Masonic Cancer Center named to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Study
December 13, 2019
The Masonic Cancer Center is now part of the Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource (HHEAR) program, a continuation of the groundbreaking Children's Health Exposure Analysis Resource (CHEAR).
According to the National Institute of Health, the goal of HHEAR is to provide the research community access to laboratory and statistical analyses to add or expand the inclusion of environmental exposures in their research and to make that data publicly available as a means to improve our understanding of the effects of environmental exposures on human health throughout the life course.
The Minnesota HHEAR Targeted Analysis Laboratory continues the collaboration between researchers at the Masonic Cancer Center and the Minnesota Department of Health. The team received a 5 year multi-million dollar grant to provide their laboratory analytical services to the research community. They are internationally recognized for their expertise in measurement of exposures from tobacco products, the environment, and dietary and lifestyle choices.
“Our team is excited to have this opportunity to share our world class expertise in assessing internal exposures to harmful chemicals with researchers investigating human health outcomes,” said Lisa Peterson, PhD, Principal Investigator of the MN HHEAR lab, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and co-Leader, Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, Masonic Cancer Center. “This program will provide important new information about the role these exposures play in disease causation. This type of research is key for designing strategies to prevent human illness.”
The Masonic Cancer Center was awarded $5.1 million in September 2015 for the CHEAR grant over the course of four years. The CHEAR program brought together highly talented scientists from the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health to provide a national resource for exploring environmental, lifestyle, and related factors affecting children's health. Scientists from around the United States who studied children's health issues used this resource to provide critical information about potential causes of diseases in children. The Masonic Cancer Center was one of only six laboratories from across the United States analyzing the samples for this project.
About the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
The Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, is the Twin Cities’ only Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated ‘Outstanding’ by the National Cancer Institute. As Minnesota’s Cancer Center, we have served the entire state for more than 25 years. Our researchers, educators, and care providers have worked to discover the causes, prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer and cancer-related diseases. Learn more at cancer.umn.edu