Recent advances in research confirm that infinitesimally small quantities of certain chemicals in our environment can interfere with the normal signaling systems that determine every aspect of embryonic and fetal development. Over the past decade, it has been demonstrated that there are numerous ways endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can interfere with development and function. Disorders that have increased in prevalence in recent years such as abnormal male gonadal development, infertility, ADHD, autism, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and childhood and adult cancers are now being linked to fetal exposure to endocrine disruptors.
On this call Dr. Carol Kwiatkowski, executive director of The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX) presented highlights of 25 years of endocrine disruption science. She spoke about recent scientific advances and how hormone disruption may be a common causative factor in many diseases and disorders of the modern world. She also shared her impressions from the 2016 Children's Environmental Health Summit, "Protecting Children at the Top of the World", and how the stories of Alaska hold lessons for us all.
Featured Speaker
Carol Kwiatkowski, PhD, has been the executive director of The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX) since 2008. She is an Assistant Professor Adjunct at the University of Colorado, Boulder in the Department of Integrative Physiology. She and her team review scientific studies of endocrine disruption, including impacts of environmental chemicals on the reproductive, central nervous, immune and metabolic systems. Much of the work focuses on the life long health effects of endocrine disruption experienced during prenatal and early post-natal development. Chemicals of particular interest include plastics, pesticides and air pollutants associated with unconventional oil and gas production.
This call was hosted by the CHE-Alaska Partnership. It lasted for 1 hour and was recorded for the CHE call archive.