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Environmental Carcinogenesis Division (ECD)
Mission/Objectives
ECD Navigation
To accomplish its mission, ECD has assembled a unique mix of internationally recognized scientists and skilled technicians who encompass a broad range of scientific disciplines and state of the art scientific techniques (biochemistry, biology, biophysics, chemistry, cytogenetics, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, pathology, physics, and toxicology). Because the Agency places a high priority on mechanistically-based research to support the cancer risk assessment process under the new guidelines, ECD's multidisciplinary capabilities are well suited to meeting this challenge. ECD, therefore, is ideally positioned and capable of concentrating its efforts on research that will address the Agency's core needs.
Using a theme-based approach, ECD selects a limited number of specific research problems and focuses the division's expertise on solving those problems. The themes are constructed to provide multi-level input into issues that are centered around the risk assessment process. The Division's research develops and validates hazard identification methods, performs dose response evaluations, develops a mechanistic understanding of the cancer process, and creates models and data bases that aid in risk characterization. The Division also focuses its research efforts on specific chemicals, classes of chemicals, and environmental exposures that are of high relevancy to the Program offices. ECD conducts research with the aim of understanding how the components of environmental pollution might contribute to the incidence of cancer in the human population. The understanding of the mechanisms underlying environmental carcinogenesis will allow the EPA and others to improve the risk assessment process and provide for a better science-based decision process for managing potential environmental carcinogens.
