Statistical techniques applied to environmental health sciences

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

We have recently contributed to data analysis for several projects, primarily involving electronic health records data from the UNC sleep laboratory (see ES101765, Leping Li, PI) and data from the Agricultural Lung Health Study (ALHS) (ES102385, Stephanie London PI). We are also collaborating with a group of scientists in the DTT on analysis of data involving laboratory studies of combined exposures and mixtures (ES103373, Cynthia Rider, LI) We have used UNC health records from in-laboratory overnight sleep studies on patients with various subtypes of muscular dystrophy to examine similarities and differences in the manifestation of sleep-disordered breathing. In addition, we aided the development of a software tool for the identification and visualization of sleep stages. In ongoing work, we are characterizing sex differences in the age trajectories of respiratory symptoms such as sleep apnea and hypoventilation. Because chronic exposure to microorganisms my affect respiratory health, we are using data from the AHLS to investigate metagenomic profiles in house dust. We found evidence that indoor microbial signatures are related to pulmonary function and airway inflammation in adults. With investigators in DTT, we are refining methods to predict the dose-response function for a mixture of defined chemical components under various additivity assumptions using dose-response data for each of the component chemicals individually. Further, we are developing methods to compare the predicted curves derived under additivity to dose-response data generated for the mixture itself. We will apply these methods to mixtures of polyaromatic compounds using generated in DTT laboratories.