Environmental Factor, May 2009, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
NIEHS Spotlight
Supplemental Funding and New
Developments Dominate Council
The NIEHS National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council (NAEHSC) gathered for its two-day spring meeting at NIEHS May 21–22. ...read more
Standing Room Only at NIEHS Biomedical Career Day
Ever since it debuted in 1997, the annual NIEHS Biomedical Career Fair has always been a timely and popular event, and the 2009 career fair on May 1 in the Research Triangle Park Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conference center was no exception. ...read more
Birnbaum Addresses Preparedness at WETP Meeting
Director of the NIEHS and National Toxicology Program Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., took her message of hope and challenge to the Spring 2009 Worker Education and Training Program (WETP) Awardees Meeting and Workshop April 29–May 1. ...read more
Kleeberger Named Acting Deputy Director
In one of his first official acts as NIEHS acting deputy director, Steve Kleeberger, Ph.D., took his place at the table during the May 21–22 meeting of the NIEHS National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council. ...read more
Umbach Honored by American Statistical Association
In the world of biostatistics, there is probably no higher honor than the one to be given NIEHS Biostatistics Branch (BB) Staff Scientist David Umbach, Ph.D., by the American Statistical Association (ASA). ...read more
Children’s Center Research Highlighted at Pediatric Meeting
This year, NIEHS enjoyed a higher profile at the world’s premier gathering of pediatric professionals — the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Annual Meeting May 2–5 in Baltimore. ....read more
Hrynkow Represents NIEHS at AAAS Forum
Continuing her work in forging partnerships and cross-disciplinary collaborations in global environmental health, NIEHS Associate Director Sharon Hrynkow, Ph.D., organized and chaired a panel discussion on the linked issues of climate, energy and health at the 2009 AAAS Forum on Science Technology and Policy. ...read more
NIEHS Supporting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Study Group
NIEHS Associate Director Chris Portier, Ph.D., has the lead role for NIEHS on an international team of scientists investigating the potential health benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help combat climate change....read more
Clinical Research Unit Ribbon Cutting July 27
NIEHS will cut the ribbon on its new Clinical Research Unit (CRU) before an audience of scientists and distinguished visitors on July 27 at its Research Triangle Park, NC campus. ...read more
NIEHS Participates in New One Health Initiative
Long before news about the H1N1 “swine flu” virus concerned people around the world, leaders in the animal health community were already organizing to better understand and deal with the growing health threat posed by multi-host pathogens. ...read more
EPA Leader Reports on Progress in Toxicity Testing
Robert Kavlock, Ph.D., visited NIEHS on May 7 to present a status report on the ToxCast™ program he oversees as the director of the National Center for Computational Toxicology (NCCT) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ...read more
Tinkle Represents NIEHS and NIH at Drug Conference
NIEHS Senior Science Advisor Sally Tinkle, Ph.D., spoke at the Fourth Annual Chapel Hill Drug Conference May 13–14 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ...read more
Inside the Institute
Scientific Leader Robert Tjian Speaks at NIH Asian Heritage Event
NIEHS staff were part of the off-site audience as NIH videocast its 2009 Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month Observance Program held May 14 in Masur Auditorium on the Bethesda campus. ...read more
Employees Pitch In with Habitat for Humanity Project
Continuing a tradition of community involvement with the non-profit group Habitat for Humanity, members of the NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training (DERT) Community Builders group donated an afternoon of their free time ...read more
Extramural Research
Extramural Update
In April 2009 the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) announced three new multiyear program grant awards: Brown University, the University of Washington (UW) and Oregon State University (OSU). Each of these grants is comprised of complementary projects, which are thematically related around an environmental health hazard of interest...read more
Extramural Papers of the Month
- Alzheimer’s Disease Linked to Mitochondrial Damage
- Swine Flu Susceptibility Linked to Arsenic Exposure
- Gene May Be Linked to Lung Cancer
- Phthalate Exposure May Extend Pregnancy
Intramural Research
Intramural Papers of the Month
Science Notebook
Nobel Laureate Examines Immune Cell Deviations
Lymphoma is a term used to describe a group of cancers that affect lymphocytes — the cells involved in the immune system. Pathologists who view these cancerous lymphocytes under a microscope usually see one type of cell, but sometimes two different cell types exist in the same sample. ...read more
Birnbaum is Plenary Lecturer at BFR2009
NIEHS and National Toxicology Program (NTP) Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., was back on very familiar turf when she delivered a plenary lecture at the 11th Annual Workshop on Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR2009) held May 19–20 at the Government Conference Centre in Ottawa. ...read more
Guest Lecturer Offers New Insight into Heritable Epigenetic Changes
Christophe Herman, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, gave the latest talk in the NIEHS Laboratory of Molecular Genetics (LMG) Fellows Invited Lecture Series on May 18. ...read more
Seminar Highlights a Promising HIV Inhibitor
Structural biologists use techniques such as X-ray crystallography, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to determine the structure and function of molecules. ...read more
Xie Explores Hormone Regulation by Nuclear Receptors
On April 30, Wen Xie, M.D., Ph.D., presented a seminar at NIEHS on “Nuclear Receptor-Mediated Gene Regulation in Hormonal Homeostasis” as part of the NIEHS Laboratory of Pharmacology (LP) and Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology Seminar Series. ...read more
Research Finds Novel Roles for AhR in Development
A recent study reports on novel roles for the cellular environmental sensor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). ...read more
Well Water Should Be Tested Annually to Reduce Health Risks to Children
Private well water should be tested yearly, and in some cases more often, according to new guidance offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). ...read more
Possible Link Between Childhood Obesity and Allergies
A new study indicates there may be yet another reason to reduce childhood obesity — it may help prevent allergies. ...read more
Expert Panel Reviews New Local Lymph Node Assay for Product Testing
An international scientific peer review panel of 15 expert scientists met on April 28-29 on the NIH Bethesda campus to review new test methods proposed to determine if chemicals and substances may cause allergic contact dermatitis. ...read more
This Month in EHP
The June 2009 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives is now available online, with a feature story on the growing problem of antibiotic resistance and the emergence of new strains of bacteria. The journal also takes a critical look at the aquaculture industry’s impact on the environment as increasing demand for fish leads to the proliferation of fish farms. ...read more
Upcoming Distinguished Lecturer Harinder Singh
NIEHS will welcome the next speaker in its 2008-2009 Distinguished Lecture Series on June 9 at 11:00 in Rodbell Auditorium. ...read more
ATS Calls for 2010 Conference Proposals
The American Thoracic Society (ATS) has announced a “Call for Input” for planning the program of its international conference, ATS 2010, scheduled May 14–19, 2010 in New Orleans. ...read more
Calendar of Upcoming Events
- May 31–June 3 (Offsite Event) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in RTP, 9:00–6:00 — 11th International Congress on Combustion By-Products and Their Health Effects (http://www.lsu.edu/piccongress/)
- June 1 in Rall F-193, 2:00–3:00 — Laboratory of Neurobiology Seminar Series with Pavel Ortinsky, Ph.D., speaking on "Astrogliosis impairs inhibitory synaptic signaling in the mouse hippocampus"
- June 2 in Rodbell Auditorium, 11:00–12:00 — Biostatistics Branch Seminar on "Using Mouse Gene Expression and Phenotypes to Explore the Effects of Atherogenic Diet" with Keith Shockley, Ph.D.
- June 9 in Rodbell Auditorium, 11:00–12:00 — Distinguished Lecture Seminar Series, featuring a talk by Harinder Singh, Ph.D., on “Gene Regulatory Networks Orchestrating Innate and Adaptive Immune Cell Fates”
- June 17 in Rodbell Auditorium, 11:00–12:00 — Summers of Discovery Seminar Series, speaker and topic TBA
- June 18 in Rall D-450, 11:00–12:00 — Laboratory of Reproductive and Development Toxicology Special Seminar with Evan Simpson, Ph.D., topic TBA
- June 23 in Rodbell Auditorium, 8:00–5:00 — Board of Scientific Counselors Review Meeting
- June 24 in Rodbell Auditorium, 11:00–12:00 — Summers of Discovery Seminar Series with Bill Schrader, Ph.D., addressing "Poster Presentation Skills" and "Computing Skills for Poster Session Presentation"
- June 25–26 (Offsite Event) at the J.W. Marriott Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, 8:30–4:30 — 2009 NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/seminar_20090625.htm)
- June 25–26 (Offsite Event) at the Hilton Arlington in Arlington, Va., 8:30–5:00 — Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods (SACATM) meeting (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/files/SACATMDftAgendaJune09.pdf)
- July 1 in Rodbell Auditorium, 11:00–12:00 — Summers of Discovery Seminar Series, with Thomas Kunkel, Ph.D., topic TBA
View More Events: NIEHS Public Calendar
Director of Communications: Christine Bruske Flowers | Writer-Editor: Eddy Ball | Science Editor: Robin Arnette
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