BC Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network

Advancing research through innovative linkage of health and exposure data

The Spring 2008 conference was held May 2 in Vancouver.

Downloads

1. PowerPoints

Exposure Assessment Strategies in Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Dr. David Savitz (.pdf file)

Mapping risk of exposure to environmental contaminants among Aboriginal communities in North America Dr. Laurie Chan (.pdf file)

How do I love data? Let me count the ways…Using linked data for occupational health research Dr. Mieke Koehoorn (.pdf file)

Dr. Michael Jerrett is unable to provide his PowerPoint slides.

2. Newsletter

A newsletter reporting out on the day’s session has been printed and circulated to members’ departments and units. An electronic version is available here (.pdf).

3. Recording (audio only)

The plenary sessions were audio recorded in real time (unedited - requires some fast-forwarding). The recording is available here.

Details about the Conference:

Keynote speaker

Dr. David Savitz, Director, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Disease Prevention Institute,
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York

David Savitz received his undergraduate training in Psychology at Brandeis University and a Masters in Preventive Medicine at Ohio State University in 1978, and his PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in 1982. He was Assistant Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and moved to the University of North Carolina School of Public Health in 1985. Through December 2005 he was the Carey C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology, as well as a Fellow of the Carolina Population Center and a member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. In January 2006 he joined the Mount Sinai School of Medicine as Director of the Institute for Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Prevention and the Charles W. Bluhdorn Professor of Community and Preventive Medicine. He recently authored a book entitled Interpreting Epidemiologic Evidence and directed 29 doctoral dissertations at the University of North Carolina and 13 masters theses. He has served as Editor at the American Journal of Epidemiology and as a member of the Epidemiology and Disease Control - 1 Study Section of the National Institutes of Health and currently is an Editor at the publication Epidemiology. He was President of the Society for Epidemiologic Research and the Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research and North American Regional Councilor for the International Epidemiological Association. His primary research activities and interests are in reproductive, environmental, and cancer epidemiology.

Program Agenda

Learning Objectives

By the end of the day, participants willhave learned more about:

1. Existing databases available to facilitate occupational and environmental health research in British Columbia, and how to access them.
2. Technical and ethical considerations for protecting the sensitive private health data we use in public health research.
3. Novel methods for estimating occupational and environmental exposures at multiple scales (personal, population, acute, chronic…).
4. Strategies for analyzing large data sets.

Speakers

Facilitators

• Dr. Michael Hayes, Associate Dean, Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
• Sarah Henderson, PhD Candidate, Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of BC
• Perry Hystad, PhD Candidate, Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of BC
• Dr. Melissa Friesen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley Nancy Meagher, Executive Director, Population Health & Learning Observatory (PHLO)
• Dr. Eleanor Setton, Researcher, University of Victoria

Registration

Participation in this event by BCEOHRN members is free of charge. To ensure adequate catering quantities, members are asked to register by sending an email to our office.

Travel Bursaries

The Network has limited, capped funds to support members’ travel to attend this event. Funds will be offered case-by-case and will be used to encourage province-wide and cross-disciplinary representation. If you are interested in being considered for a travel bursary of reimbursed travel and accommodations costs, please send an email to our office, outlining your role in environmental and occupational health research (student, junior researcher, etc.) and your estimated costs.

Venue & Accommodations

The Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue is located at 580 W. Hastings St., Vancouver: map link.

The Centre for Dialogue adjoins the Delta Vancouver Suites. Ask for the BC Government rate of $179 if you are employed in the public sector or are a student. Telephone: 1-604-689-8188 or www.deltavancouversuites.ca. Other accommodations options are available on the Centre’s website.

Parking

Parking is available at many locations around the Centre for Dialogue. See their parking map link for details.

Planning Group

The BCEOHRN Spring 2008 Conference has been planned by the BCEOHRN Educational Event Working Group:

• Sarah Henderson (Chair), PhD Candidate, UBC Health Care and Epidemiology
• Dr. Paul Demers, Director, UBC School of Environmental Health
• Perry Hystad, PhD Candidate, UBC Health Care and Epidemiology
• Romana Pasca, Graduate Student, UNBC Disability Management
• Dr. Ryan Allen, Assistant Professor, SFU Health Sciences
• Dr. Eleanor Setton, UVic Researcher

Attended the event, but didn’t complete the evaluation form? Evaluation form - online survey