爱达荷州WWAMI and IWRRI Form a 农药的伙伴关系

Multi-discipline 研究 Team Studies the Link between Pesticides and Pediatric Cancer 

当二年级 二战医学院 student Camas 伦 saw a summer research opportunity with the 爱达荷州水资源研究所 (IWRRI) that involved pediatric oncology – an area of medicine that does not appeal to her – she knew she had to apply.

“I wanted to research something that was outside of my comfort – and interest – zone to help me become a well-rounded physician,”她说。.

The experience provided 伦 with an opportunity to sharpen her research skills and deepen her understanding of adverse environmental health outcomes.

“Now that I have worked with IWRRI, there’s more of a personal connection to pediatric oncology. 现在对我来说更有意义了 than it was when I started,”她说。.

IWRRI的农药和儿童癌症项目

IWRRI, which is one of the nation’s 54 water research and technology centers, is working on the first comprehensive analysis of cancer incidence relative to environmental toxicity in the Mountain West Region. 伦, who grew up in Meridian and is considering a career as an orthopedic surgeon, helped IWRRI assess whether there is a correlation between pediatric cancer and agricultural pesticide use in Idaho. 为了研究, 伦 cross-examined data from the Idaho Cancer Registry and the United States Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Project on a county-by-county basis.

“最初, I was going to focus on just the Snake River region, 但最后我检查了整个州,柯伦说.

IWRRI’s Director, Alan Kolok, welcomed the partnership between IWRRI and WWAMI. He previously directed the Center for Environmental 健康 and Toxicology in the College of Public 健康 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he saw firsthand how environmental health research can benefit from medical students’ contributions.

“We tend to silo into work that we're most comfortable with, myself included,” Kolok said. “But getting into trans-disciplinary research relative to adverse health outcomes is an exciting area of growth for the 365滚球官网. 我们大学的研究能力令人难以置信. To leverage it, we just need to get people talking to each other.”

约瑟夫·纳文, IWRRI博士后研究员, recognized the value of 伦’s medical training early in the project. 

Now that I have worked with IWRRI, there’s more of a personal connection to pediatric oncology. 现在对我来说更有意义了.
Camas 伦，爱达荷州二战医学院学生

“Camas is important to this research because she has medical knowledge that helps us look at the types of pediatric cancers we’re seeing in our data through a new lens,他说.

An example of Camas’s contribution to the team was her interpretation of IWRRI’s pediatric cancer datasets. 在数据集中, 其中包括0-19岁的儿童, an increase of epithelial cancers in individuals 15-19 years old was visible. This pattern was puzzling to IWRRI but made sense to 伦 as epithelial cancer is much more common in adults than children. 

“IWRRI’s dataset did not illustrate a unique problem to Idaho; rather, it substantiated a larger trend widely known in the medical community,”她说。.

后分析计划

IWRRI continues to identify links between pesticides and pediatric cancer in the Mountain West Region and hopes to test significant correlations to confirm whether there is causation. IWRRI estimates their analysis can be completed by the end of next year, at which time they may be able to provide environmental management recommendations to state leadership to help protect public health. 

Getting into trans-disciplinary research relative to adverse health outcomes is an exciting area of growth for the 365滚球官网.
IWRRI主任Alan Kolok说

As 伦 heads into another demanding year of medical school, the IWRRI research experience will help shape her approach to a career in health care.

“We know that environmental exposure to toxins have adverse health effects, but it might not be the first thing that comes to mind when looking at a patient’s symptomology,”她说。. “我不需要成为水资源专家, but it’s been fascinating to work with people who are so that we can share our perspectives with each other. I think this experience will stay with me throughout my medical career.”

Article by Lindsay Lodis, WWAMI医学教育计划 at the 365滚球官网

2020年8月发布