Environmental Factor, February 2006, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

NIEHS Spotlight

DNA Registry Needs Participation by NIEHS Employees

All NIEHS employees will soon have an opportunity to participate in an important NIEHS research project.

Chris Portier Named Associate Director for Risk Assessment

Christopher Portier, Ph.D., who served as associate director of the National Toxicology Program, is now associate director for risk assessment at NIEHS.

Former Student Worker Wins High Honor

A 16-year-old high school student who spent the summer of 2004 at NIEHS was named a 2005 Davidson Fellow. The award carries a $25,000 cash award.

MLK Observance

James Jay Rogers, a retired history teacher for the Durham School District, was the guest speaker at the NIEHS Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration on Jan. 23 at the Rodbell Auditorium. His presentation was titled, "The Content of Their Character.

Inside The Institute

Stretching and Toning

The oldie song, "Spinning Wheel," starts the Stretch and Tone class in the NIEHS exercise room. The music, says instructor Gina Goulding, is important in setting the pace for the class, making it fun instead of work, a pleasure instead of a "must do."

Calling all Musicians

The NIEHS band is seeking new members. The group is informal, and meets as needed to rehearse. The band has been playing for more than 12 years, when it started under Richard Griessemer. The band performs at events such as Presidents Day, Earth Day, Memorial Day, July 4 events, Labor Day, and the NIEHS Holiday Celebration. It also performed at the 2004 SmartCommute celebration in Research Triangle Park.

New Phone Books Available

New Verizon phone books are available for pick up at all NIEHS locations. Old phone books should be placed in the recycling containers marked specifically for phone book recycling. The new directories are available at:

Up and Coming

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Science Notebook

Exploring Gender Differences in Lung Function

Research in Darryl Zeldin's lab focusing on gender differences in lung function and response to environmental agents raised some interesting questions for researchers within the Laboratory of Respiratory Biology.

Director Challenges DIR Investigators

NIEHS Director David Schwartz invites all Institute Intramural investigators to participate in a new program called the Director's Challenge to DIR Investigators: Program in Integrative Research.

Soy Products May Cause Reproductive Problems

Genistein, a major component of soy, was found to disrupt the development of the ovaries in newborn female mice given the product. This study, published in the January issue of Biology of Reproduction, adds to a growing body of literature on potentially adverse consequences of genistein on the reproductive system.

Papers of the Month