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Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH)

PEPH artwork PEPH Events PEPH Funding

Program Lead

Liam R. O'Fallon
Liam R. O'Fallon, M.A. (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/dert/sphb/staff/ofallon/index.cfm)
Program Analyst
Tel (919) 541-7733
Fax (919) 316-4606
ofallon@niehs.nih.gov
P.O. Box 12233
Mail Drop MD K3-12
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
Delivery Instructions

 

Program Description

PEPH is a network of scientists, community members, educators, healthcare providers, public health officials, and policymakers who share the goal of increasing the impact of environmental public health research at the local, regional, and national level. PEPH defines environmental public health as the science of conducting and translating research into action to address environmental exposures and health risks of concern to the public.

 

Grantees: for information on how to access the PEPH Resource Center, please contact Liam O'Fallon or Lynn Albert. You can also visit the NIEHS Research Partners page ( http://partners.niehs.nih.gov/  ) to access the Resource Center and other NIEHS shared datasets and applications.

 

"Day at the Market" Event Engages East Baltimore Residents
Twice a month, Michael Trush, Ph.D. (http://www.jhsph.edu/faculty/directory/profile/3834/Trush/Michael)  , and a team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Community Outreach and Education Core (COEC) (http://www.jhsph.edu/departments/environmental-health-sciences/research_centers/Urban_Environmental_Health/COEC.html)   set up at the Northeast Market in Baltimore, Maryland to engage and educate East Baltimore residents about environmental health and justice issues. The "Day at the Market" event gives community members and researchers the opportunity to talk about environmental health issues, such as asthma, that are particularly relevant to urban Baltimore. The market provides an informal setting where community members feel comfortable asking questions about environmental health issues and leave with educational materials. Community engagement coordinators Patricia Tracey and Barbara Bates-Hopkins share tips with researchers on how to interact with the community. The events help researchers get to know their community, gauge public concerns, and recruit residents to participate in Community Advisory Boards, focus groups, and translation-oriented research. This activity has helped build trust between Center members and community residents. "One resident detected mold in his home and was able to consult a booklet we had provided to him about the health risks of exposure to indoor mold," said Dr. Trush of a resident who returned to express his gratitude for the event and educational materials.

The participation of COEC community partners and a grant from the Maryland Cigarette Restitution Fund Program (http://crf.maryland.gov/)   has helped the event grow both in the number of residents and vendors since the first event took place 6 years ago.

Be sure to share some of your innovative community outreach efforts at the Environmental Health Disparities & Environmental Justice Meeting (http://tools.niehs.nih.gov/conference/ehd_ej_2013/index.cfm) next month!

 

Social Media Going Strong at Oregon State University SRP Research Translation Core
As social media becomes a more common form of communication, public health professionals are exploring ways to use social media to share information and create dialogues. Naomi Hirsch, Ed.M. (http://ehsc.oregonstate.edu/naomi)  , at the Oregon State University (OSU) Superfund Research Program Research Translation Core (http://oregonstate.edu/superfund/translation)   and OSU EHSC Community Outreach and Engagement Core (http://ehsc.oregonstate.edu/outreach)   has created several social media outlets that are active and going strong. Hirsch helps manage the OSU SRP and COEC Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OSUSuperfund)  , a very active Twitter account (https://twitter.com/SRP_OregonState)  , a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/OregonStateSuperfund)  , and a Pinterest page (http://pinterest.com/environhealth/)  . Hirsch also created a resource page (http://oregonstate.edu/superfund/apha-roundtable-communication-strategies)   to help people new to social media get started.

Hirsch encourages "thinking differently about how we create materials for the public so we can have greater impact and reach more people." Audiences appreciate more visuals and multimedia. She plans to use more videos to translate research while providing training to graduate students on communicating their science online. SRP Trainee Andy Larkin won second place in the Scholars' Insights (http://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/event/76)   competition for his 3-minute talk on Air, Asthma, and Apps (http://media.oregonstate.edu/media/Andy+Larkin+-+2nd+Place/0_t53kzpja)  . Hirsch says, "Social media is designed for multi-directional communication, and people will understand the science if we engage in conversations. That's why I work so hard in utilizing it."

You can read more about Hirsh in the PEPH Grantee Highlights (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/dert/sphb/programs/peph/grantee-highlights/index.cfm#a359422)!

Pestibytes Podcast Series Discusses Common Pesticide Questions
Pestibytes - headphones, question mark - info

How can I wash pesticides from fruit and veggies? Can bug bombs really explode? With a baby on the way, is it okay to spray? These and seventeen other common pesticide questions are discussed in a podcast series called Pestibytes (http://npic.orst.edu/pestibytes/index.html)  . The series was created under a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University Superfund Research Program, the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), and the U.S. EPA (cooperative agreement #X8-83458501). The short podcasts feature NPIC specialists offering information. Transcripts of the podcasts are also posted on the website.

 

For additional materials please refer to the PEPH resources page.

PEPH Evaluation Metrics Manual (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/assets/docs/a_c/complete_peph_evaluation_metrics_manual_.pdf)

The PEPH Evaluation Metrics Manual (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/programs/peph/metrics/index.cfm) provides examples of tangible metrics that PEPH grantees and program staff can use for both planning and evaluation. Example logic models are used as a means to develop evaluation metrics for cross-cutting PEPH themes such as Partnerships, Leveraging, Products and Dissemination, Education and Training and Capacity Building. PEPH grantees (including all project partners) are the primary target audience for this document.

Current Issue of the PEPH eNews (http://tools.niehs.nih.gov/pephnews/lists/currentissue.cfm)
PEPH Chat (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/dert/sphb/programs/peph/podcasts/index.cfm) The official start of summer is almost here, so in this issue of the PEPH Newsletter we share a few summer-related stories. Read about a group of researchers getting to know their community by heading to the market to teach residents about environmental health. We also feature a new study that calls for cities to plant more trees in minority neighborhoods to ease the effects of extreme heat events. Take some time to read through a new Health Studies Guide, watch a PEPH grantee in EPA's Environmental Justice Video Series, or provide your expertise for a new EPA environmental justice guidance document.

 

PEPH Podcast on Asthma and Diet
A new podcast in the PEPH series, Environmental Health Chat (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/dert/sphb/programs/peph/podcasts/asthma/index.cfm), features Gregory Diette, M.D. (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/pulmonary/faculty/division_faculty/diette_gd.html)  , discussing his ongoing research to discover the relationship between diet and asthma. Listen to past podcasts (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/dert/sphb/programs/peph/podcasts/index.cfm) to learn more about how environmental exposures affect our health. You can also subscribe to Environmental Health Chat on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/environmental-health-chat/id593495897?mt=2).

 

Endocrine Disruptors and Children's Environmental Health Webinar
This month's EPA/NIEHS Children's Centers webinar will be "Early Exposures to Endocrine Disruptors" featuring Tracey Woodruff, Ph.D., M.P.H. (http://obgyn.ucsf.edu/mfm/woodruff.aspx)  , from the University of California, San Francisco and Kim Harley, Ph.D. (http://sph.berkeley.edu/faculty/harley.php)  , from the University of California, Berkeley. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET. Register online (http://www.scgcorp.com/epaniehs2012/)  .

 

Past PEPH Webinars
Did you like a particular webinar? You can check out past webinars on the NIEHS YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA182FD18058789CC)  .

 

Examples of past webinars:

 

Stay tuned for more webinars coming up this summer

 

PROTECT SRP Seminar Series for Non-Experts
The Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) SRP is hosting a June webinar series, "PROTECT Academy Interdisciplinary Introductory Seminar Series focused on Environmental Health Disciplines for Non-Experts." Each of the four presentations will take place from 1:00-2:30 ET. Topic areas include Contaminant Transport (June 10), Epidemiology (June 13), Toxicology (June 17), and Remediation (June 20). Register Online (http://www.northeastern.edu/protect/research/training/protect-academy/)  .

 

Racial Segregation and Heat Related Land Cover
A recent article in Environmental Health Perspectives (http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1205919/)   reports minority groups are concentrated into neighborhoods with fewer trees and more impervious surfaces. The results highlight the need to incorporate environmental justice into future plans to mitigate the effects of climate change. NIEHS grantee Rachel Morello-Frosch, Ph.D., M.P.H. (http://sph.berkeley.edu/faculty/morello-frosch.php)  , is an author on the study.

 

Is a Health Study Needed in Your Community?
A new "Health Studies Guide" (http://www.busrp.org/hsg)   from the Boston University SRP helps concerned community groups and individuals decide if an environmental health investigation is necessary in their community. The first four chapters of the guide are now available (http://www.busrp.org/hsg/toc)  ; Chapters 5-7 are coming soon.

 

HHS now on Facebook!
Follow the new U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/US-Health-and-Human-Services/573990992631231?id=573990992631231&sk=info#!/pages/US-Health-and-Human-Services/573990992631231)   to learn about, and share with your partners, important health information coming from HHS and its operating divisions!

 

New CDC Children's Allergy Report
The CDC just released a report (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db121.htm)   that details trends in food, skin, and respiratory allergies among U.S. children. From 1997-2011, food and skin allergies have been on the rise. The report also examined differences by selected sociodemographic characteristics.

 

EPA EJ Video Features PEPH Grantee
PEPH grantee Sacoby Wilson, Ph.D., M.S. (http://www.popcenter.umd.edu/mprc-associates/swilson2)  , talks about using his research to educate and empower communities in Injecting Knowledge to Cure Injustice (http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2013/05/injecting-knowledge-to-cure-injustice/)  , the latest video in the EPA Environmental Justice 20th Anniversary Video Series (http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/events/20th-anniversary.html)  . He founded a Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (http://ceejh.org/)   program at the University of Maryland-College Park, to study and address EJ issues through community-university partnerships in Maryland and beyond.

 

EPA Seeks Public Comment for EJ Guidance Document
The U.S. EPA has compiled a draft document, "Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis," (http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketBrowser;rpp=25;po=0;D=EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0320)   to provide EPA analysts with technical information on how to consider environmental justice in environmental regulations. You can comment (http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0320)   on the draft document until July 8, 2013.

 

Upcoming PEPH-related Meetings

 

 

 

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