SECTION 2
OPENING REMARKS AND PRESENTATIONS
Dr. Robert Amler, ATSDR's Chief Medical Officer, opened the meeting by welcoming panelists and observers and describing how the hair analysis panel discussions would help support the agency's public health mission. Dr. Allan Susten and Dr. Deanna Harkins, technical coordinators of the panel, reviewed the scientific issues related to hair analysis and the impetus for convening the hair analysis panel. They briefly described how hair analysis fits into the agency's public health assessment process, the goals and objectives of the panel discussions, and how the agency plans to use the scientific information obtained from panelists and observers.
To help ground subsequent discussions, panelist Dr. Robert Baratz provided an overview on the anatomy and physiology of hair. ATSDR's and Dr. Baratz's presentations are summarized below.