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SRP Annual Meeting Postponed to 2025
SRP will not host an annual meeting in 2024. Tentatively, the next SRP Annual Meeting will be held in spring or summer 2025. More details will be available in the following months on the SRP Annual Meetings webpage.
Join Us Today! SRP Progress in Research Webinar
Session II of SRP’s Progress in Research webinar series is happening today, May 3, from 1 – 3 p.m. ET. The series showcases projects developing curricula and educational programs focused on emerging technologies in the sphere of occupational health and safety.
Join us on May 17 from 12 – 1 p.m. ET for the third and final session in the series. If you missed the first session, a recorded archive will be available soon on the SRP website.
Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable
The spring 2024 meeting of the Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable will be held May 21 and will explore applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize site remediation. The meeting will be held in-person at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, D.C. and is open to the public. Registration to join via webcast is now open.
NIEHS Workshop on Emerging Contaminants and Issues of Concern
NIEHS is convening a free two-day virtual workshop to identify and improve responses to emerging contaminants, emergencies, and issues of concern. The first session was held April 30 and focused on articulating the current scope of our abilities and technologies to respond to emerging contaminants. The second session, May 7 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET, will feature a collaborative round-table discussion to build a community of practice to respond to issues of emerging concern.
Killifish Provide Clues for Human Toxicant Susceptibility
An updated SRP Public Health Impact story describes how SRP-funded researchers from Duke University use killifish to study adaptation to PCB and PAH exposure. Their findings can provide insight into the genetic adaptations that result from exposure.
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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:
Ferguson Discusses PFAS in Marinas
Duke University SRP Center researcher Lee Ferguson was interviewed by WITN news about how firefighting foam in marinas can contaminate water with PFAS and pose a risk for marine wildlife health.
Building Resilience Against Floods
TAMU SRP Center researcher Galen Newman was featured in an NIEHS Grantee Highlight for his work using spatial analytics to improve urban resilience against natural disasters, such as hurricanes and flooding.
Water Contamination in U.S. Prisons
Annie Nigra, a researcher at the Columbia University SRP Center, was quoted in The Guardian to discuss water contamination in U.S. correctional facilities. She was interviewed about a study that found high levels of arsenic exposure in incarcerated populations.
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Developing Models to Advance Human Health
This month we spoke to Junming (Seraphina) Shi, a trainee at the University of California (UC), Berkeley SRP Center who is mentored by Alan Hubbard and Haiyan Huang.
What is the focus of your research?
My research at the UC Berkeley SRP Center involves the development, exploration, and application of statistical machine learning methods and algorithms to explore how genetics and environmental factors contribute to health outcomes, with a particular emphasis on cancer.
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How did you become interested in this work?
My interest in this field stems from a longstanding passion for leveraging real-world data to enhance our healthcare system. The potential to make meaningful improvements in patient care and outcomes through data-driven insights has always fascinated me.
Tell us about the award your group received and what it meant to you.
Securing third place in the NIH Long COVID Computational Challenge was a moment of immense pride for our UC Berkeley School of Public Health team. This competition was more than just an opportunity to showcase our skills; it was a collaborative effort among statisticians and epidemiologists to uncover the potential drivers of long COVID and develop predictive models for it. Winning third place was not only a testament to our team's hard work and innovation but also significantly enhanced my understanding of long COVID. This experience has broadened my perspective on my capabilities and the potential to aid in understanding diseases and advancing healthcare systems.
What factors have contributed most to your growth as a researcher throughout your time as an SRP trainee?
Several things have really helped me grow as a researcher. Talking regularly with my mentor and peers and being naturally curious have been key. Knowing when to ask for help to move forward faster, finding different resources on my own, and always trying to learn more about the overall picture while paying attention to small details have all been important. These factors have helped me learn a lot and get better at my research.
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EPA Announces New Guides and Designations of PFAS Compounds
EPA recently announced regulations for six PFAS compounds in drinking water. The final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation established legally enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA or GenX, and mixtures containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and PFBS.
On April 17, 2024, EPA announced that PFOA and PFOS are being designated as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). These substances will now be subject to CERCLA reporting requirements, which states that any entity that releases a pound or more of PFOA or PFOS in a 24-hour period must report the release.
EPA recently released interim guidance that identifies methods of effective remediation, disposal, or destruction of PFAS or PFAS-containing materials.
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Understanding Toxic Metal Interactions in the Digestive Tract
Researchers from the University of Arizona SRP Center revealed how cadmium and arsenic, two toxic metals that frequently occur in soils together, may interact inside the human body. The effects of each individual metal on the digestive system have been studied, but little is known about how the contaminants behave when ingested simultaneously.
The team used an artificial gastrointestinal (GI) tract, developed in a lab, to measure the amount of arsenic or cadmium that could enter the bloodstream, called bioaccessibility. They exposed the GI tract to cadmium only, arsenic only, and a mixture of both contaminants. They also added ferrihydrite, an iron mineral commonly found in dust, and pepsin, an enzyme responsible for protein digestion, as variables to better capture realistic conditions in the human body.
The team reported that cadmium bioaccessibility increased with the addition of arsenic, while arsenic bioaccessibility decreased with the addition of cadmium. However, arsenic transformed into a more toxic form in the presence of cadmium.
Using advanced spectroscopy techniques, the researchers found that each metal formed complexes with ferrihydrite. However, the presence of both metals promoted the release of cadmium from ferrihydrite complexes but inhibited the release of arsenic. Bioaccessibility of both metals increased when pepsin formed soluble, or dissolvable, complexes with the metals.
By improving understanding of interaction between metal contaminants, the study could inform health risk assessments, according to the authors. The study may also inform regulatory strategies for soils and dust contaminated with toxic metal mixtures.
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Meyer Receives Distinguished Professorship
Joel Meyer, a researcher at the Duke University SRP Center, was named the Sally Kleberg Distinguished Chair in Environmental Toxicology. He was recognized for his research revealing the effects of environmental stressors on mitochondria.
TAMU Recognized for Wetland Restoration
TAMU SRP Center trainee Jiang Zheng won the 2024 Award of Excellence from the Texas Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, as well as a scholarship and second place in a poster competition for his research on wetland restoration in the Rio Grande Valley.
UK Trainees Receive Accolades
University of Kentucky (UK) SRP trainee Glennon Orthober won third place for his poster presented at the Water Professionals Conference. The poster, which was co-authored by UK SRP Center Director Kelly Pennell, explained Orthober’s research to understand volatile organic contaminants leakage from pipe systems.
Another trainee, David Lu, is one of the recipients of the 2023 AMTA Reclamation Fellowship for Membrane Technology, which provides funding for membrane separation research and travel to the 2024 Membrane Technology Conference to present research findings.
Halas Recognized for Nanoparticles Research
Naomi Halas, a researcher at the Baylor College of Medicine SRP Center, was selected as the recipient of the C.E.K Mees Medal by Optica for her research on the optical and physical properties of nanoparticles.
UK Researchers to Study Endocrine Disruptors, Heat, and Humidity
Researchers at the UK SRP Center received an award by the UK Rapid Response Pilot Program to study how environmental factors like exposure to endocrine disruptors, high heat, and humidity can affect human health. The researchers will look for changes in fertility, birth outcomes, obesity, and diabetes development. to study how environmental factors like exposure to endocrine disruptors, high heat, and humidity can affect human health. The researchers will look for changes in fertility, birth outcomes, obesity, and diabetes development.
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Advancing Health Research through Ethical, Multimodal AI
What: Develop ethically focused and data-driven multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) approaches to more closely model, interpret, and predict complex biological, behavioral, and health systems and enhance our understanding of health and the ability to detect and treat human diseases.
Funder: NIH
When: Applications are due May 16.
Data Informed, Place-Based Community-Engaged Research to Advance Health Equity
What: Stimulate community-engaged research that leverages geospatial data to probe the influence of geographic factors on disease development and health outcomes. Its goal is to use place-based research to help advance health equity in different communities.
Funder: NIH
When: Applications are due June 5.
Pilot Projects Enhancing Utility and Usage of Common Fund Data Sets
What: Demonstrate and enhance the utility of selected NIH Common Fund data sets, including generating hypotheses and catalyzing discoveries. The proposed research plan must substantially leverage data from at least two eligible Common Fund programs.
Funder: NIH
When: Applications are due June 27.
Advance Data Science Approaches Through Secondary Data Analysis to Reveal Scientific Insights of COVID-19 Testing Technologies
What: Support secondary data analysis to address questions and advance scientific inquiry related to SARS-CoV-2 through the existing data resources in the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Data Hub (RADx DataHub), including and in conjunction with other data resources.
Funder: NIH
When: Applications are due July 16.
Multi-Sectoral Preventive Interventions that Address Social Determinants of Health in Populations that Experience Health Disparities
What: Supports projects to test prospective multi-sectoral preventive interventions that address social determinants of health in populations that experience health disparities. These research projects will be part of the Multi-Sectoral Preventive Interventions Research Network, which will also include a Coordinating Center.
Funder: NIH
When: Applications are due August 5.
Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health
What: Supports research on interventions to improve health in Native American populations, including research that will directly inform interventions or adaptations and research that develops, adapts, or tests interventions for health promotion, prevention, treatment, or recovery. The inclusion of Native American investigators serving on the study team or as the program director or principal investigator is strongly encouraged.
Funder: NIH
When: Applications are due October 1.
Clinical and Translational Science Award Program: Collaborative and Innovative Acceleration Award for Advancing Recruitment through Trial Innovation Network
What: Invites applications to design, develop, demonstrate, implement, and evaluate innovative tools and resources that will (1) transform, increase, and improve the recruitment of participants in clinical trials and (2) improve the use of participant-based information that will inform safety and efficacy for improving participants recruitment in clinical trials.
Funder: NIH
When: Applications are due October 18.
Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program
What: Environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges.
Funder: EPA
When: Applications are due November 21.
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Northeastern University Collaborative AI Project
The Northeastern University SRP Center is collaborating with University College Dublin to develop machine learning methods that identify and prioritize biological samples to train and test AI algorithms for disease detection.
Datasets from University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island SRP Center published two datasets associated with recent publications following FAIR data principles, related to PFAS contamination from unregulated active and closed textile mills and PFAS passive samplers.
Free Cloud Access and Training
NIH-affiliated researchers can now register for the NIH Cloud Lab, a self-paced and interactive training program on how to utilize cloud-based technologies for research. Participants will receive credits to access one of the NIH’s cloud services, training and tutorials, and access to subject matter experts for tips and troubleshooting.
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Sara Thomas, Ph.D., of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, associated with the Yale University R01 grant, at Princeton University for a KC Donnelly Externship with associate research scholar Shan Huang, Ph.D. (Photo courtesy of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station)
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NIEHS Seeking Clinical Director
NIEHS is accepting applications for a Clinical Director and Chief of the Clinical Research Branch within the Division of Intramural Research. The Clinical Director reports to the NIEHS Director and coordinates activities with the NIEHS Scientific Director including the development, administration, coordination, and oversight of investigator-initiated clinical research.
Texas A&M University Seeking Associate Professor
The Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at TAMU is accepting applications for an Associate Professor with a primary research emphasis in toxicology. They specifically invite applicants utilizing molecular, cellular, and genetic approaches to investigate the impact of toxicants on human or animal health.
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Engineering Hydrogel Beads to Enhance Bioremediation of Groundwater Contaminant
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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Progress in Research Webinar Series: Emerging Technologies in Occupational Health and Safety
May 3 and May 17, 2024
Virtual
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18th International Congress on Combustion By-Products and Their Health Effects
May 19-22, 2024
Durham, North Carolina
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Federal Remediation Technology Roundtable
May 21, 2024
Washington, D.C. and Virtual
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Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences (AAPS): Conference for Advancing Participatory Sciences
June 3-6, 2024
Virtual
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National PFAS Conference
June10-12, 2024
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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National Environmental Health Association’s Annual Educational Conference and Exhibition
July 15-18, 2024
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Virtual
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2024 Central and Eastern European Conference on Health and the Environment (CEECHE)
July 15-19, 2024
Thessaloniki, Greece
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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!
NIEHS uses X (formerly 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 @SRP_NIEHS to instantly hear news about the program, noteworthy publications, events, and job opportunities for trainees.
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