SBRP Annual Meeting Research Translation & Megasites

January 12-13, 2006, The New York Academy of Medicine, New York, New York

Conference Overview

Research Translation and Megasites: How Does the Superfund Basic Research Program Inform Public Health Protection and Environmental Remediation?

Megasites, defined as Superfund sites with estimated clean-up costs exceeding 50 million dollars, are often the most complex of the country's hazardous waste sites. Often contaminated with a variety of chemicals and toxins from a number of sources, megasites require unique and wide-ranging strategies to address the issues of environmental remediation, risk assessment and communication, and public health protection. There are 146 megasites and 36 potential megasites currently listed on the National Priorities List, including a number of sediment contaminated estuaries, abandoned mines, chemical plants, and military bases.

The theme of the 2005 Superfund Basic Research Program Annual Meeting will be "Research Translation and Megasites: How does the Superfund Basic Research Program Inform Public Health Protection and Environmental Remediation?" This year's conference brings together academic scientists and policy analysts with members of federal, state, and local agencies with the intent of illustrating how research findings can be used to enrich the activities of the policy makers who coordinate the remediation, risk assessment and communication with affected communities surrounding Superfund megasites.

At this two-day conference, invited speakers and Superfund investigators will present the latest research and provide a comprehensive examination of the scientific and policy-related issues that surround megasites. Plenary sessions have been organized around five distinct topics: geochemistry, molecular biology, epidemiology, exposure assessment, and research translation. In addition to these sessions, individual programs will have the opportunity to present their work at an afternoon poster session. Running concurrently with the scientific sessions, workshops for the program administrators and the outreach and research translation cores will be held to promote interaction and communication of best-practices among the various programs.

There will be numerous opportunities for students and post-doctoral fellows to engage in the conference. Every scientific session will host one student presentation. Student and post-doctoral research will also be highlighted at the poster session, and awards for outstanding student research will be presented. Additionally, all students and post-doctoral fellows are invited to attend a roundtable lunch with the program directors.

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