MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY IN CHILDREN´S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAM
Deka Ranjan
University Of Cincinnaticity: Cincinnati country: United States (us)
Grant 2T32ES010957-11 from National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences
Abstract: The Molecular Epidemiology in Children´s Environmental Health (MECEH) training program began July, 2001 and is in its tenth training year. MECEH is defined as the use of biological, molecular and statistical measures in epidemiological research to determine how environmental exposures impact children´s health at the physiologic, behavioral, cellular, and molecular levels. As the offspring of epidemiology, medicine, statistical genetics, molecular biology, and molecular genetics, molecular epidemiology serves as an umbrella for focused research in genetic and biomarker epidemiology. MECEH has 3 participating departments Environmental Health, Pediatric Medicine and Molecular Genetics. MECEH has had continuous full enrollment with 13 pre-doctoral and 24 postdoctoral fellows trained or in training, including 19 M.D./D.O fellows, one DDS, and one environmental engineer. Trainees have made great professional strides with national presentations, numerous publications, grant submissions and obtaining academic research positions. This application requests support for four pre-doctoral and six postdoctoral positions each year for 2011-2016, which will maintain this program at its current size. The MECEH´s long term objective is to continue increasing the number of cross-trained epidemiologists, physician epidemiologists and molecular biologists who investigate high impact issues related to environmental exposures and complex childhood diseases. The overarching rationale for this training program has been stated in such federal initiatives as the Children´s Health Act of 2000 (H.R.4365) which stressed "investment in tomorrow´s pediatric researchers" (sec 1002). The MECEH has 3 primary goals 1) provide a strong grounding in epidemiologic, statistical and wet and dry laboratory molecular methods, 2) prepare students for interdisciplinary research training and "enhance clinical research workforce training" as stated in the NIH roadmap, and 3) in concert with Francis Collins´ direction for opportunities and challenges the investigators seek to expand growth areas for trainee expertise in statistical genomics, epigenetic epidemiology, and design of community based participatory research. These goals are achieved through the recruitment of high quality applicants, including underrepresented minorities, mentorship by a core of world-renowned teacher-scientists, support by research-intensive environmental health, pediatric and molecular genetics departments, well-funded scientific programs and Centers, and advice from an enthusiastic External Advisory Board. The public health significance of the MECEH program is directly correlated to the increasing national awareness of the rising number of environmentally related disease such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders, and prematurity, among others. Thus, the public health relevance of the program is great, and is directly related to the need for researchers knowledgeable across disciplines in cutting-edge methodologies in the area of pediatric environmental health
Keywords: Child; Environmental Health; health training; Molecular Epidemiology; Training Programs
Relevance: The public health significance of the MECEH program is directly correlated to the increasing national awareness of the rising number of environmentally related disease such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders, and prematurity, among others. Thus, the public health relevance of the program is great, and is directly related to the need for researchers knowledgeable across disciplines in cutting-edge methodologies in the area of pediatric environmental health
Project start date: 2001-08-15
Project end date: 2016-06-30
Budget start date: 1-JUL-2011
Budget end date: 30-JUN-2012
PFA/PA: PA-10-036
2T32ES010957-11 (2011): $333892
Sponsored Links Excellgen http://Excellgen.com
Grants awarded to Deka Ranjan
GENETICS OF METABOLIC SYNDROME IN AN ISLAND POPULATION
Deka Ranjan
University Of Cincinnaticity: Cincinnati country: United States (us)
Grant 5R01DK069845-04 from National Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases
Abstract: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a constellation of risk factors associated with development of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, has reached epidemic proportions in western industrialized nations. About 47 million Americans have MetS. Consequently, it has enormous impact on public health. The hallmark of MetS is a co-occurrence of obesity, dyslipidemia, carbohydrate intolerance and high blood pressure. Familial aggregation of the individual components and the composite MetS trait suggests involvement of genetic factors. However, our knowledge concerning the genetic factors underlying MetS remains largely incomplete. We propose to undertake a thorough investigation on epidemiology and genetics of MetS in an isolated population from the island of Hvar in the eastern Adriatic coast of Croatia. The value of isolated population in complex disease gene mapping has been widely documented. The study population has a high prevalence of MetS, is ethnically relevant to the general US population, with its distinct evolutionary history of recent founding by small number of Slavic founders, geographic isolation, environmental homogeneity, extended family sizes provides a unique opportunity to understand the genetics of MetS. We propose to (1) recruit 1200 individuals above 20 years of age from five villages of Hvar, collect demographic, environmental, life-style, phenotypic, relevant clinical data, and blood samples for analysis of biochemical traits and DNA; (2) conduct appropriate analyses to estimate the effects of genetic contribution to the variability of MetS as a composite trait and its constituent phenotypes; (3) conduct a whole genome scan using a panel of densely spaced, 10K, SNP markers for linkage analysis; (4) followed by pedigree-based association studies using a ´positional candidate´ approach in the regions of significant linkage for identification of genetic variants associated with MetS. The study has enormous public health importance and its scientific merit is substantial with the potential of understanding the genetic etiology of MetS. We will study an ideal population for this research; our use of dense SNP markers for linkage and association is a state-of-the-art approach and has enormous promise for identifying loci and gene variants underlying MetS
Keywords: 20 year old; Accounting; Adult; American; Architecture; Arts; Back; base; Biochemical; Biological; Blood Pressure; Blood specimen; Carbohydrates; Cardiovascular Diseases; Chromosome Mapping; Classification; Clinical; Clinical Data; Collection; community living; Complex; Croatia; Data; density; design; Developed Countries; Developing Countries; Development; Disease; DNA; Dyslipidemias; effective intervention; Environment; Epidemic; Epidemiology; Exhibits; Extended Family; Family; Family Sizes; Genealogy; Genes; Genetic; genetic analysis; genetic epidemiology; genetic linkage analysis; genetic pedigree; Genetic Polymorphism; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; genetic variant; Genome; genome wide association study; genome-wide linkage; Glucose; Goals; High Prevalence; high risk; Hypertension; impaired glucose tolerance; indexing; Individual; Insulin; Investigation; Island; Knowledge; Life Style; Lipids; Location; Measures; Metabolic syndrome; Morbidity - disease rate; Mortality Vital Statistics; Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus; Nucleotides; Obesity; Phenotype; Population; Population Research; Population Study; Predisposition; prevent; public health medicine (field); Recording of previous events; Records; Recruitment Activity; Research; Research Personnel; Risk Factors; Sampling; Syndrome; Testing; trait; transmission process; Variant; Variation (Genetics)
Project start date: 2006-08-15
Project end date: 2012-06-30
Budget start date: 1-JUL-2009
Budget end date: 30-JUN-2012
5R01DK069845-04 (2009): $453350