American University Beirut (AUB) Lebanon and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) awarded $2.8 million from U.S. NCI to study toxin exposure and hea

May 21, 2008 -  Led by Professors Thomas Eissenberg at VCU and Alan Shihadeh at AUB, the team will conduct a multi-disciplinary study which combines clinical research methods, state-of-the-art technology developed at AUB, analytical chemistry, and cellular biology to examine the effects of smoking water pipe tobacco on the heart, lungs and cell biology in individual users by measuring their toxin exposure as well as the toxin content of water pipe tobacco smoke. The team will also study group water pipe tobacco smoking in cafés - examining the effects of sharing a water pipe on levels of toxin exposure and content. Finally, the team will compare toxin exposure and effects between water pipe tobacco smoking and cigarette smoking. (Team has been awarded a $2.8 million research grant, ArabianBuisness.com, 5/21/2008) For related news briefs: May 9, 2008.