NIEHS Spotlight

On the Road with Director Linda Birnbaum

NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., showed no sign of slowing down as she traveled the country recently, building and strengthening partnerships.

Collins' Priorities Frame Council Discussion

The new NIH research agenda articulated by Director Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., played an important role in the winter meeting of the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council.

Mason Receives 2010 Bruker Award

The Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) Spectroscopy Group of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has honored NIEHS Principal Investigator Ron Mason, Ph.D., with the 25th Annual Bruker Prize.

Superfund Researcher Elected to National Academies

On Feb. 17, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced the election of NIEHS SRP grantee Lisa Alvarez-Cohen, Ph.D., as one of 68 new members.

Birnbaum Revisits TSCA in Senate Testimony

When Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) convened hearings on chemical safety Feb. 4, NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., was one of the expert witnesses testifying.

Hearing Sparks Call for Environmental Justice in Alaska

In a press release timed to coincide with a hearings on chemical safety Feb. 4, spokespersons for an NIEHS grantee called for action on circumpolar atmospheric pollution in Alaska.

Jung Joins NIEHS as Chief of Staff

In a February statement to employees, NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum announced the appointment of Commander Paul Jung, M.D., of the U.S. Public Health Service as NIEHS chief of staff.

Fellows Participate in Biotech Career Workshop

NIEHS fellows joined their counterparts in the region Feb. 9 for the first session of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center's (NCBC) three-part Ph.D. Workshop Series.

Shepard Edits EJ Issue on Climate Change

A special issue of the journal Environmental Justice edited by NIEHS grantee Peggy Shepard highlights the disproportionate effects of global warming and pollution on disadvantaged communities worldwide.

Superfund Video Offers Plain Talk on Arsenic

NIEHS-funded researchers at the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Research Program premiered their new short film for the general public, "In Small; Doses: Arsenic," Feb. 11 in Concord, N.H.

NIEHS and NTP Gear Up for a Productive Year at SOT

Staff from NIEHS and NTP will speak at more than 30 different sessions and present more than 60 posters at the Society of Toxicology meeting in Salt Lake City March 7-11.

 Back to top

Inside the Institute

NIEHS Celebrates Culture During Black History Month

The NIEHS Diversity Council called on the considerable talent of Institute employees and contractors to celebrate the wealth of African American culture on Feb. 23.

EPA Leadership Development Participants Visit

A delegation of EPA leaders-in-training joined NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., and members of her senior staff on Jan. 12 in Rodbell Auditorium for a presentation about NIEHS.

Future PIs Wow NIEHS Judges

NIEHS Program Administrator Mike Humble and Program Analyst Jerry Phelps participated in the Annual Science Fair at St. Timothy's School in Raleigh on January 28.

Lecture Series Announces Upcoming Speakers

The editorial staff of the American Scientist magazine invites NIEHS scientists and staff to talks by the next two speakers in its Pizza Lunch Lecture Series held each month in Research Triangle Park.

Environmental Enthusiast Colleen Anna Retires

After 34 years of government service, 29 here at NIEHS, Eicosanoid Biochemistry Group Biologist Colleen Anna spent her last day
at work on Feb. 26.

 Back to top

Science Notebook

Ancient Fires — Modern Dilemma

Long-time NIEHS grantee Kirk Smith, Ph.D., presented his findings on household fuel use and its connection to indoor and outdoor air pollution and health in a talk at Duke University Feb. 17.

Epidemiology Shines at Advisory Council Meeting

A distinctive feature of the February 18-19 meeting of the NIEHS Council was a three-part series of scientific presentations on a wide-range of Institute-funded epidemiological studies.

NIEHS Welcomes Four New Principal Investigators

NIEHS began its new fiscal year with four new tenure track principal investigators -- Guang Hu, Ph.D., Patricia Jensen, Ph.D., Raja Jothi, Ph.D., and R. Scott Williams, Ph.D.

Researcher Underscores Importance of Intracellular Communication

Yale University Professor of Pathology and Genetics Gerald Shadel, Ph.D., spoke Feb. 2 on "Mitochondrial Signaling in Disease and Aging," hosted by NIEHS Postdoctoral Fellow Jeffery Stumpf, Ph.D.

Estrogen Receptors and Tumor Development

On Feb. 4, NIEHS Principal Investigator Kenneth Korach, Ph.D., presented a talk on "Estrogen Receptors: Are They Involved in Tumorigenesis and Toxicity?" to a capacity audience.

Researchers Confirm Link Between Maternal Age and Autism

In a new NIEHS-funded study, researchers have confirmed a link between advanced maternal age and an elevated risk of having a child with autism.

Mining the Genome with Deep Sequencing

On Jan. 27, guest lecturer and computational biologist Yuan Gao, Ph.D., delivered a seminar to a standing-room-only audience of NIEHS researchers.

Superfund Research Prompts Review of Antimicrobials

A call for more stringent regulations for antimicrobial compounds by Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) could mean that the days of antibacterial trash bags are numbered.

Linking Disease Incidence with Environmental Exposure Data Over Time

Elena N. Naumova, Ph.D. and her research team describe a dynamic mapping strategy for visualizing complex spatio-temporal data, in a new study funded by NIEHS and NIAD.

NIEHS Clinical Researchers Present Grand Rounds Lecture

NIEHS Environmental Autoimmunity Group Principal Investigator Frederick Miller, M.D., Ph.D., and Deputy Chief Lisa Rider, M.D., presented a Clinical Rounds lecture Feb. 24 at Masur Auditorium on the NIH Campus.

This Month in EHP

The eye-catching cover of the March issue of EHP provides a backdrop for a news feature on "Better Burning, Better Breathing: Improving Health with Cleaner Cook Stoves."

Eskenazi is Upcoming Distinguished Lecturer

Epidemiology takes center stage March 16 with the next talk in the NIEHS Distinguished Lecture Series by veteran NIEHS grantee Brenda Eskenazi, Ph.D.

 Back to top

Extramural Research

Extramural Papers of the Month

• Obesity is a Tumor Promoter
• Phthalate Exposure Alters Children's Behavior and Cognitive Function
• Asthma Symptoms in Children Associated with Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy
• PCBs Found in Indiana Harbor

Intramural Research

Intramural Papers of the Month

• Reciprocal Epigenetic Modifications of Histone H2B in Apoptosis
• Obese Male Mice Have Reduced Fertility and Increased Sensitivity to Environmental Chemicals
• Acetaminophen-Induced Transcriptional Changes Predict Liver Injury
• Estrogen Receptor Enhances p53 Transcriptional Activity

 Back to top

Calendar of Upcoming Events

• March 4, in Rall D450, 10:00-11:00 - Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis Seminar Series presentation by Angela Ting, Ph.D., on "Utilizing MBD-isolated Genome Sequencing to Study Genome-wide DNA Methylation Pattern"
• March 16, in Rodbell Auditorium, 11:00-12:00 - NIEHS Distinguished Lecture Series with Brenda Eskenazi, Ph.D., speaking on "Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure and the Development of Children Living in an Agricultural Community: Results of the CHAMACOS Study"
• March 23, in Rodbell Auditorium, 8:00-4:30 - Environmental Stewardship Initiative Annual Meeting
• March 23 (Offsite Event), at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Sonja Haynes Stone Center Theater, 6:30 p.m. - UNC Institute for the Environment Environmental Speaker Series, featuring Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D.
• March 25, in Rodbell Auditorium, 9:00-10:00 - Keystone Science Lecture Seminar Series presentation on "Environmental Risk Factors for Copy Number Variation in Human Chromosomes," by Thomas Glover, Ph.D.
• March 26, in Rodbell Auditorium, 2:00-3:00 - NIEHS Spirit Lecture with Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D. Reception follows.
• March 27 (Offsite Event), at Meredith College - NC Science and Engineering Fair 2010
• March 30 (Offsite Event), at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, 12:00-1:00 - American Scientist Lecture Series featuring Geoffrey Ginsburg, M.D., Ph.D., topic TBA. RSVP for pizza
• March 30, in Rodbell Auditorium, 2:00-3:00 - Rescheduled: Distinguished Lecture Series Annual Rodbell Lecture featuring Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Ph.D., speaking on "Advances in Super-Resolution Imaging"
• March 30 (Offsite Event), at North Carolina State University (NCSU) Toxicology Building on the NCSU Centennial Campus, 4:00 - Seminar on "The Glucocorticoid Receptor in Health and Disease" with John Cidlowski, Ph.D.
• March 31, in Rodbell Auditorium, 8:30-2:30 - Harmonization of Human Chamber Air Pollution Exposure Studies

View More Events: NIEHS Public Calendar

 Back to top

The Environmental Factor is produced monthly by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/), Office of Communications and Public Liaison. The content is not copyrighted, and it can be reprinted without permission. If you use parts of Environmental Factor in your publication, we ask that you provide us with a copy for our records. We welcome your comments and suggestions. (bruskec@niehs.nih.gov)