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Self Defense: Environmental Impacts on Autoimmune Diseases

What causes a human body to attack itself? We are beginning to understand autoimmune diseases like lupus, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes, but we still can't explain what causes many of them. What role do environmental contaminants play in this class of diseases? This call explored what we know and what we don’t know about environmental impacts on autoimmune diseases.

Speakers included:

• Glinda S. Cooper, PhD, Epidemiologist, National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• Steven D. Holladay, MS, PhD, Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Radiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia

• Frederick W. Miller, MD, PhD, Chief, Environmental Autoimmunity Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, EHS Office of Clinical Research, National Institutes of Health

We also heard a science update by Pete Myers, PhD, of Environmental Health Sciences.

The call was moderated by Steve Heilig, MPH, Director of Public Health and Education at the San Francisco Medical Society and CHE. The call last one hour.