Meet the government and international agency scientists who use the results of your research
On this page:
Health assessments conducted by government and international agencies play a critical role in the regulation and public awareness of harmful chemical, physical, biological, and other exposures. These assessments rely on review (increasingly systematic) of published primary research of environmental and occupational epidemiologic studies for hazard identification. After a health hazard has been identified, some agencies conduct dose-response analyses to determine exposure levels to decrease disease risk, which may involve the use of epidemiologic data. There are many ways for primary researchers to make direct contributions to these assessments to maximize the public health impact of their research. The opportunities throughout assessment development to engage with agencies vary by organization but may include: prioritizing agents for review, consulting on key scientific issues, conducting evidence evaluations, providing peer review and public comments on completed assessments, dissemination and adaptation of findings to local contexts. In their own work, researchers can plan their research to respond to data gaps identified during assessment development and improve reporting in publications (e.g., more detailed presentation of methods and analysis). This symposium will provide participants with an opportunity to learn about the work of government and international agencies that conduct health assessments using environmental and occupational epidemiology study findings and identify ways to boost the public health impact of primary research that contributes to these assessments. Each speaker will discuss their agency’s assessment work, including how they are used and by whom, the type of agents assessed, data sources and reporting needs, and how they engage with the research community, whose publications are the primary source of information inputs to these assessments. Opportunities for primary researchers to contribute to this work will be highlighted.