Under the leadership of Dr. John McLachlan, Weatherhead Distinguished Professor at Tulane University and an internationally recognized environmental scientist and administrator, the CBR has earned a reputation for its scientific research into the environmental problems of Louisiana. In extending its spheres of influence to include the national and global problems of the environment, the CBR offers a unique focus that reflects a community-based perspective in conjunction with scientific rigor. Through its web-based information programs, the CBR makes complex issues understandable and provides a forum for scientific discourse. Internet-based educational programs and outreach initiatives strengthen science education on campus and in the local community. Integrating diverse disciplines, the CBR has developed a holistic research program on disease prevention in humans and ecosystems, focusing on the processes of environmental signaling of natural and synthetic hormones and contaminants that mimic those substances.
Special attention is given to health issues affecting women and children.
The CBR integrates faculty and students from Tulane's Schools of Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Medicine and Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Xavier's Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Pharmacy in innovative ways to optimize interdisciplinary teaching, learning and research. The CBR has co-evolved its programs on Environmental Signaling and Aquatic Ecosystem Research to create effective connections.