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Research Briefs

Data processing and analysis pipeline from UC Berkeley and Columbia
Schematic of UC Berkeley and Columbia University data processing and analysis pipeline. (Image courtesy of UC Berkeley and Columbia University SRP Centers)

First of its Kind Arsenic Meta-Analysis Paves the Way for Future Data Integration

Researchers from Superfund Research Program (SRP) Centers at the University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University used advanced data analysis techniques to combine data from populations from Chile and Bangladesh to detect common DNA methylation signatures associated with arsenic exposure.

Characterizing Arsenic Exposure in Public Water Supplies and Private Wells

A recent SRP-funded study revealed that while arsenic concentrations in community water systems have decreased over time, certain populations are still vulnerable to elevated levels of arsenic. The study was made possible by a K.C. Donnelly Externship Award given to Maya Spaur, a trainee at the Columbia University SRP Center.

Analyzing Chemicals and Genes Yields Novel Insight into PAH Behavior

Staci Simonich, Ph.D., of the Oregon State University SRP Center, and collaborators funded by the European Union Horizon 2020, revealed how polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) break down and transform in the presence of ultraviolet A light and titanium dioxide nanoparticle pollutants

Environmental Factor Articles

Science and art meet in the middle

The SRP science art competition was an avenue for 18 trainees to capture their research and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trainees from SRP Centers across the U.S. submitted entries across four categories: laboratory experiments, field experiments, an image of something you saw while staying safe, and a piece of artwork created while social distancing.

Good nutrition can help counter effects of contaminants, expert says

Rick Woychik, Ph.D., director of NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program, spoke with University of Kentucky SRP Center project leader, Bernhard Henning, Ph.D., about the complex interactions between nutrition and environmental exposures.

Christopher Olivares and Jessica Laine headshots
Christopher Olivares, Ph.D., and Jessica Laine, Ph.D., shared their successes after receiving K.C. Donnelly Externship Awards. (Images courtesy of Christopher Olivares and Jessica Laine)

K.C. Donnelly Externship Awards celebrate 10 years

SRP recently marked the 10th anniversary of the K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplement. In the past decade, 72 NIEHS Superfund Research Program trainees were able to conduct research beyond their own institutions.

Better risk communication can reduce harmful exposures, experts say

NIEHS grantees, partners, and colleagues came together to discuss how they have engaged with local groups and communicated potential health risks to reduce exposures and improve health. Participants stressed the importance of community engagement and tailored messaging.

Extramural Paper of the Month: Promising New Target for Oral Cancer Treatment

NIEHS-funded researchers identified how the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, an environmental chemical receptor, suppresses the body's immune response to oral cancer.

Extramural Paper of the Month: Widely Used Herbicide Linked to Preterm Birth

Exposure to glyphosate - the most heavily used herbicide in the world - was associated with preterm birth, according to a new NIEHS-funded study. It is the first study to assess the link between exposure to a glyphosate breakdown product and birth outcomes.

Register Now: Risk Communication Strategies to Reduce Exposures and Improve Health Webinar Series

SRP is hosting a Risk e-Learning webinar series focused on strategies to communicate potential environmental health risks to reduce exposures and improve health.

The four-part series will showcase effective risk communication strategies and how they have been tailored to the needs of diverse communities. Presentations will also highlight first-hand experiences designing risk communication messages and campaigns, evaluating impact, and adapting communication strategies for different populations. The webinar series builds on the SRP Risk Communication workshop held in June.

The first session, Designing and Tailoring Messages , will be September 24, from 1-3 p.m. EDT. This session will focus on working with communities and other stakeholders to develop targeted messages and create effective tools to communicate risks to vulnerable communities. Speakers include Maida Galvez, M.D.,andJoseph Wilson, M.H.S.,from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,Esther Erdei, Ph.D.,from the University of New Mexico SRP Center, andRachel Morello-Frosch, Ph.D.,from the University of California, Berkeley SRP Center.

The second session, Combatting Misinformation and Mistrust When Communicating Health Risks , will be October 8, from 1-3 p.m. EDT. In this session, presenters will describe research on designing and framing communication messages so that they are sensitive to the cultural and social context of communities. This session will featureWen-Ying Sylvia Chou, Ph.D.,from the National Cancer Institute,James Dearing, Ph.D.,from the Michigan State University SRP Center, andKarletta Chief, Ph.D.,from the University of Arizona SRP Center.

The third session, Engaging Communities and Tailoring Messages to Advance Equity and Justice , will be October 20, from 1-3 p.m. EDT. In the third session, presenters will discuss how they have engaged and communicated with underserved and vulnerable communities and developed strategies to tailor messages to these communities so they can participate and use the information equitably. This session will featureLouie Rivers, Ph.D.,from North Carolina State University,Sharon Croisant, Ph.D.,from the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Baylor College of Medicine SRP Center, andAl Richmond, M.S.W., from Community-Campus Partnerships for Health.

The fourth and final session, Communication Toolkits to Communicate Environmental Risks , will be October 22, from 1-3 p.m. EDT. This session will feature work by SRP-funded researchers who are translating research into communication tools and tailoring them for specific community needs. This session will featureBJ Cummings, M.A.,andLisa Hayward Watts, Ph.D.,from the University of Washington SRP Center,Julia Brody, Ph.D.,from Silent Spring Institute and the Northeastern University SRP Center,Phil Brown, Ph.D.,from the Northeastern University SRP Center, andKathleen Gray, Ph.D., Sarah Yelton, M.S., and Megan Rodgers, M.E.A., from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SRP Center

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