Exposure data quality in environmental epidemiology: 2,4-D as a case study

Judy LaKind, LaKind Associates, LLC, Cian O’Mahony, Crème Global & Carol Burns, Burns Consulting

In general, evaluations of epidemiology studies focus on the consistency of positive (or negative) associations with a specific outcome (i.e. 2,4-D and non-Hodgkin lymphoma). Checklists and meta-analyses are common tools to aid interpretation of a collection of studies. Assessing the quality and transparency of the underlying data and harmonizing the exposure and outcome measurements contribute to weight of evidence interpretation of epidemiology data.Judy S. LaKind, Ph.D. is President of LaKind Associates, LLC, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is a health and environmental scientist with expertise in exposure science, assessment of human health risks, biomonitoring, scientific and technical analysis for regulatory support, and state-of-the-science reviews. Dr. LaKind is also the President of the International Society of Exposure Science.