Session not assigned to a slot
Investigating Links Between Autism and the Environment
Although it has been known for decades that there is a strong heritable component to autism risk, interest is also now very high in determining whether there are also important environmental risk factors. Momentum behind the search for environmental risk factors has been generated by concern over rising autism prevalence, but other lines of evidence also exist, including consistently observed phenotypic discordance in monozygotic twins and epidemiologic evidence linking rare xenobiotic exposures to autism. The goal of this Invited Education Symposium is to provide an overview of current thinking from the fields of environmental health science, epidemiology, and genetics as it pertains to investigation of potential environmental risk factors for autism. Presenters will review existing evidence, describe current research approaches, and offer informative examples from their own work. Attendees will leave the session with an improved understanding of the rationale behind research on environmental risk factors for autism, a greater sense of the direction of initiatives underway, and an appreciation of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Speakers:	Eric Roberts, MD, PhD Brenda Eskenazi, PhD Irva Hertz-Picciotto Antonio M. Persico
Organizer:	Craig Newschaffer, PhD
		Session Introduction Craig Newschaffer, PhD
		Epidemiologic Designs for Studying Environmental Factors in Autism Irva Hertz-Picciotto
		Importance of a Pathophysiological Foundation To Environmental Research In Autism: On Thimerosal, Vaccines, and More Antonio Persico
		Relationship of pesticide exposure and pervasive developmental disorder Brenda Eskenazi, PhD, Amy Marks, Kim Harley, Katherine Kogut, Caroline Johnson, Ph.D., Asa Bradman, Nina Holland, Dana Barr, Ph.D.
		Environmental Research on Autism Based on Administrative Data Linkage Eric Roberts, MD, PhD
Sponsor:	Invited Program

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See more of The International Meeting for Autism Research (London, May 15-17, 2008)