The Institute of Experimental Medicine is the key institution for biomedical research in cell biology and pathology, neuroscience, molecular epidemiology and teratology in the Czech Republic. The research of the Department of Genetic Ecotoxicology (DGE) is concerned on studying genetic damage caused by genotoxic and carcinogenic compounds using in vitro systems as well as in the human population. DGE was responsible for the scientific management of the "Teplice Program" (1991-1999), the international programme analyzing the impact of high pollution on the health of population in Northern Bohemia in collaboration with various laboratories in EU and USA. Now the research continues in the Programme "Air Pollution and Health Protection" (2003-2005), which consists of several projects studying the effect of air pollution on the health of population in Prague and Northern Bohemia. IEM has high quality analytical facilities for biomarker analysis and exposure assessment, and these methods are currently being employed to evaluate human susceptibility and biologically effective doses of external exposures in epidemiological studies and to analyse impacts of environmental factors and life-style on reproductive outcomes.

Radim J. Sram, M.D., D.Sc. – From 1991 the Head of the Department of Genetic Ecotoxicology, a joint venture of the Regional Institute of Hygiene of Central Bohemia and the Institute of Experimental Medicine AS CR. He has worked in the field of genetic toxicology and molecular epidemiology for over 30 years. Studying genotoxicity on mammalian models as well as on human populations, he developed the network of genotoxic laboratories in the Czech Hygienic Service studying the impact of occupational exposure to mutagens and carcinogens . In 1990, he established the Teplice Programme (The impact of environmental pollution on the health of human population) an international programme collaborating with US EPA and various laboratories in the EU. The Teplice Programme became the unique programme (probably in all Europe) analyzing the effect of high pollution using various biomarkers of exposure and effects. He has over 200 publications and has been involved in 6 research programmes funded by the EU (AIRNET, AULIS, CHILDRENGENONETWORK, EXPAH, EXPOLIS, and PINCHE) and has been a member of the editorial board of international journals: Environmental Health Perspectives; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Jan Topinka, Ph.D., Senior Scientist of the Department of Genetic Ecotoxicology at the Institute of Experimental Medicine AS CR. His key research interest is related to the effect of air pollution exposure on biomarkers of genetic damage and on human health, with authorship of about 50 scientific publications in peer reviewed journals. He has a long lasting experience in the research field on measurements of the effects of ambient air pollutants (organic compounds bound on the particles, fibrous dusts). He has extensive experience in participation in multi-centre and multi-disciplinary studies (EU funded projects: AULIS, FIBRETOX).

IEM will contribute to WP 1.3 (Exposure-health effect), WP 2.1 (Environmental monitoring) and WP 2.2 (Biomonitoring).