title: The Role of the Epigenome in Translating Neighborhood Disadvantage Into Health Disparities.
abstract: The possible causal role of the environment in health disparities is not well understood, even though it has been a national priority for many years. Progress to investigate the relationship between genetics, environmental exposures, and health outcomes has been hampered by the lack of analytical tools to quantify the combined or cumulative effect of multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors on gene expression. The studies cited here provide a strong rationale for using epigenomic analysis to assess cumulative risk from multiple environmental exposures over the life course. The environment-specific "imprints" on the genome, coupled with transcriptomics and metabolomics, can be used to advance our understanding of the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and health disparities.
authors.affiliation: Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W., Mail Code: 8601P, Washington, DC, 20460, USA, Olden.Kenneth@epa.gov1.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Olden
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Olden
authors.forename: Yu-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D019175:DNA Methylation; D004782:Environmental Health; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012111:Residence Characteristics