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Your Environment. Your Health.

Breast Cancer & the Environment Research Program

Breast Cancer & the Environmental Research Centers: Girls

Program Description

NIEHS and the National Cancer Institute co-fund the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP), which supports the enhancement of our knowledge regarding environmental and genetic factors underlying breast cancer risk over women's lifespans.

What NIEHS is Doing

Through the integration of experimental models and human studies, the BCERP transdisciplinary research projects study how exposures during specific time periods over the life course may increase breast cancer risk. During these windows of susceptibility, such as puberty or pregnancy, an individual may be particularly vulnerable to different chemical or dietary exposures.

The BCERP program also includes studies that focus on targeted risk communication regarding breast cancer and the environment. Some studies are analyzing the effectiveness of existing educational materials developed for parents and caregivers, health care professionals, advocates, and the general public.

The program has three parallel efforts:

  1. Windows of susceptibility studies (laboratory and epidemiological) that address environmental influences on breast cancer risk throughout the lifespan.
  2. Communications research to improve the effectiveness of risk messaging in breast cancer, including implementation research to validate uptake of communication messaging and dissemination research to target messages appropriately for parents or healthcare providers.
  3. A Coordinating Center that organizes and communicates BCERP information and serves as a central repository and clearinghouse for cross-site data obtained from ongoing studies.

Program Lead

Abee Boyles, Ph.D.
Abee Boyles, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator

Tel 984-287-3241
abee.boyles@nih.gov

NIEHS Program Staff

Leslie J. Reinlib, Ph.D.
Les Reinlib, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Program Director

Tel 984-287-3310
Fax 919-316-4606
reinlib@niehs.nih.gov
Thaddeus Schug, Ph.D.
Thaddeus T. Schug, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator

Tel 984-287-3319
schugt2@niehs.nih.gov

NCI Program Staff

Tram K. Lam
Tram K. Lam, Ph.D., M.P.H.
NCI BCERP Program Director Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences

Tel (240) 276-6967
lamt@mail.nih.gov
Not Pictured
Ron Johnson, Ph.D.
Division of Cancer Biology

rjohnso2@mail.nih.gov
Neeraja Sathymoorthy
Neeraja Sathyamoorthy, Ph.D.
Division of Cancer Biology

Tel (240) 276-6220
sathyamn@mail.nih.gov
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