Grace LeMasters, Ph.D.
___________
Professor of Epidemiology and
Environmental Health
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
"I am humbled by receiving such a distinguished research grant from the Lymphoma Foundation of America. On behalf of my research team, I thank you sincerely. To be selected by your organization is indeed a great honor.
"For more than three decades, I have conducted epidemiological research studies on environmental and occupational exposures and outcomes associated with cancer, cytogentic effects, and reproductive health. I began research in this field in the late 1970's, and was influenced by the death of my grandfather in a coal mine explosion in West Virginia.
"My work has focused on occupational exposures to adults as well as environmental exposure of children, examining the effects of such agents as solvents, fuels, man-made fibers, diesel exhaust and other potential carcinogens. Recently my research team conducted a three year intensive meta-analysis examining cancers in firefighters from 32 studies published from nine countries. That research demonstrated that firefighters are at significantly increased risk for non-hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, prostate and testicular cancers.
"These findings suggest that the protective equipment firefighters have used in the past did not do a good job in protecting them against the cancer-causing agents encountered on the job. My hope is that new and better protective equipment will be developed and work practices changed resulting in improving the health of these first responders."
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