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July 12, 2024 (Issue 246) |
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2025-2029 NIEHS Strategic Plan
The final draft of the NIEHS strategic plan for 2025-2029 is now available and open for public comment. Comments are welcome on the research areas of emphasis, capacity and infrastructure and scientific stewardship priorities, and crosscutting themes. Comments should be submitted to ehs-strategic-plan@mail.nih.gov and are due by July 21.
Save the Date! Wetterhahn Memorial Awardee Lecture
Amanda Armijo is presenting her Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Awardee Lecture on August 2, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. ET. Armijo, a former Massachusetts Institute of Technology SRP Center trainee, received the Wetterhahn Award in 2022. If you are interested in attending, the Zoom link will be available on the SRP events webpage closer to the lecture.
UNITE Progress Report for Fiscal Years 2023-2024
UNITE is an NIH initiative to address structural racism within the biomedical and behavioral research enterprise. The new report details UNITE’s efforts and accomplishments to further advance equity and inclusion.
Wetterhahn Memorial Award Applications
SRP will soon accept 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. Please be on the lookout for upcoming information about the nomination period.
New Small Business Funding Opportunity for Emerging Entrepreneurs Released
If you are a research scientist interested in gaining entrepreneurial and leadership experience, please see the newly released Small Business Transition Grant for New Entrepreneurs. This funding opportunity aims to support career development and R&D under a new entrepreneur’s direction. Application deadlines are September 5, January 5, 2025, and April 5, 2025.
Combined Exposures and Mixtures Research: An Enduring NIEHS Priority
A new NIEHS commentary, co-authored by SRP Health Scientist Administrator Danielle Carlin, describes NIEHS driven research on exposure to mixtures of chemical and nonchemical stressors. The authors also present areas for future attention, with the goal of informing cumulative impact assessments and addressing complex challenges, such as environmental justice and climate change.
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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:
Cerrato Talks About Challenges of Abandoned Uranium Mines
University of New Mexico (UNM) SRP Center Director Jose Cerrato was featured on an episode of UNM’s podcast, It’s (Probably) Not Rocket Science, about environmental challenges posed by abandoned uranium mines in Tribal communities.
Pennell Interviewed About New Regulations for Contaminants
Kelly Pennell, director of the University of Kentucky SRP Center, was interviewed by U.S. News about new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines to clean up soil and groundwater contaminated by leaking underground storage tanks. Pennell was also interviewed by a Kentucky news outlet about the impact of new drinking water regulations for PFAS on Kentucky residents.
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Modeling PFAS and Mixture Exposures In Vitro
This month we spoke with Lucie Ford, a trainee at the Texas A&M University (TAMU) SRP Center who is mentored by Ivan Rusyn.
What is the focus of your research at the TAMU SRP Center?
My research uses various cell-based models that mimic either individual organs or diverse human populations to test both individual environmental chemicals and mixtures. Most recently, we have been modeling exposure scenarios for a large number of PFAS chemicals, individually and in mixtures.
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How did you become interested in this work?
During my undergraduate career, I had the opportunity to participate in a summer fellowship at the University of Rhode Island in Angela Slitt’s lab. This experience was my first introduction to the field of toxicology, where my summer research focused on evaluating the potential toxicity of various PFAS using human liver cells. This research motivated me to explore and apply to toxicology graduate programs during the fall semester. My current research involves PFAS, so it feels like a full circle from where my research interests initially started.
Tell us about the awards you received at the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting and what they meant to you.
Recently, I was honored to receive the Graduate Student Award from the In Vitro and Alternative Methods Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology. It was gratifying to witness the enthusiasm for our research on PFAS Mixtures and the in vitro approaches we use. The interest in our research and methodologies is not only motivating, but also excited me to share our findings with others in the field.
What factors have contributed most to your growth as a researcher throughout your time as an SRP trainee?
The mentorship that I have received from my principal investigator, Ivan Rusyn, as well as my other committee members — Weihsueh Chiu, Fred Wright, and Stephen Safe — has been instrumental in my professional development. Additionally, the networking opportunities to connect with professionals in toxicology across various sectors along with fellow students have been invaluable for my growth as a student researcher.
What is one piece of advice that you have for other SRP trainees?
Engage and participate in networking opportunities both at conferences and within SRP itself. These experiences are an excellent way to expand your professional network and foster collaborations that can lead to opportunities after graduate school.
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Evaluating and Integrating Cumulative Environmental Impacts in Superfund Human Health Risk Assessments
EPA is hosting a live webinar on July 23, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET. The webinar will provide an overview of the following topics: Superfund risk assessment, chemical stressors, non-chemical stressors, Environmental Justice, screening tools, and Superfund site case studies.
Overview of Radiation and Chemical Ecological Risk Assessment Models and Guidance for Contaminated Sites and Selected Default Input Parameters
To help meet the EPA’s Superfund program's mandate to protect human health and the environment from threats posed by uncontrolled hazardous substances, the Superfund program has developed an ecological risk assessment process as part of its remedial response program. On July 25, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET, EPA is hosting a live webinar to go over the process and results from a research project concerning factors that could potentially attribute to adverse ecological risk for biota due to contamination in soil or water at or near Superfund sites.
ITRC Releases Microplastics Outreach Toolkit
The Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC) has released their new Microplastics Outreach Toolkit. The ITRC Microplastics Team created this toolkit to help regulators and others explain issues surrounding microplastics to a variety of audiences. The toolkit includes general information on outreach along with fact sheets, presentations and other items aimed at different audiences.
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Arsenic in Drinking Water Linked to Type 2 Diabetes
Scientists at the Columbia University SRP Center reported a link between arsenic in drinking water and type 2 diabetes. According to the authors, the findings underscore the need for considering type 2 diabetes as an adverse health outcome when developing arsenic standards for drinking water.
Arsenic is a highly toxic, naturally occurring element commonly found in contaminated drinking water. Previous research by the Columbia SRP Center reported that Tribal and Hispanic communities across the U.S. are disproportionately exposed to high arsenic concentrations in their drinking water. These communities also have a high prevalence of diabetes.
Researchers recruited participants from the Strong Heart Family Study, a cohort of American Indians, and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), which includes racially and ethnically diverse urban U.S. communities. Strong Heart Study and MESA participants primarily receive their drinking water from private wells and community water systems, respectively.
The team identified participants’ exposure to arsenic based on zip codes and state-reported water-arsenic levels. They measured participants’ glucose and insulin levels — biological markers of diabetes — over five years or used self-reported physicians’ diagnoses to determine type 2 diabetes occurrence. Next, they conducted statistical analyses to determine the link between arsenic in drinking water and risk of developing diabetes.
Their analysis revealed that, for both research cohorts, exposure to arsenic at levels below current federal drinking water regulatory standards was associated with type 2 diabetes incidence. The researchers also found a significant association between arsenic in drinking water and diabetes in participants with a low body mass index. According to the scientists, this finding might indicate that individuals with a low body mass index might be at high risk of experiencing adverse health outcomes from arsenic exposure.
These results highlight disparities in type 2 diabetes risk in communities with high levels of arsenic contamination, which often face additional challenges, including racial and socioeconomic inequities, said the authors. Water-arsenic standards should be reassessed given that type 2 diabetes was associated with arsenic levels below the current standard, they added.
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LSU Professor Receives Award
Louisiana State University (LSU) SRP Center Director Stephania Cormier received the Adel Sarofim Award at the International Congress on Combustion By-products and Their Health Effects in May in Durham, North Carolina.
Trainees Win Poster Awards
University of Arizona SRP Center trainee Susan D. Perez took first place in the university’s School of Earth and Environmental Science poster competition.
North Carolina State University (NCSU) SRP Center trainee Morgan Ritter received the best poster award at the NCSU’s Annual Toxicology Student Symposium.
Knappe Receives Medal for Engineering Research
NCSU SRP Center researcher Detlef Knappe received the 2024 Frederick George Pohland Medal from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors and American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.
Several TAMU Researchers Receive Awards
Galen Newman received the Environmental Design Research Association Great Places award for his book, Landscape Architecture for Sea Level Rise: Innovative Global Solutions.
Garett Sansom and collaborators received the 2024 Excellence in Interprofessional Education Collaboration National Award. They were recognized for their work with the State of Texas’ Operation Border Health Preparedness in Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
The Texas A&M Office of Sustainability & Campus Enrichment presented the 2024 Sustainability Champion Award to Weihsueh Chiu. He was recognized for developing a tool that assesses nationwide climate threats and helps researchers mitigate climate change risks.
Trainees Lucie Ford and Kelly Rivenbark were recognized with the George T. Edds Awards for their exceptional contributions to the field of toxicology. The award recognizes accomplishments in the veterinary and biomedical sciences.
Goldsmith Recognized for Excellence in Teaching
Jeff Goldsmith, of the Columbia University SRP Center, received the university’s 2024 Presidential Teaching Award. The award recognizes exceptional teaching and support for student learning.
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NIH: 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.
When: Applications are due July 16.
NIH: ML/AI Tools to Advance Genomic Translational Research (MAGen) - Development Sites
What: Explore the feasibility of developing Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools that can enhance the accuracy and precision of predicting how individuals with pathogenic genetic variants manifest disease.
When: Applications are due July 29.
NIH: 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.
When: Applications are due August 5.
NIH: New Small Business Funding Opportunity for Emerging Entrepreneurs Released
What: Aims to support career development and R&D under a new entrepreneur’s direction. Support preparing and executing a career development plan to successfully navigate the entrepreneurial process, develop and commercialize products, or operate a small business.
When: Applications are due September 5, January 5, 2025, and April 5, 2025.
NIH: 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.
When: Applications are due October 1.
NIH: 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.
When: Applications are due October 18.
EPA: 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.
When: Applications are due November 21.
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TAMU Creates and Updates Lipid Databases
Researchers from the TAMU SRP Center published the METLIN-CSS Lipid Database, which includes collision cross section values and IMS data for 750 unique lipid standards. They also updated a multidimensional database for lipids analyzed on a platform combining reversed-phase liquid chromatography, drift tube ion mobility spectrometry, collision-induced dissociation, and mass spectrometry and created a webpage to enhance accessibility of the resource.
Machine Learning to Predict Points of Departure for Health Effects
TAMU SRP Center researchers also developed a two-stage machine learning framework to predict human-equivalent points of departure for oral exposure to organic chemicals based on chemical structure. They applied their framework to 34,046 chemicals expected to be in the environment and revealed several thousand chemicals of moderate concern and several hundred chemicals of high concern for health effects.
Kentucky Proposes New Approach for Metabolic Pathway Prediction
The University of Kentucky SRP Center published a machine learning approach to predict the pathway involvement of metabolites. They used a single binary classifier that combines metabolite and pathway features, which outperforms the combined performance of training separate classifiers and demonstrates an order of magnitude improvement in robustness.
July Data and Sharing and Reuse Seminar
The next NIH Data Sharing and Reuse seminar will be July 12 at 12 p.m. ET and will feature Satra Ghosh, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ghosh will delve into topics such as enabling data sharing, analysis, and interpretation to accelerate the discovery and understanding of neural systems.
Artificial Intelligence in Health, Health Care, and Biomedical Science
A new commentary by the National Academy of Medicine outlines a framework for stakeholders from various disciplines and industries to align and harness the benefits of AI, while also safeguarding against potential harms.
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University of Rhode Island SRP Center trainee Jahred Liddie collects surface water samples from Fresh Pond in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Liddie, who is mentored by Elsie Sunderland, worked with the Cambridge Water Department on this project. (Photo courtesy of the University of Rhode Island SRP Center)
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Postdoctoral Associate at University of Massachusetts
The University of Massachusetts, Amherst is seeking a postdoctoral research associate to engage in research pertinent to reducing dietary exposure to PFAS and mitigating their associated toxicity using clay-based sorbent materials.
Rice Sustainability Institute Seeks Postdoctoral Associate
The Sustainability Institute at Rice University is inviting applications for postdoctoral fellows in sustainability solutions. Research proposals of interest should include an emphasis on multidisciplinary science and tackling sustainability problems in transformative ways.
Boston University Research Associate Opportunity
The Department of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health is seeking applications for fully funded postdoctoral research associates in environmental and molecular epidemiology.
ORISE Research Opportunities
Open on a continuing basis, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has several Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) research projects seeking postdoctoral support.
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Environmental Factors Alter PFAS Removal by Specialized Nanomaterials
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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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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Environmental Justice Boot Camp: Theory and Methods to Study Environmental Health Disparities
August 15-16, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts and Virtual
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International Society for Environmental Epidemiology Annual Meeting: Addressing Challenges in Environmental Health, Justice, and Development
August 25-28, 2024
Santiago, Chile
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International Society of Exposure Science Annual Meeting: Exposures that Impact Health in Vulnerable Populations
October 20-24, 2024
Montreal, Quebec
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American Public Health Association (APHA) 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo
October 27-30, 2024
Minneapolis, Minnesota
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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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