Olden will be given an overview of the operations of WSU's Environmental and Health Sciences Center (EHS) in Molecular and Cellular Toxicology with Human Applications, located in the Michigan Center for High Technology, 2727 Second Ave. in Detroit.

Wayne State's EHS, federally funded through the NIEHS, is an interdisciplinary entity involving faculty from 20 departments throughout the university, as well as colleagues from the University of Michigan and Henry Ford Health System. EHS focuses on the exposure of the urban population to environmental contaminants and the impact of such exposures on disease development and progression.

A particular purpose of Olden's visit is to learn about the center's outreach activities, which focus on K-12 education and provide teachers and students throughout metro Detroit with information on chemicals in the environment, the effects of those chemicals and methods for detection and prevention. The outreach program also involves meeting with community members and leaders to discuss issues of concern.

Olden, a cell biologist and biochemist who has made several key contributions to cell and cancer biology, was named the third director of NIEHS in 1991.Media interested in arranging an interview with him can contact the WSU Media Relations office at (313) 577-2150.