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The Seminars in Epidemiology organized by the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at the McGill School of Population and Global Health is a self-approved Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the maintenance of certification program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Physicians requiring accreditation, please complete the and send to admincoord.eboh [at] mcgill.ca

Christine Barul, PhD

Researcher in Epidemiology |
Inserm | UMR_S 1085 Irset | Université de Rennes

WHEN: Monday, September 30, 2024, from 4 to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Hybrid| 2001 McGill College, Rm 1140 |
NOTE: Christine Barul will be presenting in-person

Abstract

Occupational epidemiology faces major challenges and must adapt to the rapidly changing context of the workplace. The introduction of new substances into the workplace, structural changes in the work orgasization and the lack of data for assessing the health effects of agents to which millions of workers are exposed to are all factors that justify taking account of the occupation as a major health determinant.

There is a real need to improve the understanding of the impact of occupational exposure on health events, particularly cancer, one of the leading causes of death worldwide. To date, the identification of carcinogenic agents has been based almost exclusively on investigations of their isolated effect. However, some occupations, such as painters and firefighters, are recognised as carcinogens for humans. This urges the need to consider the emerging occupational exposome concept, i.e. the complexity of the work environment in terms of occupational exposures that may affect an individual's health throughout life.

The occupational exposome is defined through several components that include organisational exposures, such as night work, and chemical exposures (carcinogens, endocrine disruptors). The aim of my research programme is to assess the occupational exposome of workers and to examine its role in cancer-related health events (incidence, mortality, cancer progression, return to work after cancer). This research programme is structured around several research projects, based on data collected in France, the French West Indies and in Canada.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, attendees will:

• Understand the concept of the occupational exposome;
• Understand the importance of identifying the occupational exposome of workers and its role in the development of cancer through an example of study conducted in the French West Indies;
• Discuss the current challenges in taking into account this emerging concept in epidemiological studies.

Speaker Bio

Christine Barul is a young researcher in occupational epidemiology at the Research Institute for Environmental and Occupational Health (Irset, University of Rennes). She is an expert on the role of occupational exposures in cancer risk and is a member of several national and international experts committees in this field. Since the end of 2022, she is developping an innovative research program in the French West Indies, that aims to identify the occupational exposome of workers and its role in cancer-related health events. The excellence of her work and the setting up of this innovative research programme in France have been rewarded with the prestigious ‘Young French Talent’ prize awarded by the L'Oréal Foundation in association with UNESCO and the french ‘Académie des Sciences’ . Christine earned her Ph.D. in epidemiology at Paris-Saclay University in France, after completing her Master in epidemiology at University of Bordeaux, and her undergraduate studies health sciences at the Université des Antilles. Further to that, she is also a role model, a member of the UNESCO Action Group for Women in Science, and is heavily involved in a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging young women to pursue careers in science.