Benchmark Dose Modeling and Its Use in Risk Assessment

What:

The training course will be designed to give an overview of benchmark modeling software for cancer and noncancer dose-response assessment, and provide hands-on experience in using the EPA BMDS software.  Through this training course, participants will learn the basic concept of BMD approach, appropriate application of BMD modeling in cancer and noncancer dose-response assessment, model and parameter selections during BMD modeling, data selection and model run, and to select an appropriate BMD point of departure for use in a human health risk assessment.  This workshop will cover all the BMD models available in current version of EPA’s BMDS software including continuous models, dichotomous models, and nested models     

When: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., December 4, 2005

Where: SRA Annual Conference (Orlando)

Cost:   $249.00  ($309 for onsite registration)  NOTE:  You DO NOT have to attend the SRA Annual Meeting to attend this workshop.

Workshop Number:  WK2

Go here to register.

Requirements:

To minimize the cost, the workshop will not provide computers for practice.  Therefore, participants are encouraged to bring their own laptop or share with other participants with a computer.  It is highly encouraged that participants install the latest version of BMDS (current version 1.3.2 - watch for an update soon) on their laptop before the workshop.  It is available at http://www.epa.gov/ncea/bmds.htm.  A copy of the software will also be available the day of the training course.  A box lunch will be provided.

Speakers:

• Dr. Jay Zhao, TERA

• Dr. Jeff Gift, NCEA, US EPA

• Dr. Angela Howard, NCEA, US EPA

Jay Zhao Biography

Jay Zhao obtained a medical degree and M.P.H. from Shanghai Medical University, and a Ph.D. in Toxicology from University of Cincinnati.  He has worked in areas of mutation research, biomarkers for exposure to environmental pollutants, tumor epidemiology, and chemical risk assessment for more than 15 years. He specializes in dose-response analysis and human health risk assessment, and has extensive experience in using BMD technique in risk assessment, and providing BMD training to risk assessors.  

Jeff Gift Biography

Jeff Gift obtained a Ph.D. in Chemistry from American University and has worked in the area of chemical risk assessment for over 25 years.  He has served as a health scientist and risk assessor in the United States Coast Guard, Food and Drug Administration, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and, since 1990, the US Environmental Protection Agency.  He currently manages a support staff of statisticians and programmers for the development and maintenance of the EPA benchmark dose (BMD) and categorical regression (CatReg) software.

Angela Howard Biography

Angela Howard graduated with a Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and is currently a postdoctoral fellow with the National Center for Environmental Assessment, Hazardous Pollutant Assessment Group at the EPA.  Her research involves the analysis of time-dependent data and the development of models to be added to the current BMD software.