Integrated Health Assessments for the Division of the National Toxicology Program

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

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Abstract

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is an interagency program whose mission is to evaluate agents of public health concern by developing and applying tools of modern toxicology and molecular biology. The programs goal is to carry out research, testing, and evaluation activities to identify which of the many thousands of chemicals and other substances that humans are exposed to in the environment, may affect human health. To do so, the NTP must use scientific expertise to identify, collect, analyze, and interpret diverse types of information relevant to the effects of environmental exposures on human health. Information from the fields of toxicology, epidemiology, chemistry, pathology, and other disciplines is used in design of research programs and in literature-based health assessments for both cancer and non-cancer endpoints. Integrative Health Assessments Branch (IHAB) provides systematic literature review and evaluation capabilities for DNTP and the National Toxicology Program (NTP). The Branch produces monographs and reports on cancer and noncancer health effects associated with exposures to environmental agents. IHAB also develops and publishes the congressionally mandated Report on Carcinogens. IHAB develops and applies innovative informatic approaches to produce fit-for-purpose literature assessments, including evidence maps and scoping reviews, that provide timely support for health effects research. The Branch also advances approaches for systematic review and evidence integration for all types of data, with an increasing focus on the translation of mechanistic and predictive toxicology data. To facilitate these activities, the IHAB is organized into two workgroups that work with a variety of DNTP staff to accomplish program goals: the Health Assessment and Translation group and the Report on Carcinogens group.