Research | Research center Network

ECERI associated Research center network

The European Cancer and Environment Research Institute (ECERI) is a scientific organization federating  internationally-recognized research laboratories or centers which have decided to devote part or totality of their research activities to studying environment as a cause of cancer and/or of other suspected environment-related diseases; who have agreed to share their expertise and skills with other research teams in the framework of ECERI multicentric collaborations. ECERI research members are carefully selected by peers for their competence and scientific quality so the ECERI research center network is associated with high scientific value.

ECERI presently comprises the following scientists and research centers who have decided to join their effort in ECERI to make progress in basic environmental research and medicine.

Belgium

  • Pr Vincent Castronovo : Department of Biology, Metastasis Research Laboratory, University of Liège

The Metastasis Research Laboratory (MRL) was founded in 1992 by Professor Vincent Castronovo. Its main aim is the study of the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor growth and metastasis. The laboratory is linked to the Medicine Faculty of the University of Liege. It is active in the field of cancer biology within GIGA-cancer. MRL is composed by about twenty people including an academic and three permanent scientists.  The main research topics are : the involvement of SIBLINGs (small integrin-binding ligand, N-linked glycoprotein) in cancer biology - read more, the description of the role plays by HDACs (histone deacetylase) in angiogenesis, DNA repair and telomere maintenance, the detection of tumour specific biomarkers in the frame of a therapeutic targeting, the involvement of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in pancreatic tumor growth.

  • Pr Marcel Roberfroid, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Catholic University of Leuven,

France

  • Pr Dominique Belpomme : Paris Descartes University, Association for Research and Treatment against Cancer (ARTAC), Paris
  • Pr Patrick Fenichel (CHU et INSERM), Mediterranean Center for Molecular Medicine (C3M), Nice

Pr Patrick FENICHEL is Head of the Department of Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine at the University Hospital (CHU) of Nice, France. He is in charge of the team 5 (Environment Reproduction and Hormone Dependent Cancer) of INSERM U895 unit, Research Institute C3M (Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire).

  • Dr Annie Sasco : Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention, Inserm and University of Bordeaux

Annie Sasco is a specialist in Epidemiology for cancer prevention with an international approach.

Italy

  • Pr Paolo Crosignani : Environmental Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Unit, National Cancer Institute, Milano

This research unit is dedicated to Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology. Its main resarch areas are  links between cancer and environment, cancer and occupation, and modeling of environmental exposures.

  • Pr Pierpaolo Mastroiacovo : Alessandra Lisi International Centre on Birth Defects and Prematurity, Roma (ICBDSR)

Pr Pierpaolo Mastroiacovo, Chairman of the Pediatrics Department at the Catholic University of Rome. At present he is Director of the Alessandra Lisi International Centre on Birth Defects and Prematurity and Director of the Centre of the ICBDSR. His main research field is the epidemiology of birth defects, and his current main interest is to promote preconception health in Italy.

  • Pr Lucia Migliore : Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pisa

Area of Interest: study of genetic and environmental factors involved in the onset of complex neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Amiotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), according to the following research lines: Neurotoxins that may play a role in neurodegenerative disorders: attention is paid to some neurotoxic metals able to induce oxidative damage; identification of “a battery of assays” for the detection of oxidative damage at peripheral level in subjects at risk to develop AD, or with pre-pathogenic conditions (i.e. Mild Cognitive Impairment, down syndrome, young mothers of DS children); studies aimed to primary prevention in subjects with pre-pathogenic conditions of neurodegenerative diseases; studies on susceptibility genes (i.e. folate gene polymorphisms), reduction of toxicity of conjugated nanoparticles for drug delivery.

Spain

  • Pr Salvadora Delgado and Dr Manuel Almarcha : Gastrointestinal Surgery Service, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and AT Consultants

The research group is composed of two subgroups that perform complementary research activities. The Gastrointestinal Surgery Service of Hospital Clinic of Barcelona performs development and application of innovative low invasive surgical techniques in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, morbid obesity. The Mass Spectrometry Laboratory of IDEA-CSIC performs development and validation of new techniques for the analysis of organic micro-pollutants in environmental samples as well as in microbiota and human tissues.

Sweden

  • Dr Maria Albin : Metalund, Lund University , Centre for Medicine and Technology for Working Life and Society

The focus of Metalund's research programme deals with factors in the workplace and outdoor environment that have substantial impact on diseases and disorders of major concern for public health. Examples of these exposures are air pollution (including nanoparticles), physical workload, noise, psychological stress, heavy metals and persistent toxic substances. Knowledge of the connections between environmental factors and health should also be included early in development and design processes of new technologies, production systems and products for a healthy sustainable development. Metalund provides the necessary interdisciplinary integration, thus strengthening the prerequisites for innovative research, proactivity and prevention. Metalund consists of research groups from the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (Faculty of Medicine) and the Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology (Faculty of Engineering, LTH) at Lund University. The groups integrate their research on stress, musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes, renal disease, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer and reproduction.

  • Pr Olle Johansson : Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute

The group investigates health effects of modern, man-made electromagnetic fields as well as the functional impairment electro-hypersensitivity. It introduced the clinical term "screen dermatitis" to explain the cutaneous damages that developed in the late 1970's when office workers, first mostly women, began to be placed in front of computer monitors. It called for action along lines of occupational medicine, biophysics and biochemistry, as well as neuroscience and experimental dermatology. The working hypothesis early became that persons with the impairment electro-hypersensitivity react in a cell-correct way to electromagnetic radiation, maybe in concert with chemical emissions such as plastic components, flame retardants, etc., in a highly specific way and with a completely correct avoidance reaction -- just as you would do if you had been exposed to e.g. sun rays, X-rays, radioactivity or chemical odours. Nowadays, electro-hypersensitivity (EHS) is in Sweden an officially fully recognized functional impairment (not a disease). The team has, in addition, worked in great depth in areas such as skin diseases, cancer, child delivery, female urine incontinence, oral mucosa diseases, brain and spinal cord morphology, synaptology and chemical transmission, peripheral nervous system-related issues, cardiac function, skeletal muscle function and disease, and connective tissue ripening phenomena.

  • Pr Lennart Hardell : Department of Oncology, Orebro Medical Center

Dr Lennart Hardell is professor in oncology and cancer epidemiology at the UniversityHospital in Orebro, Sweden. Most of his research has been on risk factors for cancer such as exposure to pesticides and persistent organic pollutants. Examples of such agents are herbicides, dioxins, PCBs and brominated flame-retardants. During recent years he and his co-workers have studied use of cellular and cordless telephones and the risk for brain tumours. He works also as a consultant at the Department of Oncology at the hospital.

Switzerland

  • Pr Isabelle Mansuy : Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich

Isabelle Mansuy's laboratory is specialized in the field of molecular cognition and neuroepigenetics. Her research examines the epigenetic basis of complex brain functions and focuses in particular, on cognitive functions and behavior in mammals. Her work revealed the existence of molecular suppressors of learning and memory in the adult mouse brain, and identified the Ser/Thr protein phosphatases calcineurin and PP1 as such suppressors. They demonstrated those suppressors importance in cognitive defects associated with aging, Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration; and revealed their role in chromatin remodeling in the adult brain, and in the epigenetic control of memory formation and synaptic plasticity. Her research also examines the mechanisms underlying the influence of detrimental environmental factors on behavior across generations. This work recently demonstrated that early stress in mice induces depression and impulsivity, and impairs social skills and cognitive functions, and that these behavioral symptoms are transmitted across several generations. It showed that epigenetic mechanisms involving DNA methylation are associated with the inheritance of the behavioral defects. This research is pluridisciplinary and combines genetically and environmentally modified animal models, epigenetic methods, molecular, behavioral, electrophysiological, proteomic and imaging techniques.

  • Dr Margret Schlumpf : GreenTox/University of Zürich

The Group for Reproductive, Endocrine and Environmental Toxicology, GREEN Tox conducts research on: (1) long-term toxicity of environmental chemicals (cosmetics, flame retardants) and mixtures of chemicals, with focus on endocrine effects, the developing organism and reproduction, (2) monitoring studies of human exposure to environmental chemicals, (3) development of refined test methods for endocrine activity and developmental toxicity.

United Kingdom

  • Dr Lora Fleming, Dr Nick Osborne : European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter

The European Centre for Environment and Human Health (www.ecehh.org) is based at the University of Exeter in Truro, Cornwall, UK.  The European Centre’s mission is “To explore the interconnections between the Environment and Human Health using an innovative cross-cutting interdisciplinary approach”. The environment, our impact upon it, and in turn its influence upon us, are all closely intertwined; it is these relationships that are at the heart of the Centre’s research and other activities. Evidence demonstrates that time spent in outdoor natural environment can improve health and wellbeing, yet our relationship with this natural resource is far from straight forward. The environment is under increasing pressure from human activities. This in turn leads to environmental degradation, pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change, all of which threaten our health and wellbeing. Social inequalities further amplify these threats for some. Our researchers focus on these complex interconnections, and provide evidence upon which to base policy development.

International collaborations :

United States

  • Boston University School of Public Health (United States) : Pr Richard Clapp,
  • Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston (United States) : Pr. Ana M. Soto, Pr Carlos Sonnenschein,

      Being part of the ECERI Research Network

      If you want your laboratory or research center to be part of the ECERI Network, please fill in and send us the following questionnaire at this address : sg.eceri@gmail.com