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October 4, 2024 (Issue 249) |
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NIEHS Strategic Plan
The 2025-2029 NIEHS Strategic Plan is now available online! The plan outlines the Institute’s vision for advancing environmental health sciences research and translating findings into impactful actions that reduce disease and promote human health.
2025 Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference
The next Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference will be held May 12-15, 2025, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The conference will provide attendees with an overview of current research, methodologic, and practice issues that are the focus of toxicology and risk assessment efforts in various federal agencies, academic institutions, industry, and other organizations. Conference organizers are looking for workshop suggestions, which are due October 15. For more information, see the conference website.
Virtual Technology Fair: Lead (Pb) Detection and Treatment for Water
SRP is presenting a Virtual Technology Fair featuring Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant recipients developing innovative solutions for lead and other metals in water. The webinar will take place October 25, 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EDT. Speakers include:
- NIEHS SRP: Heather Henry
- GlycoSurf LLC: Chett Boxley and Raina Maier
- PowerTech Water Inc: Lindsay Boehme
- Stemloop Inc: Khalid Alam
- NanoAffix Science LLC: James Hill
Registration Open for Fall 2024 FRTR Meeting
The upcoming Fall 2024 Meeting of the Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable (FRTR) will be held in-person Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at the U.S. Geological Survey Headquarters, with an option to attend online. The FRTR 2024 Fall General Meeting provides an opportunity to share the latest developments in PFAS source differentiation and identification techniques applied to site remediation, as well as an update on advances in human health and ecological risk assessment.
SRP Risk e-Learning Webinar Series
SRP’s Fall 2024 Risk e-Learning webinar series will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) approaches to advance environmental health research. Registration for the three-part series is now open:
PFAS Strategic Plan Released
The Joint Subcommittee on Environment, Innovation, and Public Health of the National Science and Technology Council has released the 2024 PFAS Federal Research and Development Strategic Plan. The report presents the goals, objectives, and tasks for PFAS research and development for the next five years that, through interagency coordination, would further the federal government’s actions to protect Americans from the harmful effects of PFAS.
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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.
R01 SRP Researcher Wins Fellowship
Om Parkash Dhankher, who leads an SRP-funded individual research project (R01) at the University of Massachusetts, was selected as the Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). Dhankher was honored with this award at the Plant Biology 2024 meeting for his research on mitigating toxic metal contamination in foods.
UNM SRP Center Researcher Wins EaRTH Pilot Award
University of New Mexico (UNM) SRP Center researcher, Esther Erdei, received a University of California San Francisco EaRTH Pilot award for Environmental Toxins and Immunological Response to Viral Respiratory Infections in American Indian Children with Asthma.
UC Berkeley SRP Center Researchers Featured in the News
David Sedlak, University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) SRP Center researcher, was featured in a Water Shelf Podcast discussing his new book, “Water for All: Global Solutions for a Changing Climate.”
Researcher Andres Cardenas was quoted in a Scope: Beyond the Headlines article. Scope is a Stanford University news site. Cardenas described his research in determining how fetal and early childhood PFAS exposure changes children’s immune systems.
A study by Rachel Morello-Frosch and collaborators was featured in The Conversation, an online newsletter. The team found that pregnant women living near active high-production oil and gas wells have an elevated chance of having low birth-weight babies.
Researcher Jenni Shearston was interviewed by multiple media outlets including NPR, TODAY, and the San Francisco Chronicle on her research focused on metal-containing tampons. In the study, researchers found concentrations of toxic metals, including arsenic and lead, in tampons.
UNM Researcher Discusses Dangers of Living Near Uranium Mine Sites
UNM SRP Center researcher, Chris Shuey, was quoted in a Cronkite News article regarding the dangers communities face living near abandoned uranium mines. Shuey noted that the closer people live to mine waste, the higher their risk of chronic metabolic disease.
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Studying Transport of Volatile Organic Compounds
This month, we spoke with Brendan O’Leary, a trainee mentored by Carol Miller, at the Wayne State University SRP Center.
What is the focus of your research at the Wayne State University SRP Center?
I am studying how contaminants move through groundwater, air, and soil, particularly in urban environments, and their potential impacts on human health. Currently, I am developing field screening techniques and modeling approaches to understand how volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are transported below ground. One key focus is the development of a method called phytoscreening, which uses plant roots to detect the contaminants.
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How did you become interested in this work?
Mentorship sparked my interest in this field. While pursuing degrees in geology and civil engineering, I investigated the role of air pollution in preterm birth rates and asthma hospitalizations. This work opened the possibilities of how applied earth science could help us understand the impacts of chemical exposures on public health and urban communities. This led to a dual Ph.D. in civil engineering and urban sustainability with research on VOC fate and transport in urban neighborhoods, under the advising of Carol Miller.
Tell us about the recent K.C. Donnelly award you received.
I was fortunate to receive the K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplement and the opportunity to work with Kelly Pennell and SRP trainee, Herman Tay, at the University of Kentucky (UK) SRP center. With this externship, I learned to use the AROMA-VOC — a real time VOC measurement tool — and brought it to our field sites in Detroit, Michigan. While many collaborations are moving online, the opportunity to have support for going to the UK SRP Center and conducting collaborative fieldwork at active VOC urban neighborhoods enhanced my learning and understanding of using real-time devices in the field.
What factors have contributed most to your growth as a researcher throughout your time as an SRP trainee?
The most significant factors contributing to my growth as a researcher have been strong mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and hands-on field experience. Mentorships from my postdoctoral advisors, Carol Miller and Glen Hood, have not only guided my technical development, but also helped provide models for me to independently lead research projects like the K.C. Donnelly. The interdisciplinary collaboration at Wayne State has expanded my perspective, allowing me to tackle complex environmental challenges from multiple angles, integrating geology, civil engineering, and biological sciences. Finally, hands-on fieldwork — especially deploying advanced tools like the AROMA-VOC in urban environments — has been instrumental in expanding my technical field background.
What is one piece of advice that you have for other SRP trainees?
Stay curious and be open to exploring areas outside your immediate field of study or expertise. Many of my successes were through collaborations with peers outside my home department and usually through informal conversations. I encourage trainees to engage with others outside of the lab!
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Tailored Biochar Improves Contaminant Degradation
SRP-funded researchers at Villanova University identified specific molecular structures that improve the ability of biochar to trap and destroy the groundwater contaminant 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP). These structures are called N groups, because they contain nitrogen and behave in similar ways.
“Cleaning up TCP is difficult, because it moves easily through the environment and is resistant to degradation,” said study leader Wenqing Xu. “Previous research suggests that adding N groups to biochar can help break down TCP, so we wanted to test that.”
To identify which N groups are most effective at degrading TCP, the team attached various N groups to synthetic polymers similar to biochar and tested their ability to degrade TCP at different temperatures.
They found two N groups were particularly good at breaking down TCP, because they lowered the energy needed for the degradation reaction. N groups that are more reactive to TCP may explain the better performance, said the team. Their analysis also revealed that the ideal temperature for TCP degradation was 45–60 °C.
“These findings suggest modifying polymers with specific N groups can capture and destroy TCP at lower temperatures than current industry methods, which typically require temperatures of 100 °C or higher” Xu said. “This approach may offer a more efficient solution for contaminant removal.”
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NIH: Data-Informed, Place-Based Community-Engaged Research to Advance Health Equity
What: Aims to stimulate community-engaged research that leverages geospatial data to probe the influence of geographic factors on disease development and health outcomes, with the goal of using place-based research to help advance health equity in different communities. When: Applications are due October 5.
NIH: Data Science Track Award for Research Transition (D/START)
What: Supports investigators interested in applying cutting-edge data science techniques to address timely and challenging research questions related to substance use or substance use disorder. When: Applications are due October 16.
NIH: Clinical and Translational Science Award Program: Collaborative and Innovative Acceleration Award for Advancing Recruitment through Trial Innovation Network
What: Invites applicants 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) enhance the use of participant-based information that will inform safety and efficacy for improving participant recruitment in clinical trials. When: Applications are due October 18.
NIH: Notice of Informational Webinar for the NIGMS Tribal Undergraduate to Graduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE) Program
What: Provides advice and responds to questions from prospective applicants to “Tribal Undergraduate to Graduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE) Program” (PAR-24-236 and PAR-24-235). When: Informational webinar on October 21.
NIH: Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary Environmental Health Research (RIVER)
What: Provides support for outstanding environmental health sciences investigators, giving them intellectual and administrative freedom, and sustained support to pursue their research in novel directions to achieve greater impacts. When: Applications are due November 1.
NIH: Promoting Data Reuse for Health Research
What: Solicits competitive revision applications that focus on data reuse and secondary data analysis in NIH-funded data repositories and knowledgebases to advance scientific inquiry and address health research questions. When: Applications are due November 4.
EPA: Developing and Demonstrating Nanosensor Technology to Detect, Monitor, and Degrade Pollutants
What: Through the Science to Achieve Results program, EPA is seeking applications for research to develop and demonstrate nanosensor technology with the potential to detect, monitor, and degrade PFAS in groundwater or surface water that may be used as drinking water sources. When: Applications are due November 13.
EPA: Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program
What: Funds 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.
NIH: NIH Research Software Engineer
What: Provides salary support for exceptional research software engineers who contribute their skills to the development and dissemination of biomedical, behavioral, or health-related software, tools, and algorithms as well as the training of prospective users of these tools. When: Applications are due December 4.
NIH: Building Sustainable Software Tools for Open Science
What: Enhances the sustainability and impact of research software tools by enabling the use of best practices and design principles in software development and by leveraging continuing advances in computing. When: Applications are due December 4.
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DataWorks! Prize 2024
The 2024 DataWorks! Prize, an initiative between the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and the NIH, recognizes research teams for innovative secondary analysis and data reuse that advance human health. This two-phase challenge encourages participants to propose and execute impactful projects utilizing data from the NIH-funded Generalist Repositories Ecosystem Initiative. Phase 1 submissions are due October 23.
Metagenomes, Metagenome-Assembled Genomes, and Metatranscriptomes from University of Iowa
Researchers from the University of Iowa SRP Center investigated the effects of biochar and pyrolysis temperature on a chlorinated ethene-dechlorinating anaerobic consortium. Sequencing of nucleic acids from suspended and biochar-attached cells provided insights into the structure, function, activity, and interactions of the de-halogenating consortium with biochar.
NC State SRP Center Data Mines for Emerging Perfluoroethers
In a recent study, North Carolina State University (NC State) SRP Center researchers used non-targeted analysis to re-examine archived alligator, striped bass, horse, seabird tissue, and dog serum data in order to extend the panel of detected novel PFAS. They found four PFAS that were detected for the first time in environmental tissues.
Quantum Computing: New Frontiers in Biomedical Research Innovation Lab
The Quantum Computing: New Frontiers in Biomedical Research Innovation Lab will be held December 2-6 and will explore how quantum computing can revolutionize medical imaging, drug design, DNA analysis, and more. Participants will develop a shared understanding of the research challenge, explore novel solutions, and generate teams to shape these ideas into research proposals. On the final day, teams will present their research proposal concepts for the opportunity to win one of up to five challenge prizes totaling $100,000. Applications are due October 13.
NCI Clinical and Translational Data Commons
NCI’s CRDC unveiled their new Clinical and Translational Data Commons (CTDC). Designed to enhance access to clinical and translational data from NCI-funded initiatives, the CTDC is a pivotal resource in accelerating cancer discovery. Key features of the CTDC include interactive search tools, an integrated cloud workflow, and stringent data security.
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 Yoshira Ornelas van Horne, who co-leads the Research Experience and Training Coordination Core at the Columbia University SRP Center, engages Red Cloud Indian School and Little Wound School students in identifying air pollution sources and developing local solutions in South Dakota. (Photo courtesy of Columbia SRP Center)
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- The Department in Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Texas at Arlington is accepting applications for a new professor in environmental exposomics.
- The School of Public Health at UC Berkeley is inviting applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences.
- Rutgers University has recently begun looking for candidates to join their faculty in the School of Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice.
- Louisiana State University has an assistant/associate professor position within their School of Public Health focused on environmental health, climate, and sustainability.
- The University of Central Florida has a posting for an assistant professor in health sciences, starting in August 2025.
- There is an opportunity for a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
- The University of California, Davis, has an open assistant professor faculty position in the Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health.
- The University of Texas Health Sciences Center has an opening for an academic chair in their Department of Preventive, Occupational, and Environmental Medicine.
- Open on a continuous basis, the EPA has several Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education research projects seeking postdoctoral support.
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Passive Samplers Track PFAS, Show Contamination Reduction in Cape Fear River
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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International Society of Exposure Science Annual Meeting: Exposures that Impact Health in Vulnerable Populations
October 20-24, 2024 Montreal, Canada
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ITRC: Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Identification Framework Training
October 22, 2024 Virtual
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American Public Health Association (APHA) 2024 Annual Meeting and Expo
October 27-30, 2024 Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Virtual Technology Fair: Lead (Pb) Detection and Treatment for Water
October 28, 2024 Virtual
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FRTR Fall 2024 General Meeting: Source Differentiation and Risk Assessments for Sites Impacted by PFAS
October 29, 2024 Virtual
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SRP Risk e-Learning Webinar Series
November 4, 2024 Virtual
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ITRC: Microplastics Training
November 7, 2024 Virtual
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2025 Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference
May 12-15, 2025 Cincinnati, Ohio
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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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