An NIEHS P20 Developmental Center grant award to this institution succeeded in bringing together basic scientists, physicians, epidemiologists and citizens from the communities of northern Manhattan, the Columbia School of Public Health (CSPH), Harlem Hospital, the College of Physicians & Surgeons (P&S), and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO). That Center successfully forged spirited partnerships focusing on a central theme that stresses understanding and preventing environmental components of disease in underprivileged populations. An additional theme for this Center's activities is subsumed under the heading of Environmental Justice, as we focus our research primarily on a disadvantaged community that receives disproportionately high exposure to hazardous substances in the New York City environment. The proposal represents part of a major expansion of environmental research at Columbia University, which has just invested significant resources in the creation of The Columbia Earth Institute. Specifically, the NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan will focus its research activities on Respiratory Disorders, Neurotoxicology and Neurodegenerative Disease, and Cancer. All involve complex disease processes that have environmental and genetic etiologies. An Administrative Core, assisted by strong Internal and External Advisory Committees, will provide overall scientific and administrative leadership. We propose to create three supporting Core Facilities to provide cost-effective centralized services to 23 Center investigators as well as pilot project grant recipients. The new facilities include an Exposure Assessment Core, an Epidemiology/Data Management/Biostatistics Core, and a Trace Metals Core laboratory. In addition, a Community Outreach and Education Program will build on its early success by fostering partnerships with Northern Manhattan community groups, residents and local physicians to jointly address environmental health issues of concern.
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