This core was formerly named the Cancer Core (and before that the Epidemiology and Biometry core). The change in the name and organization of the core to its current one is designed to reflect an expanded interest and effort in reproductive outcomes and statistical genetics. The goal of this research core is to promote and participate in environmental epidemiology research, services, and training related to the rural and agricultural population of Iowa. The core is designed to provide epidemiologic, biostatistical, statistical genetic, and pathology services to Center investigators and to support the Pilot Project Program. To reflect the broadened scope of the core, six new investigators have been added: Drs. Trudy Burns (biostatistics and co-director), Jeff Murray (reproductive outcomes), Paul Romitti (Director of Iowa Birth Defects Registry), Audrey Saftlas (cancer and pregnancy outcomes), Elaine Smith (molecular epidemiology of cancer), and Veronica Vieland (statistical genetics). An additional change in this core is the removal of the environmental engineering component in 1996 to the Environmental Assessment and Control Core, in response to the review for the last renewal, which indicated a poor fit of this component in this Core. A final change is that Dr. Burmeister has moved to the Occupational Health Core, which better reflects his interest, provides statistical expertise to that Core, and facilitates collaboration of these two Cores. The core has completed 34 projects ($27.2 million in funding) and has 38 currently active projects ($82.4 million in funding). Investigators in the core have also produced 168 publications. Future initiatives for this core largely involve its ties to the Health Registry Facility to examine candidate genes and gene-environment (especially pesticides) interactions in relation to reproductive outcomes and cancer, develop better biologic sample collection methods, collect family history information, develop improved questionnaires, develop a sampling and survey unit within the Department of Epidemiology, and improve record linkage of existing databases.
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