The relationship between genetic predisposition to disease and environmental effects will be examined during a daylong symposium at UC Davis Monday, Oct. 21. "Genetics, Disease and the Environment" features speakers from across the country who will talk about topics such as genetic susceptibility to environmentally induced cancers, Parkinson's disease, drug response, and ethical genetics issues. While exposure to environmental and dietary chemicals long has been recognized as responsible for many human health problems, more recent studies show that genetic differences can play a pivotal role in determining a person's sensitivity and degree of response. "Understanding the importance of these genetic differences and identification of the specific genes involved in these adverse responses are key elements in our ability to predict" someone's sensitivity to specific chemicals or susceptibility to disease, says Fumio Matsumura, director of the UC Davis Center for Environmental Health Sciences. The symposium will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center. It is sponsored by the UC Davis environmental health sciences center, the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences and the UC Davis Office of Research.