Contact Dermatitis 2004 – Blending Science with Best Practice

Conference Description

This will be the fourth meeting of the Experimental Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ECDRG), but the first primarily hosted by Federal agencies [the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)]. Organizers include the Experimental Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ECDRG), the American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS), and the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Allergic and Irritant Dermatitis Team.

The inaugural meeting of the ECDRG (1999 in Cincinnati) was hosted by industry (the Procter & Gamble Company). Subsequent meetings took place in Dallas (2001) and in Cleveland (2002) and both were hosted by academia (The University of Texas Southwestern and Case Western Reserve) and held in conjunction with the American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS). The fourth meeting will now be hosted at a government facility (NIH/NIAMS) and organized by NIOSH, the NORA AID team, the ECDRG, and the ACDS. The goal of this meeting is to continue the activities of a research group which was established in 1997 in North America that meets every 24 months to discuss the basic and applied science of contact dermatitis. Scientific exchange is fostered among scientists from academia, government, and industry working in the field of contact dermatitis. Active participation at the meeting leads to a greater appreciation of each group’s needs which, in turn, leads to more focused and relevant research in the field. The meeting format is modeled on the European Research Group on Experimental Contact Dermatitis which has been meeting with great success since 1980. The meeting will be held on the NIH campus (Lister Hill Auditorium) and at the Hyatt Bethesda hotel for 3 days beginning Thursday, October 28, 2004 and ending Saturday, October 30, 2004, and consists of an opening lecture by an invited speaker followed by 15 minute oral presentations. The participants, expected to number approximately 100, include a diverse group of scientists who share a common interest in experimental contact dermatitis, including research scientists (academia, government, industry), toxicologists, dermatologists, regulators, and occupational health scientists. Typically these groups hold their separate meetings leading to the fact that, currently, scientific exchange between these groups in the United States has been poor. The focus will be on encouraging scientific discussion and exchange of ideas among the diverse groups of participants.