests of the
17 full-time faculty include: genetic and molecular toxicology, signal
transduction, xenobiotic metabolism, mechanism of genetic
susceptibility and carcinogenesis, cell cycle regulation, inhalation
toxicology, bioremediation, oxidative stress responses and
environmental bioinformatics
Faculty research is supported by
individual awards, Center grants and training grants from various
institutes of the National Institutes of Health, the United States
Environmental Protection Agency and other federal and industrial
sources.
Modern methodologies in molecular
biology are used, as well as transgenic mouse and inhalation
technologies, human cell culture, and current approaches in
computational biology.
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Division
of Epidemiology
and Biostatistics
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Director: Grace
Lemasers, Ph.D. |
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Faculty
and Research
Division
Web Site
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In 1973, of Epidemiology
and Biostatistics was revitalized under the direction of Ralph Buncher,
and the number of graduates in Biostatistics and Epidemiology
dramatically increased. As of 1999, 63 Master's Degree students and 37
Ph.D. students have completed either the Epidemiology or Biostatistics
program. The students of the Division have pursued careers in
academia, industry, or government. Currently, the Director of the
Division is Dr. Grace Lemasters, a fellow of the American College of
Epidemiology. The Associate Director for Teaching is Dr. Paul Succop,
whose experience includes longitudinal data analysis.
Epidemiology is defined as the
distribution and determination of disease and injury within human
populations. A goal of the epidemiologist is to identify the factors
or agents that are linked with the observed patterns of disease or
injury. The program stresses environmental, occupational, quantitative
and genetic epidemiology. The field of biostatistics is characterized
by data collection, analysis, and interpretation of results, which are
tied to environmental and biomedical research. Applied statistical
methodology is emphasized in the biostatistics program. The
epidemiology and biostatistics programs are closely linked. Faculty
and students are involved in research activities in both the
university and the community. The focus of the research is on
applications in environmental health.
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Division
of Occupational
and Environmental Medicine
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Director: James
E. Lockey, MD, MS |
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Faculty
and Research
Occupational
Pulmonary Services
Center
for Occupational Health
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The Division of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine has three major areas of
focus:
- Training physicians in the
specialty of occupational medicine through the University of
Cincinnati's ACGME-accredited Occupational Medicine residency
training program.
- Conducting occupational
epidemiologic research of populations exposed to potential hazards
within the workplace.
- The clinical evaluation of
patients with medical conditions potentially related to
occupational or environmental exposures.
The Division of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine is multi-disciplinary in character and its faculty
members have frequent interactions with other divisions within the
Department of Environmental Health as well as with the Department of
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Department of Internal
Medicine. Extensive use is made of regional and national volunteer
faculty with expertise in the field of occupational health.
RESEARCH
The Division of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine is involved in several major areas of research.
The division is evaluating pulmonary
toxicity in workers exposed to refractory ceramic fibers (RCF, a type
of man-made vitreous fiber). The ongoing pulmonary morbidity and
mortality studies of workers involved with RCF manufacturing have
identified an association between duration of employment in RCF
manufacturing jobs and the occurrence of pleural plaques on chest
radiographs. There are ongoing investigations of the health effects of
absorbent gelling material, solvent exposure and reproductive /
auto-immune disorders, bronchiolitis obliterans, and breath analysis
assessment of solvent exposures. Faculty members are also evaluating genotoxic
changes associated with low-level solvent and fuel exposures.
Occupational
Pulmonary Services within the division is investigating new
techniques for evaluating longitudinal pulmonary function testing data
for purposes of epidemiologic and individual trending analysis. This
analysis is used to distinguish true change from intra and
inter-subject variability with serial measurements of lung function.
Faculty members are also studying occupational asthma through
electronic ambulatory monitoring of lung function and the development
of bronchoprovocation challenge procedures. The development and
evaluation of respirator fit testing methods and leak checks are
another area of active research. Recently, efforts have been directed
at the examination of the utility of various fit check maneuvers in
assessing adequate fit in wearers of industrial respirators.
Occupational Medicine residents in
the training program are very actively involved in a variety of
research projects including their Masters
Thesis research.
Closely affiliated with the division
is the University of Cincinnati's Center
for Occupational Health, which is a multi-disciplinary clinical
center that provides occupational health services to individuals and
communities throughout Cincinnati and the Midwest. Core faculty
members from the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
and the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics administer as well
as staff the Center's activities. The Center for Occupational Health
is recognized in the field of Occupational and Environmental Health as
a comprehensive resource for employers, employees and health
professionals.
The division is also involved in
offering consultative and clinical services to selected occupational
and environmental populations in various exposure settings. Exposures
of special interest to faculty members within the division include:
metal working fluids, solvents, hydrogen cyanide, mercury, and lead.
Mailing Address:
Division of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine
University of Cincinnati
PO Box 670056
Cincinnati OH 45267-0056
Phone: (513) 558-0030
Fax: (513) 558-6272
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