New NIH-EPA research centers to study
environmental health disparities
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has partnered with
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund five new
research centers to improve health in communities overburdened by
pollution and other environmental factors that contribute to health
disparities. Within each center, scientists will partner with community organizations
to study environmental health disparities and develop culturally appropriate
ways to reduce exposure to harmful environmental conditions.
The Centers of Excellence in Environmental Health Disparities
Research are jointly funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS), the National Institute on Minority Health and Health
Disparities (NIMHD), and the National Center for Environmental Research
at EPA. The new centers, funded by 5-year grants, are an expansion of a
successful pilot program originally started by NIMHD and EPA.
“This joint effort between the NIH and EPA is an important step in stimulating research to identify how complex interactions between social, natural, biological and built environments influence health of vulnerable populations,” said Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D., NIMHD director. “The knowledge gained from this research will provide critical information to alleviate environmentally driven health disparities and improve the health of those that are impacted.”
Community partners will collaborate with scientists to define
research questions, recruit study participants, and collect data. Additionally,
community partners will aid the translation of research results into strategies
that prevent harmful exposures and address existing illnesses.
|
