Write up about the Conference
The 26th Annual International Society for Environmental Epidemiology Conference – From Local to Global: Advancing Science for Policy in Environmental Health held last August 24-28 2014 in Seattle, WA USA was successful productive conference. The organizers of the conference welcomed more than 1100 attendees from 55+ countries from regional chapters and local groups in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Australia. The members and participants of the conference addressed topics that include environmental exposures (e.g. air, water, metals, hazardous, wastes, pesticides), health effects (e.g. cardiovascular disease, cancer, reproductive effects, neurological effects), gene-environment interactions, methodology (e.g. statistics, risk assessment, study design), and ethics and law. The meeting offered a variety of opportunities for students, young investigators, and researchers to network with fellow researchers and present their research work. The University of Washington served as the host of the conference.
Feedback on paper presented
The oral paper presentation was presented in a huge ballroom with students, post-docs and professors from different countries. It was part of the parallel session that looked at the impact of ambient air pollution on adult neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Several questions were asked regarding the possible mechanisms that could explain the association between air pollution and depression and mental well-being. Participants also asked about the methodology used in the study.
Future directions of research presented
The statistical methods used in the presented research are currently being applied to a current study on traffic enforcers of MMDA. The Bayesian structural equation modeling method will be utilized to look at the effects of black carbon on synthetic inflammation, lung function, and blood pressure among traffic enforcers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
Potential foreign collaborators
Joel Schwartz, PhD, Brent Coull, PhD, Helen Suh, ScD, and Marianthi Kioumourtzoglou, ScD
Other important contacts and insights
Dr. Helen Suh, ScD and Dr. Baja will collaborate to look at metagenomics of air pollution and microbiome of the gut of newborn babies and pregnant women in the Philippines.
Short write-up of one’s participation (to be used to feature/publicize the grantee’s participation in the conference)
Dr. Emmanuel S. Baja, research associate professor, Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institute of Health University of the Philippines Manila presented his recent work ” Structural equation modeling of mental well-being and depression response to traffic-related air pollution in a repeated measures study” at the 26th Annual International Society for Environmental Epidemiology Conference – From Local to Global: Advancing Science for Policy in Environmental Health in Seattle WA USA. Approximately 1100 participants from 55+ countries from all continents presented and attended the conference. Participants of the conference gathered to discuss the influence to environmental factors on human health. The International Society of Environmental Epidemiology hosted the conference and approved to allow University of Washington to host the conference. Topics for the conference included an extensive span of exposure science areas for instance in indoor and ambient air pollution, pesticides, persistent organic pollutions, and heavy metals.
