Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou, associate dean of JSU’s College of Science, Engineering and Technology, recently participated in a global summit designed to address current and future biomedical and environmental health challenges in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.
The 15th International Symposium on Metal Ions and Organic Pollutants in Biology, Medicine and Environment brought together a number of experts. They included clinicians, biomedical and environmental health scientists and engineers. Other professionals represented academia, industry and government agencies.
The symposium was presented under the auspices of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Nagpur, India.
Tchounwou, a Presidential Distinguished Professor, served on the panel of distinguished speakers for the inaugural session of the conference.
After providing greetings, Tchounwou delivered two presentations: “Gene-Environment Interactions and Human Diseases” and “Trisenox Disrupts MDM2-DAUXX-HAUSP Complex and Induces Apoptosis in a Mouse Model of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia.”
Seeking solutions for environment
“I was very delighted and honored to be invited to welcome the symposium participants on behalf of the International Organizing Committee and to be on the inaugural panel with the vice president of India, the honorable Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu,” Tchounwou said. Naidu urged scientists to come up with “out-of-the-box solutions” to combat the crisis over rising air pollution in many parts of the country.
After the session, each member of the distinguished panel planted a special tree in the NEERI garden in recognition of the essential role of the environment on human health.
Among other highlights, the scientific program consisted of oral and poster presenters who spoke on emerging topics such as air quality and health assessment; cancer imaging and therapeutics; ecological risk assessment of human diseases; and risk assessment and remediation of metal ions and organic pollutants.
Other discussions included metal-based nanotechnology and toxicology; metal ions in radiation exposure; the role of major and minor elements in health and environment; environmental carcinogens and adverse impacts; and environmental policy and public health.