Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What will be the function of the Community Outreach and Translation Core (COTC)?
Q. What are the two Collaborative Projects and what are their goals?
Q. What areas of expertise are included within the Research Centers?
Q. How will the Collaborative Research Scope of this program be decided?

Q. What will be the function of the Community Outreach and Translation Core (COTC)?

The Community Outreach and Translation Core (COTC) will develop and implement strategies to translate the scientific findings of the Research Centers into information for the public and policy makers and to determine the effectiveness of the communication strategies. Activities may include developing educational materials for both children and adults; conducting public awareness forums, workshops, and meetings with stakeholders; or developing and evaluating novel approaches to disseminate research findings to interested parties. The COTC may also explore areas of concerns or interest to the community.

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Q. What are the two Collaborative Projects and what are their goals?

The first Collaborative Project is entitled “Environmental Effects on the Molecular Architecture and Function of the Mammary Gland across the Lifespan.” The purpose of this project is to conduct collaborative experiments using relevant animal and cell culture models of mammary gland development over the lifespan, integrating endpoints such as gene expression, proteomics, and metabonomics in order to understand the effects of selected chemicals or other environmental exposures on mammary gland pathology. The second of the Collaborative Projects is entitled “Environmental and Genetic Determinants of Puberty.” This will be a collaborative multi-site epidemiologic study of young girls experiencing physiologic changes of thelarche and sexual maturation and the exposures that can impact on their future risk of breast cancer, using standardized methodologies to collect data on markers of breast development and other physiologic changes of sexual maturation, assessment of environmental stressors of importance to future breast cancer risk, including lifestyle behaviors, nutrition and dietary supplements, anthropometry, chemical and physical exposures at home, and school, and social factors.

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Q. What areas of expertise are included within the Research Centers?

Collectively, the key areas of expertise needed to successfully conduct this program in a collaborative manner include in vitro and in vivo mammary gland biology models, toxicology, pathology, genomics, proteomics, metabonomics, bioinformatics, and epidemiology exposure assessment as well as biostatistical and clinical expertise. All areas of expertise or the capabilities to direct and perform all areas need not be resident at a single institution. Centers may form collaborations or consortia for the purposes of obtaining needed expertise and capacity.

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Q. How will the Collaborative Research Scope of this program be decided?

The final Collaborative Research Scope will be agreed upon by consensus by the Breast Biology and Epidemiology Subcommittees of the Steering Committee. Decisions will be made by the Steering Committee and the Program Director with regard to which Centers will take responsibility for specific scientific areas during the early planning meetings. These decisions will be based on expertise and capacity to do the needed work as defined by the Breast Biology and Epidemiology Subcommittees.

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