04 May 2005: NTP Roadmap for the Future, Celebration of 25 Years

Tuesday, May 10: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 11: 9:00 a.m. - noon

• Dr. Elaine Faustman, Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine
• Dr. Bernard D. Goldstein, Dean, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
• Dr. Christopher Portier, Associate Director of the NTP, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH
• The Honorable Paul G. Rogers, Hogan & Hartson, L.L.P., former U.S. Congressman from Florida

With opening comments from
    Dr. Elias Zerhouni, NIH Director
    Dr. Lester M. Crawford, Acting Commissioner, FDA
    Dr. John Howard, Director, NIOSH

The NTP is at the forefront of developing and using new methods for testing toxicity to predict hazards to humans. A new refined strategy will guide the expansion of the NTP to meet emerging research needs, including examining the potential safety issues related to herbal medicines and supplements, cell phone radiofrequency transmissions, and nanoscale materials. The strategy will also provide a long-term vision that moves toxicology away from an animal-based enterprise, including developing non-mammalian models.

"A Roadmap for the Future" defines how NTP will integrate new methodologies with proven approaches to "test smarter."

For more than 25 years, the NTP, an interagency program within the Department of Health and Human Services, has made extraordinary progress in evaluating chemicals and other agents that may be toxic to human health and disseminating this information broadly to inform public health decision-making. For example, through its extensive testing program, the NTP has evaluated over 2500 agents. In addition, the NTP biannually issues the Report on Carcinogens, which in 2005 identified 246 cancer-causing agents, including for the first time viruses like Hepatitis B and C.

Members of the press interested in conducting interviews with any of the speakers, please contact Robin Mackar (919) 541-0073. Details about the meeting, including agenda, are posted on the NTP website (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/)). Lunch will be provided on May 10 th to those who pre-register.

The National Academy of Sciences Building, located in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington, D.C., is served by Ronald Reagan National Airport (http://www.nationalacademies.org/about/contact/nas.html#national) (DCA), Dulles International Airport (http://www.nationalacademies.org/about/contact/nas.html#dulles) (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (http://www.nationalacademies.org/about/contact/nas.html#bwi) (BWI). It is accessible by Metro's Orange and Blue (http://www.nationalacademies.org/about/contact/nas.html#metro) lines.