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July 14, 2023 (Issue 234) |
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SRP Video Now on YouTube
SRP is excited to release our new overview video that highlights the program’s mandates, current research, and impacts while featuring interviews with program staff, community partners, government end-users, and trainees. This video is a great way to familiarize the public about the SRP, onboard new trainees, reach out to potential collaborators, or educate other stakeholders. A huge thank you to the individuals who helped behind the scenes, including our video producer David Iversen (NIEHS). We hope you enjoy the video and help us spread the word about SRP’s process of finding real and practical solutions to hazardous substances.
Wetterhahn Memorial Award Applications Due August 7
SRP is currently accepting applications for the annual Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award. The award was established to recognize an outstanding graduate student or postdoctoral trainee that best demonstrates the qualities of scientific excellence exhibited by Karen Wetterhahn, who died in 1997. The award is open to all SRP trainees who are funded directly by an SRP grant (P42 or R01) or who are conducting research or activities funded by an SRP grant. The winner will be announced and will present their work at the SRP annual meeting in December.
Request for Information: NIH Challenges and Opportunities
The NIH Common Fund is requesting ideas of NIH-wide challenges and opportunities in biomedical and behavioral research. These ideas may inform future NIH activities, including scientific workshops, pilot initiatives, and Common Fund programs. Submit your responses by August 11.
2023 K.C. Donnelly Externship Awards
Congratulations to seven exceptional SRP trainees who received a 2023 K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplement! This year’s awardees are Eric Brown, Asta Habtemichael, Nobel Hernandez-Ortero, Victoria Klaus, Will Lieberman-Cribbin, Irene Martinez-Morata, and Sara Thomas. Learn more about the trainees and their research projects on the 2023 Winners webpage.
Save the Date! 2024 PEPH Meeting
The Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) 2024 meeting will be held the week of February 19, 2024. This will be a 3-day meeting held on the NIEHS campus in Durham, North Carolina. Exact dates, agenda, and other information coming soon.
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NIEHS SRP News Stories
Take a moment to read about some of our colleagues' latest activities in this month's Environmental Factor, the NIEHS newsletter:
Visit the SRP page for more stories about the program:
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Exposure to NDMA Causes Tell-Tale Mutational Pattern: Researchers with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology SRP Center have found distinctive genetic patterns signifying damage from the toxic chemical N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) that could potentially be used to monitor cancer development and inform therapeutic interventions.
Cadmium and Respiratory Health
A University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) SRP Center study, about the mechanisms by which cadmium can harm lung health, was featured in UAB News. Project leader Brent Carter was quoted in the story, saying that some of these mechanisms can be potential targets to protect against the severity of cadmium-induced respiratory infections.
NCSU Researchers Talk PFAS
North Carolina State University (NCSU) SRP Center researcher Scott Belcher was interviewed by Time magazine about PFAS contamination in household items. Belcher was also interviewed by The Guardian about PFAS contamination in soft contact lenses.
Project leader Jane Hoppin talked to a television station in Wilmington, North Carolina, about the center’s research to uncover the extent of PFAS exposure among Wilmington residents, as well as upcoming plans to collect new samples and share results. NCSU SRP Center Deputy Director Detlef Knappe, who was one of the first to publish about the Wilmington PFAS problem, was interviewed by New York Times about the efficiency of different water filters at removing PFAS.
UC Berkeley Discusses Rising Seas and Toxic Exposures
Rachel Morello-Frosch and Laura Crushing, researchers at the University of California (UC), Berkeley SRP Center, were interviewed about the threat of rising seas among coastal California communities disproportionately exposed to toxic sites. Morello-Frosch and Crushing described a study that modeled sea level rise by the end of the century and revealed that low-income communities and communities of color are at highest risk of flood-related contamination.
James Interviewed by NPR
Kathy James, who co-leads the Community Engagement Core at the Harvard University SRP Center, was interviewed by NPR about her work to study arsenic contamination in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. James and team are testing private wells in the valley to reveal the connection between droughts, contamination, and health. They also offer free water testing for residents and consultation on their results.
URI PFAS Research in the Spotlight
A University of Rhode Island (URI) SRP Center study, led by trainee Jahred Liddie, was discussed on ABC News. The study revealed that Black and Hispanic communities in the U.S. are more likely to have harmful PFAS levels in their drinking water. Liddie was also interviewed by U.S. News and Grist about this research.
Liddie’s mentor, URI project leader Elsie Sunderland, was interviewed by Business Insider about tactics to reduce PFAS exposure at home and new PFAS regulations.
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Monitoring PFAS Over Time
This month we heard from Matt Dunn, a trainee at the URI SRP Center, who is mentored by Center Director Rainer Lohmann.
What is the focus of your research at the URI SRP Center?
My research focuses on developing passive samplers, which are affordable and reliable tools used for measuring PFAS in the environment. I use modeling to better understand how the samplers take up PFAS across time and environmental conditions like flow, salinity, or temperature.
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How did you become interested in this work?
I knew I wanted to focus on environmental chemistry and oceanography, and this was a great opportunity to enter a new field of study compared to my undergraduate degree. From there, I was able to apply these samplers to answer coastal chemistry questions, such as researching the sources that influence PFAS flow from rivers to oceans.
Tell us about a recent publication and why it is important to your field.
My colleagues and I recently published a paper describing a new tube design for PFAS sampling. While the paper covers a technical subject, it’s a simple approach to answer an important question: how do we measure PFAS in water over time? To me, the importance of this publication is that it looks at the past decades of passive sampler research and points out what we got right and what we still need to work on while displaying that this new tube design can be helpful to our PFAS monitoring goals.
What is one piece of advice that you have for other SRP trainees?
Graduate school and research are draining. Take a break, find a hobby, and focus on developing friendships, not just academic collaborations, with your co-workers or classmates. You will be a much more successful scientist if you’re having fun.
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EPA Soil Contamination Webinars
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting two upcoming webinars related to the uptake of chemical contaminants in crops and soil-to-groundwater contamination:
2022 Superfund Accomplishments Report
Throughout fiscal year 2022, the Superfund program protected human health and the environment nationwide by accelerating cleanups, developing innovative remedies, responding rapidly to emergencies, advancing environmental justice, and supporting sites' return to beneficial use. To read more, see EPA’s Superfund Accomplishments Report.
Pump & Treat Optimization Guidance
Groundwater extraction and treatment (also called Pump & Treat) is not a new remediation technology, and it is still used for the cleanup of contaminated sites. The Interstate Technology Regulatory Council released a guidance document intended for regulators, stakeholders, consultants, operators, responsible parties, and owners of contaminated sites where a Pump & Treat remedy has been implemented or is planned. The document presents an overview of the Pump & Treat optimization process and the tools and resources available to help users achieve these goals.
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Researchers Improve Environmental Monitoring Applications
Researchers at the Wayne State University SRP Center developed a new technique that couples the Internet of Things sensor network with Edge Computing (IoTEC) to improve environmental monitoring.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology that allows researchers to monitor environmental parameters onsite, gathering and transmitting data over the internet so it can be analyzed remotely. While this technology has improved onsite monitoring and data processing, it is limited by its high energy usage, internet bandwidth, and data storage requirements. To address this challenge, the research team incorporated edge computing — a hybrid data model that uses edge servers and cloud computing to keep data analysis close to the source while still allowing data processing on the cloud when needed.
The researchers tested their sensor packages in two pilot applications to monitor:
(1) Vapor intrusion — when pollution moves from air spaces in soil to indoor air.
(2) Algae cultivation in wastewater.
In the first pilot study, researchers found that, compared to conventional IoT-based monitoring, IoTEC reduced unnecessary data transmission and data latency, or how long it takes for data to be stored or retrieved. Additionally, the authors estimated that IoTEC resulted in a cost reduction of 55-82% for vapor intrusion monitoring that covered five houses.
In the second pilot study, the team coupled machine learning tools with IoTEC to monitor and predict system performance of wastewater-based algae cultivation. As a result of implementing different machine learning algorithms at edge servers, data processing and analysis improved.
According to the authors, IoTEC, compared to more conventional sensor monitoring methods, can lower the energy and bandwidth needs for data transmission, shorten response times, and reduce costs, overall alleviating current challenges to real-time environmental monitoring.
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SRP Trainees Recognized
Jamie Liebold, an undergraduate trainee at the Michigan State University SRP Center, received first place in a poster presentation at the 2023 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum for her research on PFAS toxicology.
Zhen Wang, a Duke University SRP trainee, was awarded the Excellence in Review Award from the International Association of Geochemistry for his efforts as a reviewer for the Applied Geochemistry journal.
Christian White, a UC Berkeley SRP trainee, received a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding scholarship and efforts to increase diversity in environmental engineering.
Mona Dai, SRP trainee at Harvard University, received the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Howard Garrison Public Affairs Fellowship and attended FASEB’s Capitol Hill Day to meet with U.S. House and Senate offices.
Knappe Awarded at Borchardt Conference
Detlef Knappe, NCSU SRP project leader, was awarded the Borchardt-Glysson Water Treatment Innovation Prize. At the conference, Knappe spoke about his research on PFAS and contaminants in North Carolina’s Cape Fear River watershed, including community impacts and interventions to reduce human exposure.
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SBIR E-Learning for HAZMAT and Emergency Response
What: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications to develop technology-enhanced training products for the health and safety training of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) workers, emergency responders in disasters and infectious disease response, and worker resiliency training.
Funder: NIEHS
When: Applications due July 14.
NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program
What: Supports early-stage investigators of exceptional creativity who propose highly innovative research projects with the potential to produce a major impact on broad, important areas relevant to the mission of NIH.
Funder: NIH Common Fund
When: Applications due August 18.
Community-Based Research for Effective Programs, Policies, and Decisions to Mitigate Cumulative Health Impacts and Environmental Health Disparities in Underserved Communities
What: Research that has a national scope and seeks to improve health, well-being, and quality of life by studying chemical and non-chemical stressors in underserved communities, and investigates how to use cumulative impact assessments to shape programs and policies to eliminate environmental health disparities.
Funder: EPA
When: Applications due August 31.
NIH Director’s Early Independence Awards
What: Supports promising junior investigators who wish to pursue independent research soon after completion of their terminal doctoral degree or post-graduate clinical training, forgoing the traditional post-doctoral training period and accelerating their entry into an independent research career.
Funder: NIH Common Fund
When: Applications due September 6.
Chemical Threat Agent-induced Pulmonary and Ocular Pathophysiological Mechanisms
What: Research seeking to understand mechanisms of chemical toxicity and to identify potential molecular/genetic targets that reduce acute effects of chemical threat agents that affect the lungs and eyes.
Funder: NIEHS
When: Applications due September 20.
Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program
What: SRP Center P42 grants to support problem-based, solution-oriented research centers that consist of multiple, integrated projects representing both the biomedical and environmental science and engineering disciplines.
Funder: NIEHS
When: Applications due October 2.
Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination on Minority Health and Health Disparities
What: Research projects that address structural racism and discrimination in one or more NIH-designated populations with health disparities in the U.S. Applications are expected to provide a conceptual model identifying hypothesized pathways between discrimination and health outcomes.
Funder: NIEHS
When: Applications due October 10.
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Kentucky Proposes FAIR Approach for Sharing GIS Maps
A draft Minimum Information About Geospatial Information System (MIAGIS) standard was developed by researchers at the University of Kentucky. The MIAGIS standard facilitates public deposition of GIS datasets that follow the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. An associated MIAGIS Python package supports metadata extraction from common GIS data formats.
Tool for Cohort Studies Developed by Columbia
Researchers at Columbia University created the Cohort Network knowledge graph approach to extract exposures, outcomes, and their connections from cohort studies. They applied the approach to 121 publications to visualize connections between exposures and outcomes across publications and identified key exposures and outcomes, such as air pollution, DNA methylation, and lung function. They also demonstrated the utility of the approach for hypothesis generation.
2023 DataWorks! Prize Announced
The 2023 DataWorks! Prize will focus on best practices for advancing biological and biomedical research activities, with a focus on practices that enable robust data management during the research process. Participants will submit their data sharing and reuse best practices in a form that can be used by an audience of their peers, such as a teaching resource or tool for active data management. Submissions are due August 15.
NCBI Seeks Input on Data Submission
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is requesting input on a short survey about your data submission needs and the generation of SARS-CoV-2 sequence data. Please forward the survey to any colleagues who might be generating sequence data. The survey expires July 31.
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 Joseph Stacey, a Hopi/Laguna artist, created a visual representation of the University of New Mexico (UNM) SRP center’s discussions with Pueblo of Laguna community members regarding culturally appropriate community-based research practices. (Photo courtesy of UNM SRP Center)
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UNM Seeking Program Manager
The Clinical and Translational Science Center at the University of New Mexico (UNM) is seeking a program manager to act as a Tribal Community Engagement Liaison. The candidate will collaborate with American Indian and Native American populations and will be both a community-engaged and academic-based liaison for UNM researchers and the broader community.
NIEHS Seeking Staff Scientist in Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch
The Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch at NIEHS is seeking a staff scientist to support research in the Applied Statistics Group. Responsibilities include leading scientific activities in developing methods for clinical and epidemiological studies, providing statistical support for projects, and serving as a resource for statistical methods developed by the group.
ECHO Deputy Director
NIH is seeking a dynamic, process-oriented, and experienced scientific leader for the position of Deputy Director of the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. ECHO focuses on solution-oriented research addressing how a broad range of early environmental exposures (from biology to society) affect key pediatric outcomes with high public health impact.
NIH Global Recruitment Vacancies
The Global Recruitment Unit serves NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers with global recruitment efforts and has several new postings — including the NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training’s Program Officer and Scientific Review Officer positions. Several opportunities are accepting applications now, and others will open throughout the summer.
Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Positions
The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families harmed by pollution and vulnerable to climate change in the Gulf Coast Region. They have several opportunities in support of research, education, community and student engagement for policy change, as well as health and safety training for environmental careers.
Multiple Openings at Wayne State
The Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors at Wayne State University is recruiting for several new faculty positions. Institute researchers and community partners solve complex environmental health problems through research, community engagement, and education.
University of Washington Postdoc
Karen Levy's research group in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington is seeking a postdoctoral fellow. The post-doc will work on the NIAID-funded project, ‘’Enteropatogenos, Crecimiento, Microbioma, y Diarrea” (ECoMiD), and the position will be supported by a NIEHS-funded T32 training grant, along with other lab funding.
Mount Sinai Seeking Data Analyst
The Institute for Health Equity Research at Mount Sinai is seeking a data analyst to support research focusing on health and health care disparities using survey and health systems data. The ideal candidate will have strong quantitative data analysis skills and experience working with SAS, SPSS, STATA, Oracle, Python, R, or a similar statistical software package.
VA Industrial Hygienist Opportunity
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) seeks a GS-13 level Industrial Hygienist. The position serves as the facility Industrial Hygienist assigned to the Safety and Emergency Management Service at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in California. Responsibilities include preparation, writing and timely submission of internal and external documentation, reports, and correspondence.
Research Associate Opportunity with UNC
The Center for Public Engagement with Science in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute for the Environment seeks a postdoctoral research associate. This research associate will support curriculum development and teacher professional development activities associated with an NIH-supported project: Iterative Design to Engage All Learners.
USC Postdoc Fellowships
The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) is seeking postdoctoral fellows for their Environmental Genomics training program, supported by NIEHS. The program aims to provide training across epidemiology, genomics, biostatistics, bioinformatics, and computational biology. The school has also announced a postdoctoral research fellow position for conducting epidemiological investigations for environmental justice in Los Angeles. Research opportunities focus on industrial pollution, health disparities, community science, and community engagement.
NIEHS Seeking Staff Scientist within the Division of Translational Toxicology
NIEHS is seeking a staff scientist in support of the Office of Program Operations (OPO), within the Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT). Responsibilities may include coordinating and providing direction for scientific and operational activities, collaborating with federal partners, other organizations, and stakeholders, and promoting continuous skill and professional development of employees. For more information about the position, email David Crizer at david.crizer@nih.gov.
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Research Brief 343
Cadmium-Linked Inflammation Increases the Severity of Lung Infection (Brent Carter, University of Alabama, Birmingham)
Watch the latest Research Brief video!
Past Research Briefs are available on the SRP website. To receive the monthly Research Briefs or to submit ideas, email Brittany Trottier (brittany.trottier@nih.gov).
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Evaluating Plant Uptake of Chemical Contaminants in Crops Grown Near Urban Gardening Sites for Human Health Risk Assessment
July 18, 2023
Virtual
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Recommended Updates to the Soil-to-Groundwater Pathway in the U.S. EPA's 1996 Soil Screening Guidance
July 20, 2023
Virtual
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Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society
July 22, 2023
National Harbor, Maryland
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National Environmental Health Association – Annual Educational Conference & Exhibition
July 31-August 3, 2023
New Orleans, Louisiana and Virtual
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National Brownfields Training Conference
August 8-11, 2023
Detroit, Michigan
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Tribal Lands and Environment Forum
August 14-17, 2023
Syracuse, New York
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International Society of Exposure Science Annual Meeting
August 27-31, 2023
Chicago, Illinois
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International Conference on Urban Climate
August 28-September 1, 2023
Sydney, Australia
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For more events, check out our SRP events page.
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To see the latest SRP grantee publications, visit the SRP Grantee Publications page.
Visit the SRP Materials for Grantees page for helpful information, such as SRP administrative supplements information, SRP best practices, guidelines for NIEHS logo use, and the Data Collection Form.
See the SRP Science Digest to read more about recent SRP research highlights and activities.
The SRP Events page contains information about upcoming meetings, seminars, and webinars.
The SRP website also has Search Tools to help you learn more about projects funded by the program.
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Need to get in touch with an NIEHS SRP staff member? Check out our Contact Staff page. |
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JOIN THE @SRP_NIEHS KNOWLEDGE NETWORK ON TWITTER!
NIEHS uses Twitter, a popular social media tool, for information sharing through tweets. Many SRP Centers also have accounts, and it would be great if all participated! Follow us @SRP_NIEHS to instantly hear news about the program, noteworthy publications, events, and job opportunities for trainees.
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