Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch
Identifying workplace and environmental exposures associated with cancer risk
The Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) conducts studies in the United States and abroad to identify and evaluate environmental and workplace exposures that may be associated with cancer risk.
Research Mission
OEEB's mission is to combine epidemiology, quantitative exposure assessment, and molecular components into multi-disciplinary studies to provide insight into cancer etiology, chemical carcinogenesis, and mechanisms of action. Our main research areas include:
- Industrial and Occupational Exposures
- Environmental Exposures
- Exposure Assessment Methods
Read more about OEEB's research areas and activities.
OEEB Editorials and Commentaries
- Silverman DT. Diesel exhaust and lung cancer – aftermath of becoming an IARC Group 1 Carcinogen (Commentary)
- Silverman DT. Diesel exhaust causes lung cancer – now what? (Invited Commentary)
- Purdue MP, Silverman DT. Clearing the Air: Summarizing the Smoking-related Relative Risks of Bladder and Kidney Cancer. (Editorial)
- Friesen MC. Job-exposure matrices addressing lifestyle factors (Commentary)
Fellowships
Training opportunities for junior investigators include planning new projects, participating in ongoing investigations, and analyzing data from studies whose field work is completed. Pre-doctoral and postdoctoral fellows are mentored by senior investigators in the Branch. Meet our current OEEB fellows and find out about research training opportunities.
Collaborations
The breadth of OEEB's occupational and environmental risk factor research offers many possibilities for collaboration with investigators at other government agencies, domestic and international institutions, and academia, as well as training opportunities for young scientists. Collaborations are underway in 30 states and Puerto Rico in the U.S., as well as 24 countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Tools and Resources
Investigators in OEEB are also engaged in developing innovative tools and approaches for assessing carcinogenic risks from occupational and environmental exposures. Find out more about OEEB tools and resources.
OEEB Researchers in the News
- Environmental Pollutant, PFOA, Associated with Increased Risk of Kidney Cancer
- Agricultural Exposures, Multiple Myeloma Etiology: Profile of Tenure-track Investigator Jonathan Hofmann
- Using Geographic Information Systems to Improve Exposure Assessment in Epidemiological Studies of Cancer
- Elevated bladder cancer risk in New England and arsenic in drinking water from private wells
- Computer-based coding increases efficiency of risk assessments in studies of occupational exposures