Development in Teaching, Research and Service
(1) Industrial Health, Environmental Exposure and Risk Assessment
A. Teaching
a. To introduce the fundamentals of environmental sampling, analytical and data analysis techniques for VOCs, SVOCs, particulate matters, dioxins, PCBs, phthalates and its metabolites, PDBEs, organotins, organochlorine pesticides, and heavy metals.
b. To introduce techniques associated with personal health risk and internal dose assessments, biomarkers, and polymorphism.
c. To introduce principles for effectively control hazardous factors via engineering and administrative control techniques.
d. To introduce fundamentals and application techniques in ergonomics issues.
B. Research
a. Developing new sampling and analytical techniques for assessing hazardous factors of VOCs, SVOCs, particulate matters, dioxins, PCBs, phthalates and its metabolites, PDBEs, organotins, organochlorine pesticides, and heavy metals。
b. Investigating exposure health risk, internal dose, biomarkers, and their relations with health outcomes and genetic polymophysm.
c. Using PBPK model to investigate the effect of various hazardous factors on internal doses.
d. Developing techniques for effectively control environmental hazardous factors.
e. Developing techniques for preventing health hazard arising from ergonomics issues.
C. Service
a. Establishing industrial hygiene accredited lab for accurately quantifying hazardous agents of VOCs, SVOCs, particulate matters, dioxins, PCBs, phthalates and its metabolites, PDBEs, organotins, organochlorine pesticides, and heavy metals.
b. Provide useful data for occupational disease identification, and health risk assessment.
c. Provide services for industries to conduct environmental monitoring, biological monitoring, and health risk assessment.
d. Provide service for industries to control their work environment to prevent from the occurrence of occupational diseases.
e. Provide techniques and consultations for preventing health hazard arising from ergonomics issues.
(2) Risk Assessment and Risk Communication
A. Teaching
a. To educate students the mathematic models of dose-response assessment and develop the capability of student to assess the exposure risk for environmental toxic chemicals.
b. To cultivate the capability of risk communication practice.
B. Research
a. To develop reproductive and endocrine health risk assessment methodology for endocrine disrupting chemicals.
C. Service
a. To assist the personnel of government and industry to practice the health risk assessment, risk management and risk communication for environmental toxic pollution.
(3) Biological Agent and Indoor Air Pollution Assessment
A. Teaching
a. Education of contemporary sampling and analytical techniques as well as data interpretation skills for bioaerosols.
b. Education of assessment of environmental exposure and internal dose, early effect markers and delayed response to bioaerosols.
c. Education of engineering control and mitigation technology for bio-aerosol exposures.
B. Research
a. Research on novel sampling, analytical, and data analysis methodology for bioaerosols.
b. Characterization for exposures, internal dose, early and delayed response for bioaerosols.
c. Research on health effects of indoor air pollutants, including physical, chemical, and biological natures.
d. Research on the feasibility and best practice of biological contamination.
C. Service
a. Provide SOP (standardized operating procedures) for sampling and analyzing bioaerosols in general and occupational environments.
b. Provide assessment and characterization services for exposures and responses to bioaerosols.
c. Provide information and technical services for biological contamination in general and occupational environments.
(4) Environmental Toxicology
A. Teaching
a. Advanced knowledge about environmental toxicology, molecular carcinogenesis and mechanisms of cancer chemoprevention.
b. Methodology about toxicokinetics, gene polymorphism, cell culture and molecular and cellular toxicology.
c. Ability of thinking independently and the judgment for environmental issues.
B. Research
a. Toxic mechanisms and the dose response relationship of environmental toxicants.
b. Molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis and its possible preventive strategy of environmental toxicants.
c. Relationship about toxicokinetics and gene polymorphism.
d. Applying update molecular and cellular methodology to investigate the toxic mechanism of environmental toxicants.
C. Service
a. Establish cancer research service center for food and drugs development.
b. Cancer animal model for determine the role of tested substance in initiation, promotion and progression.
c. Nude mice and other rodent cancer model for cancer and chemoprevention study.
d. In vitro genotoxicity test system for the study of cell transformation and its prevention.
e. Cancer biomarker study.
(5) Chemical Analysis Techniques
A. Teaching
a. To educate students the principle and practice of analytical chemistry and emphasize its applications in environmental health and occupational medicine.
b. To cultivate expertise of analytical chemistry for the applications in environmental health and occupational medicine.
c. To support this center to educate students in various disciplines for basic knowledge in analytical chemistry.
B. Research
a. To develop novel techniques in analytical chemistry, with an emphasis in trace analysis, for the applications in occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, exposure assessment, environmental toxicology, identification of biohazards.
b. To apply state-of-the-art proteomics technology in the research activities of environmental health and occupational medicine.
C. Service
a. To establish and maintain the operation of National Cheng Kung University-Analytical Laboratory of Environmental Trace Pollutants (NCKU-ALTEP).
b. To establish the accreditations of the analytical capacity of NCKU-ALTEP.
(6) Environmental and Occupational Medicine
A. Teaching
a. By organ system, the curriculum combines basic medical sciences and clinical case studies. The faculty work closely with other clinical departments and target the 10 most important occupational diseases to develop a curriculum on occupational medicine and environmental toxicology.
b. Environmental toxicology: The curriculum integrates toxicology, emergency medicine, and critical care medicine.
c. Reporting system for occupational diseases: Introduce the concepts of disease reporting and its application and teach students how to integrate surveillance data to initiate prevention strategies.
d. Teach students and residents the medical removal, rehabilitation, return to work, diagnosis, and compensation of patients with occupational diseases.
B. Research
a. Study the prevalence, etiology, and mechanisms of occupational and environmental diseases.
b. Study the application of disease reporting system to occupational and environmental diseases.
c. Study the roles and relative importance of personal factors, occupational and environmental factors, and genetic susceptibility in the development of occupational and environmental diseases.
d. Study the methods for diagnosing occupational and environmental diseases and emerging occupational diseases.
C. Service
a. Provide out-patient service in neurology, dermatology, clinical toxicology to patients with occupational diseases.
b. Train case managers of occupational diseases and injuries to help the rehabilitation, return to work, and compensation of patients.
c. Construct the reporting system of occupational diseases to provide information on occupational diseases and injuries to the government to facilitate the prevention measures.
(7) Data analysis and epidemiological study
A. Teaching
a. Offers training in the development and application of statistical methods to the design and analysis of environmental and occupational problems.
b. Offers training in analyzing and describing patterns of occurrence and determinants of environmental and occupational diseases in human populations.
c. Offers training in molecular and genetic epidemiology.
B. Research
a. The maintenance and use of existing databanks to monitor health problems and hazards related to environmental and occupational exposure.
b. Epidemiological study on adverse effects of arsenic, PCB, radiofrequency exposure.
c. Identifies susceptible population, with the emphasis on gene-environment interaction.
d. Investigate the molecular mechanisms and identify the biomarkers of airborne or engineered nanoparticle-induced cardiopulmonary diseases, including lung adenocarcinoma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
e. Identify susceptible population in the development of environmental or occupational diseases through molecular epidemiology study of DNA repair capacity and cancer risk.
C. Service
a. Consultation on statistical analysis and epidemiological study design.
b. The interpretation of empirical findings from epidemiological study of environmental and occupational exposure groups to government agencies.
c. Promote the health of workers through research, education and medical service.
d. International cooperation in the development and maintenance of occupational health surveillance systems to monitor health problems in specific exposure population.
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