24 Sep 2012: Media Advisory: Last chance to enroll in NIH oil spill health study

Media teleconference to provide update on GuLF STUDY progress

WHAT:

Media Teleconference: “NIH Oil Spill Health Study Makes Final Call for Volunteers - Update on Progress of Long-term Health Study” – Over the last 18 months, the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has been recruiting participants for the GuLF STUDY (Gulf Long Term Follow-up Study), which is examining the potential health effects associated with the clean-up response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. As the enrollment phase of the study is coming to an end, the NIEHS is working to make sure that all clean-up workers and volunteers will have a chance to take part in the study and share their stories before enrollment ends.

NIEHS will host a media teleconference to discuss:

the study’s progress to date
the importance of enrolling additional workers and volunteers especially those who worked near the source of the spill
the value of the home exam
plans for the long-term health follow-up

A question and answer session will follow the update.

WHO:

Dale P. Sandler, Ph.D.

GuLF STUDY leader and Chief, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

For a biography, visit: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/atniehs/labs/epi/chronic/index.cfm

WHEN:

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
2:00 p.m. CST / 3:00 p.m. EST

WHERE:

Conference Call

1-866-337-4015

Please wait for an available operator.

WHY:

Since March 2011, the GuLF STUDY has enrolled more than 28,000 participants with the help of over 80 community and professional groups across the Gulf. The study is designed to answer health questions that matter to affected communities. The results of the study may help inform policy decisions on health care and health services in the region and may also influence responses to other oil spills in the future. The oil spill clean-up response involved a wide range of tasks that were carried out by a large number of people from the Gulf region and other parts of the United States. The GuLF STUDY seeks to understand the experiences of all types of workers and to follow their health over time. Every worker has a story to tell, and every story can help inform this study. All workers and volunteers are encouraged to join the study, whether they are healthy or experiencing health problems, before the enrollment period ends.

The GuLF STUDY is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is being conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

CONTACT:

Please contact Katie Fauquier at kfauquier@deveney.com with your intent to participate.

Information on the GuLF STUDY
Additional information about the GuLF STUDY may be obtained by calling toll-free at 1-855-NIH-GULF (1-855-644-4853) or visiting www.gulfstudy.nih.gov .

NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of NIH. For more information on environmental health topics, visit http://www.niehs.nih.gov. Subscribe to one or more of the NIEHS news lists (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newslist/index.cfm) to stay current on NIEHS news, press releases, grant opportunities, training, events, and publications.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov .

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