PMC:7194141 / 35566-37008 JSONTXT

{"target":"http://pubannotation.org/docs/sourcedb/PMC/sourceid/7194141","sourcedb":"PMC","sourceid":"7194141","source_url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/7194141","text":"Some additional general considerations of study design, chemical properties of exposures (half-life), sample types available in study populations, timing of sample collection, variability in exposure levels across individuals, and the complexity of multiple exposures were mentioned in the panel discussion. There was a lengthy dialogue about whether an agnostic approach vs. hypothesis-driven approach was more useful for beginning to explore the impact of different environmental exposures on health outcomes in Africa. Some panelists and the audience felt that targeted hypothesis-directed research would be most effective. This would require further exploration of what might be feasible within existing H3Africa studies. Others felt that an exploratory hypothesis-free approach would be more useful, given that little is known about the range and diversity of exposures present in many African populations. Dr. Nicol advocated for a cross-H3Africa Consortium study of biomarkers of exposure by exploring the possibility of using existing archived specimens to generate an initial broad assessment of relevant exposures using key biomarkers. This might further inform research priorities and assist in developing hypotheses. One challenge with this approach is the selection of biomarkers and the accuracy they would offer as proxies for specific exposures, especially given that the protocols for sample collection varied across studies.","tracks":[]}