NIEHS Spotlight

Directors report to council

Both NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., and DERT Director Gwen Collman, Ph.D., addressed the status of implementation of the new strategic plan.

Former postdoc lands first NIH grant

Former NIEHS trainee Rebecca Heise, Ph.D., has just completed the second big step of her academic career by becoming a co-lead researcher on a four-year NIH grant.

Moving forward with alternative test methods

NIEHS hosted the annual meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods Sept. 5-6 in Research Triangle Park, N.C

Woychik addresses environmental epidemiologists at 24th ISEE

At the conference Aug. 26-30, NIEHS Deputy Director Richard Woychik, Ph.D., framed a future for environmental epidemiology based on the new NIEHS strategic plan.

Council approves SRP training concept

At its Sept. 11 meeting, Council also gave an enthusiastic, unanimous green light to a concept presented by the Superfund Research Program.

Flame retardant narrative shows why scientists need to communicate with policymakers

Chemist and public health advocate Arlene Blum, Ph.D., visited NIEHS Sept. 18 to discuss “Flame Retardants and Public Health: How Science Can Inform Policy.”

NIEHS recognizes trainees on Postdoc Appreciation Day

NIEHS joined institutions throughout the U.S. and Canada in recognition of National Postdoc Appreciation Week with a special celebration Sept. 21.

Stokes inducted as Board Certified Environmental Scientist

NTP center director Rear Adm. William Stokes, D.V.M., was selected by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers as one of the inaugural 21-member class.

NIEHS fellow transitions from bench to field applications specialist

Jill Hesse, Ph.D., left NIEHS this summer for a field applications specialist position at GenoLogics, a genomics laboratory information management system software company.

Dartmouth SRP mercury movie premiers on the big screen

Reaching out to inform consumers about mercury in seafood, researchers screened a short NIEHS-funded film in Boston, Mass. and at two New Hampshire locations in September.

Sieber named to Amputee Coalition advisory committee

NIEHS biologist Stella Sieber is one of three new members of the Amputee Coalition Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee.

“Silent Spring” turns 50

Sept. 27 marked the 50th anniversary of the book credited with jump-starting the environmental movement, “Silent Spring” by marine biologist Rachel Carson.

NIEHS celebrates Labor Day with public health presentation

Craig Slatin, Sc.D., placed contemporary labor and public health issues into historical context, as he built an argument for protecting workers and the environment.

Library staff in place and ready to assist

With the hire of contract librarian Julie Harris in September, the NIEHS Library team now includes three full-time information professionals.

NRC report supports NIEHS vision of the exposome

National Research Council report, “Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and A Strategy,” was released Sept. 7 by the National Academy of Sciences.

Inside the Institute

NIEHS kicks off CFC and boosts pledge goal

The great chili chefs of NIEHS were back on the job Sept. 18, as the Institute kicked off its 2012 Greater North Carolina Combined Federal Campaign drive.

Feds Feed Families drive underscores NIEHS generosity

NIEHS staff donated 3,600 pounds of food and toiletries during the 2012 Feds Feeds Families campaign, beating its 2011 performance and its 2012 goal.

NIEHS honors dedication and longevity

Continuing a long-standing tradition, NIEHS honored employees for their decades of service during a Sept. 13 ceremony.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

Oct 01–02, Rodbell Auditorium Oct. 1, 1:00-5:00 p.m.–Oct. 2, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. — Peer Review of Draft NTP Monograph on Developmental Effects and Pregnancy Outcomes Associated with Cancer Chemotherapy Use during Pregnancy
Oct 02, Rodbell C 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. — LMG Fellows’ Invited Guest Lecture, with Kami Ahmed, Ph.D., speaking on “Genomic functions of H3.3 assembly factors”
Oct 03, Rodbell Auditorium 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. — 2012 Hispanic Heritage Month, with Elizabeth Yeampierre, J.D., discussing “Intergenerational Leadership: The Foundation to Environmental Health and Sustainably Just Solutions
Oct 05, Rodbell Auditorium 1:00 p.m–2:00 p.m. — Seminar featuring Gad Getz, Ph.D., addressing “Cancer Genomes Analysis: Computational Challenges and Approaches”
Oct 11–12, Rodbell Auditorium 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. — WETP Workshop on Evaluation of Training
Oct 15 (Offsite event), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park, N.C. 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. — Symposium and Dialogue on Science, Risk Assessment, and Environmental Justice, register (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dEJMLUUyeGZkS3RFSlRyVHMtSk5zT0E6MA)
Oct 18 (Offsite event), Bill and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill, N.C. 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. — Genetics and Environmental Mutagenesis Society annual fall meeting, register (http://www.eventbrite.com/org/255909917)
Oct 21–24 (Offsite event), Marriot City Center in Raleigh, N.C. — 25th Annual Meeting of the Superfund Research Program, register (http://eseconf.sph.unc.edu/2012/SRP/register.php)
Nov 01–02, Rodbell Auditorium 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. — NIEHS Science Days

View More Events: NIEHS Public Calendar

Science Notebook

Birnbaum talks science and strategy at Dioxin 2012

NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., made three invited oral presentations and was lead researcher on four poster presentations at Dioxin 2012.

Models take spotlight at council science talks

Advances in animal models were the focus of two scientific presentations at the Sept. 11 National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council meeting.

Mouse studies may help unravel human illnesses

According to this month’s NIEHS Distinguished Lecturer, mouse geneticist Monica Justice, Ph.D., studying mice can help scientists better understand human diseases.

Allergy research uncovers heart attack link

The study by NIEHS researchers is the first to measure the presence of allergic antibodies in relation to past myocardial infarction in the U.S.

New strategy may improve delivery of medicines to the brain

The experimental treatment method allows small therapeutic agents to safely cross the blood-brain barrier by turning off a key gatekeeper protein.

Epigenetic studies can shed light on causes underlying complex disease

In a seminar Sept. 10 at NIEHS, grantee Robert Wright, M.D., explained the importance of epigenetics in reproductive health research.

Challenges persist in the critical task of determining safety of nanomaterials

NIEHS participated in an expert workshop to address issues involved in setting occupational levels of exposure for nanomaterials.

Integrating learning and memory tests into developmental neurotox studies

An enthusiastic audience of toxicologists and neuroscientists was on hand Sept. 6 to hear a presentation by animal behavioral testing expert Charles Vorhees, Ph.D.

Exploratory study first to quantify TCE in breast milk

A new study funded in part by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program reports, for the first time, levels of the environmental contaminant trichloroethylene in breast milk.

Former Superfund trainee honored for mass spec research

Food chemist and toxicologist Nils Schebb, Ph.D., was honored Sept. 18 for research he conducted as an NIEHS-supported postdoc at the University of California, Davis.

Paraoxonases — poster-children for gene-environment interactions

Veteran NIEHS grantee Clement Furlong, Ph.D., spoke at NIEHS Sept. 4 on “The Many Facets of Gene-Environment Interactions of the Paraoxonases.”

Kunkel delivers keynote at Gordon conference on mutagenesis

NIEHS scientists and grantees convened with internationally renowned scientists in Newport, R.I. for the 2012 Mutagenesis Gordon Research Conference.

Study finds that dad’s job can influence birth defects

A new NIEHS-funded study suggests men who work in certain occupations around the time of conception are more likely to father offspring with various birth defects.

Novel technique for determining DNA damage effects on gene transcription

A new study funded in part by NIEHS may enhance researchers’ ability to determine how a particular DNA lesion alters transcription and gene expression.

Low dose experts gather in Berlin

NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., welcomed participants to an international workshop Sept. 11 in Berlin with a video presentation.

This month in EHP

For its annual Children’s Health issue, Environmental Health Perspectives highlights new research on how assisted reproduction and epigenetics impact development.

Upcoming workshop on innovative safety tests for pertussis vaccines

NIEHS and FDA scientists will join international experts this fall to consider improved methods and approaches for safety testing of whooping cough vaccines.

Workshop on human genomic plasticity begins Oct. 4

There’s still time to register for free onsite attendance and webcast access for this exciting exploration of emerging science for environmental health decisions.

Extramural Research

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Intramural Research

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