| Human Genetics, Environment, and Communities of Color: Ethical and Social Implications Julie Sze1 and Swati Prakash2 1Office of the President, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; 2West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (WE ACT), New York, New York, USA Abstract
A conference titled "Human Genetics, Environment, and Communities of Color: Ethical and Social Implications" and a workshop symposium titled "Human Genetics and Environmental Justice" were held by West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc., with cosponsorship by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) , the Community Outreach and Education Program of the NIEHS P30 Center for Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, New York, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The conference and symposium took place at Columbia University in New York City on 4-5 February 2002. Expert panels composed of public health practitioners, genetic researchers, ethicists, lawyers, social scientists, and community organizations were assembled to explore how genetic research will affect communities of color, specifically in environmental health research. The goal of the conference was to educate participants on the science and ethics of genetic research and to explore the potential benefits and pitfalls of genetic research vis-à-vis new trends in environmental health research, specifically with reference to communities of color. The goal of the symposium was to discuss the major perceptions and concerns for community-based environmental justice advocates and other communities of color regarding environmental health genetic research. The conference and symposium drew more than 300 participants and articulated important perspectives on the opportunities and challenges for environmental justice advocates and other communities of color posed by rapid advances in environmental health genetic research and toxicogenomics. Key words: communities of color , community-based research , environmental genome project , environmental justice , ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) , ethics , human genetic research , toxicogenomics. Environ Health Perspect 112:740-745 (2004) . doi:10.1289/ehp.6731 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 29 January 2004]
Address correspondence to S. Prakash, Environmental Health Director, West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (WE ACT) , 271 W. 125th St., Suite 308, New York, NY 10027 USA. Telephone: (212) 961-1000 ext. 315. Fax: (212) 961-1015. E-mail: swati@weact.org This conference was cosponsored by West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc., the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) , the NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan (Community Outreach and Education Program) , and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This work was supported by NIEHS grant P30 ES09089, NIEHS Environmental Justice Grant ES 08239, NIEHS Director's Grant 273-MH-106803-2, the Ford Foundation, the California Endowment, the StarFire Fund of the Philanthropic Collaborative, and the Warsh-Mott Legacy. Complete conference proceedings are available through West Harlem Environmental Action. For ordering information, contact the corresponding author or visit http://www.weact.org. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 10 September 2003 ; accepted 29 January 2004.
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