Providing a Model for the Future: UA and UCSD SBRP’s unite to host Global Environmental Health Workshop

Recently the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) awarded a grant to the University of Arizona (UA) to co-host a workshop titled: SBRP-Interactions with Mexico as a Model for Global Environmental Health Networks.

Currently, The UA and University of California- San Diego are utilizing their Research Translation and Outreach Cores to interact with Mexican partners in resolving environmental health issues in the Border region. The UA has initiated a permanent United States - Mexico Binational Center for Environmental Sciences and Toxicology (Binational Center) in partnership with ten Mexican universities and research institutes. In addition, these Superfund-Mexico interactions coincide with NIEHS's new strategic goal for the development of a global health program, especially with respect to building international partnerships and capacity building.

In order to highlight and strengthen the collaborative research that is occurring, UA and UCSD SBRP’s united to host a Global Environmental Health Workshop.

The specific objectives of the workshop are to:

1. Document the lessons learned from developing Environmental Health partnerships with Mexico

2. Identify the major needs for the next 5 years to strengthen the Environmental Health partnerships with Mexico

3. Identify research needs to address environmental health problems in the Border region and propose a plan for executing and funding collaborative US-Mexico research targeted at resolving the problems

4. Summarize the currents state of knowledge regarding risk and exposure assessments with bioassays and biomarkers as well as bio/phytoremediation and how that knowledge can be applied to the Border Region

5. Identify data management and decision support tools for International Collaboration as well as mechanisms for communicating findings to stakeholders

Save the Date!
This workshop, in conjunction with the Binational Center Kick Off Ceremony is set for March 12 - 14, 2007.