PI, Institution:
Susan Mengel Pinney, University of Cincinnati

Grant: R24ES028527

Description:
The Fernald Community Cohort (FCC) is a cohort of 9,782 people who participated in the Fernald Medical Monitoring Program from 1990-2008, an 18-year medical surveillance program for residents living within 5 miles of the former U.S. Department of Energy uranium processing site in Fernald, Ohio. Participants underwent comprehensive medical exams, and 160,000 biospecimens were banked in -80 C freezers.

Cohort Maintenance & Enrichment Activities:
Updating health status information and enrolling 800 next generation cohort members. Collecting additional data, biospecimens, and health outcomes. Improving exposure pathway modeling for water contaminants and enhancing radon exposure measurements. Developing new biomedical informatics tools and exploring the feasibility of using long-banked samples for new studies. Increasing communication and outreach.

Data Management & Sharing Activities:
Converting data to standard ontologies and registering cohort datasets with existing national repositories. Developing a new online portal for investigators to explore the FCC individual and metadata to increase efficiency in managing resource sharing.

Data Access:
Research investigators interested in using the FCC database and samples for health-related research may apply for access to data and biological specimens. The application form and the policy are available on the webpage.

Please see NIH RePORTER for publications associated with this R24 grant.