This document provides information about an environmental health graduate course offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:05-11:20 AM in room A156. The course examines the chronic effects of environmental pollution and stressors on human health. Prerequisites include college-level biology and chemistry. The course will be taught by professors Richard Di Giulio and Joel Meyer and teaching assistant Daniel Brown. Readings will be provided on the class Blackboard site and the course website is on Sakai. Grades will be based on class participation, write-ups of readings, section summaries, and a review paper. The calendar lists the course modules and scheduled topics and speakers.

1. Environmental Health (ENV 537)
TUESDAY/THURSDAY
10:05-11:20
A156
COURSE CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES: This is a graduate level course that
examines environmental effects on human health with a particular focus on the chronic
effects of exposure to pollution and other stressors, and the interaction of
anthropogenic environmental changes with infectious diseases.
PREREQUISITES: College-level biology and chemistry class, or consent of instructor.
PROFESSORS:
Richard Di Giulio (richd@duke.edu) A346B LSRC. Office hours: MW 10:00-11:30and
by appointment.
Joel Meyer (joel.meyer@duke.edu) A354 LSRC. Office hours: MW 1:30-2:30 and by appointment.
Teaching assistant: Daniel Brown (daniel.r.brown@duke.edu); office hours by appointment.
READING MATERIAL: All readings are available on the class Blackboard site.
SAKAI WEB SITE: Sakai will be used extensively. Any changes to the syllabus will be made via an updated syllabus posted there.
You will need to access the Sakai site on a computer with Acrobat, Excel, MS Word, and PowerPoint in order to be able to open
documents in those formats.
GRADE BASED ON:
Class participation 20%
Write-up of readings and questions 40%
Section summaries 15%
Review paper 25%

2. This class includes many lectures by experts in their fields. To ensure that you get the most out of the lectures, and to encourage you
to practice the skill of preparing well for high-level scientific talks, a significant portion of your grade is based on class participation
and preparation for lectures. To this end, you will turn in a 1-page (single-spaced, not including citations) write-up prior to 5 of the
course’s lectures. The content of this write-up may vary slightly from class to class, but in general will contain a synopsis of the
readings, an overview of the field, a brief summary of recent research by the speaker (the last two items may require that you do
some searching on your own, beyond the assigned readings), and a list of at least 3 questions that you would like to ask the speaker.
Assignments for these write-ups will be discussed on the first day of class (January 10). We have asked speakers to aim for 45
minutes of presentation to allow for significant time for interactions and questions; depending in the speaker’s style, those questions
may be asked during the lecture or after.To encourage you to synthesize and retain information from the class, you will also turn in a
short (1.5-2 page) summary of each major section (Reproductive/Developmental, Cardiopulmonary, Neurological, Infectious,
Cancer). This will be due one week after the last lecture of that section. Also, because of this format, attendance is part of your
participation grade. If an unusual circumstance prevents your attendance, please let us know.
ACTIVITIES/GROUPS OF INTEREST:The RTP area is rich in opportunities for meetings and lectures on topics related to this class.
These are excellent opportunities to catch up on cutting-edge research and meet local scientists. Among the seminar series and
meetings you should be aware of are:
Duke’s ITEHP seminar series: Fridays 12:00-1:30 A247 LSRC http://toxicology.geneimprint.com/about/
GEMS meeting: TBA http://www.gems-nc.org/Meetings.html
NCSOT meeting: Feb 21http://www.toxicology.org/isot/rc/nc/meetings.asp
CSETAC meeting: TBA https://sites.google.com/site/csetac/
Duke Global Health Institute calendar: http://globalhealth.duke.edu/news-events/
NC One Health Collaborative: http://nconehealthcollaborative.weebly.com/index.html
NICHOLAS SCHOOL HONOR CODE: All activities of Nicholas School students, including those in this course, are governed by the
Duke Community Standard (honor code; additional background available at: http://www.integrity.duke.edu/ugrad/index.html):
Duke University is a community dedicated to scholarship, leadership, and service and to the principles of honesty, fairness, respect,
and accountability. Citizens of this community commit to reflect upon and uphold these principles in all academic and non-academic
endeavors, and to protect and promote a culture of integrity.
To uphold the Duke Community Standard:
I will not lie, cheat, or steal in my academic endeavors;
I will conduct myself honorably in all my endeavors; and
I will act if the Standard is compromised.

3. CALENDAR:
Note that this calendar may be altered as necessary. The general Duke Academic Calendar is accessible at:
http://registrar.duke.edu/academic-calendar-2012-2013
Readings to be skimmed and that may serve to reinforce ideas or as useful references are marked with an asterisk*; others are
required.
Date Module Class topic and contact email Reading
Jan 10 Introduction Conceptual overview and logistics Rappaport and Smith, 2010
Di Giulio and
Meyer
Jan 15 Special topic: Exposure to and effects of persistent organic pollutants Keller et al., 2012
Jenn Keller Wildlife exposures in sea turtles
(NOAA) jennifer.keller@noaa.gov
Jan 17 Cancer Cancer: overview and role of the environment President’s Report on Cancer; Smart 2011
Robert Smart rcsmart@ncsu.edu
(NCSU)
Jan 22 Cancer Cancer in wildlife McAloose and Newton 2009
David Hinton dhinton@duke.edu
(NSOE)
Jan 24 Cancer The Colors of Chromium from Essential Element to Nickens et al., 2010
Patierno Occupational Carcinogen: a complicated conundrum of
(DUMC) a complex carcinogen
steven.patierno@duke.edu
Jan 29 Infectious Diseases Policy and economic issues of malaria control Sachs and Malaney 2002; Kramer et al.,
Randy Kramer kramer@duke.edu 2009; Wiley and Gostin, 2009
(NSOE/DGHI)
Feb 31 Infectious Diseases Global burden of infectious disease Khasnis and Nettleman, 2005; Caulfied et al.,
William Pan william.pan@duke.edu 2004; San Martin et al., 2010; WHO 2009
(NSOE/DGHI) Chapters 1&2
Feb 5 Infectious Diseases Introduction and overview of environmental impacts on Infectious disease co-evolution chapter;
Christopher infectious disease worldwide Lafferty 2009; Jones et al., 2008; Shurman
Woods woods004@mc.duke.edu 2010; Semenza and Benne 2009*
(DUMC/DGHI)
Feb 7 Jennifer Special topic: Environmental effects on immune function Kaminski et al., 2007 (pp 485-503 required);
Wheeler Immune function jennifer.wheeler@duke.edu Stevens et al., 2009
(DUMC)

4. Feb 12 Reproductive/ Effects and Evaluation of Endocrine Disrupting Hotchkiss et al., 2008; Zoeller et al., 2012
Cynthia Rider DevelopmentalHeal Chemicals
(NTP) th cynthia.rider@nih.gov
Feb 14 Reproductive/ Flameretardants as endocrine disruptors Birnbaum and Staskal 2004; Herbstman et
Heather DevelopmentalHeal heather.stapleton@duke.edu al., 2010 ; Stapleton et al., 2011
Stapleton th
(NSOE)
Feb 19 Reproductive/ Toxicity to male reproduction: from fetus to Foster and Gray 2007; Milchreest et al.,
Paul Foster DevelopmentalHeal adultfoster2@niehs.nih.gov 1999; Foster 2006
NIEHS th
Feb 21 Literature
Di Giulio and discussion
Meyer
Feb 26 Cardiopulmonary Overview of environmental effects on cardiovascular Sun et al., 2010; Bhatnagar 2006*
Richard Auten Disease health
(DUMC) auten@duke.edu
Feb 28 Cardiopulmonary Overview of air pollution and environmental effects on Salem and Katz, 2006
John Disease pulmonary health.
Vandenberg john.vandenberg@duke.edu
(EPA)
March 1 Reproductive/ ITEHP Symposium:
DevelopmentalHeal How Epigenomic Effects Mediate Persisting Actions of Developmental Toxicants
th (optional)
Review paper topic proposal due March 5
Mar 5 Cardiopulmonary Air pollution and cardiopulmonary Brook et al., 2010; Mills et al., 2007*; Delfino
Daniel Costa Disease health: Current Understandings, Gaps and public health et al., 2011*; Hazari et al., 2009*
(EPA) context
costa.Dan@epamail.epa.gov
Mar 7 Cardiopulmonary Inhalation toxicology Oberdorster et al., 2005
Michael Foster Disease
(DUMC) foste028@mc.duke.edu
March 12
Spring Break!
March 14
Mar 19 Special topic: Mountaintop removal and valley fill mining: effects on Palmer et al., 2010; Hitt and Hendryx, 2010;
Di Giulio Human- Eco-Health ecosystems and human health Lindberg et al., 2011
Connections
Mar 21 Special topic: Environmental exposure and neurodegenerative Smith et al., 2011; Bilger, 2009
Meyer cookstoves diseases

5. Mar 26 Neurological Mechanisms of Environmental Neurotoxicity and Moser, 2011; Miodovnik, 2011
Edward Levin Disease Methods of Investigation.
(DUMC) edlevin@duke.edu
March 28 Neurological Consequences of developmental exposure to lead Canfield et al., 2003; Lanphear et al., 2005;
Di Giulio Disease Miranda et al., 2009
March 29 Cancer Biomarkers for etiology and prevention of liver cancer:
John Third leading cause of global cancer mortality
Groopman,
Johns (optional)
Hopkins
April 2 Literature
Di Giulio and discussion
Meyer
Apr 4 Special topic Arsenic in drinking water Fendorf et al., 2010
Meyer (note MP Symposium conflict)
April 9 Cancer Environmental influences on epigenetic alterations in Pilie et al., 2011; Araujo et al., 2007 (you
Victoria cancer don’t need to understand all of the details for
Seewaldt seewa001@mc.duke.edu this one, just the general ideas)
(DUMC)
April 11 Neurological Long-term consequences of developmental exposure to Kofman et al., 2006; Jacobson and Jacobson
Stephanie Disease pesticides 2006
Padilla (EPA) padilla.Stephanie@epa.gov
Apr 16 Risk Assessment Risk assessment and risk management Callahan and Sexton 2007
Suzanne suzanne.mcmaster@duke.edu
McMaster
(EPA)
Review paper due April 26
Abbreviations for affiliations:
DGHI – Duke Global Health Institute
DUMC – Duke University Medical Center
EPA – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
NCSU – North Carolina State University
NIEHS – National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
NSOE – Nicholas School of the Environment
NTP – National Toxicology Program