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Principal Investigator: Dr. Yrjö Gröhn
Contact Information: E-mail: ytg1@cornell.edu - Phone: 607-253-4136
Sponsor: USDA - North Carolina State University (Subcontract Agreement)
Grant Number: 2005-35212-15287
Title: Food Safety Research and Response Network: Risk Based Verification Sampling of Listeria monocytogenes
Annual Direct Cost: $32,400
Project Period: 08/01/05-12/14/05
(Described by NCSU) Historically, food safety research has been undertaken in Food Science departments, with specific discipline-driven projects and a largely post-harvest focus. Due to the recent emergence of pathogens that originate during food production (e.g., enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Campylobacter spp., among others), research focus has expanded to include both pre- and post-harvest food safety considerations. Although epidemiologists have long recognized the "trinity" of factors (i.e., (i) the pathogen; (ii) the host; and (iii) the environment) that influence the occurrence of food-related illness they have just begun to work effectively with microbiologists, ecologists, and geneticists to characterize the ecology of pathogens on the farm. Despite these efforts, food safety research remains a largely uncoordinated effort conducted by individual investigators. To maximize the potential to effectively address pre-harvest food-safety issues a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional team of investigators has been assembled to cooperatively conduct food-safety research targeted to address complex issues that are beyond the scope of an individual investigator or laboratory.
Dr. Gröhn will be responsible for leading the Epidemiology Core (EPIC) in support of the Food Safety Research and Response Network (FSRRN). The EPIC will provide epidemiologic expertise that will support the overall FSRRN initiative. Collectively, the EPIC will assist with: 1) designing FSRRN studies; 2) data management; 3) data analysis: 4) epidemiologic modeling; 5) risk analysis; and 6) information delivery. The EPIC will also serve as a warehouse of information and resources to assist other food-safety investigators in the consortium and help ensure the quality and applicability of food-safety related research.
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