The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) will hold its 54th State-of-the-Art Conference (SOTAC), October 25-28, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Md. The theme of SOTAC 2002 is "Recent Advances in Occupational Medicine," and session topics will reflect state-of-the-art research and information on the diagnostic and therapeutic tools used in the practice of occupational and environmental medicine. The conference is expected to draw occupational and environmental physicians and other allied health professionals from across the United States and many foreign countries.

Cutting-edge sessions will focus on Biomarkers as Indicators of Disease Risk: Aflatoxin as a Model; Lead Toxicity; Technique for the Mini-Incision THR; MRI Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease; Radiologic Aspects of Screening for Lung Cancer; Screening Strategies for Colorectal Cancer/Neoplasia; New Insights Into Cardiac Risk Assessment; and Infectious Diseases of the 21st Century.

Conference highlights will include the annual Gehrmann Lecture on Friday morning, and a one-day joint session on Saturday with Medichem, an international scientific association for occupational and environmental health in the production and use of chemicals.

This year's Gehrmann lecturer will be Alfred Sommer, MD, Dean and Professor of Epidemiology and International Health at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, who will discuss "Epidemiology, the Environment, and Postgenomic Health." In his presentation, Dr. Sommer will describe the importance of environmental-genetic interaction in determining health outcomes; discuss the application of epidemiologic investigations to determine and quantify environmental impact; and discuss the limitations and misuses of epidemiologic insights by scientific journals, investigators, and the media.

ACOEM is an international medical society of more than 6,000 occupational and environmental health professionals. Founded in 1916, ACOEM provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments. The College is headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill. Click here to see the SOTAC program.