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Environmental Factor, May 2012

NIEHS Spotlight

Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D.NIEHS energizes researchers and community in Boston

With its most recent community engagement outreach initiative, NIEHS tackled the issues of asthma and air quality in communities within the city of Boston.

SRP logoSenator Reed visits SRP at Brown University Story contains video

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), visited the Brown University Superfund Research Program April 9.

Kirk Smith, Ph.D.Veteran grantee wins Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement Story contains video

Kirk Smith, Ph.D., is one of two winners of this year’s coveted Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, the organization announced March 20 in a press release.

Juliette Bell, Ph.D.Former staff fellow to head UMES Story contains video

Biochemist Juliette Bell, Ph.D., a former NIEHS staff fellow and research biologist, will become the next president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore July 1.

John Hollingsworth, M.D.ONES awardees elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation

Two NIEHS-funded investigators, Brent Carter, M.D., and John Hollingsworth, M.D., received an honor that recognizes exceptional early career accomplishments.

Todd ParkPresidential advisor discusses Health Data Initiative Story contains video

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Chief Technology Officer Todd Park gave a spirited talk April 5 at NIEHS about the Health Data Initiative.

NIEHS logoWETP convenes its sixth National Trainers’ Exchange Story contains video

Nearly 250 trainers from the NIEHS Worker Education and Training Program met March 28-29 to improve training methods for emergency response workers.

Cathy SarliTeam calls for creative approaches to accountability

Librarian Cathy Sarli and bioinformaticist Kristi Holmes, Ph.D., urged scientists and administrators to think outside the citations analysis box to quantify research outcomes.

Gina Solomon, M.D.Former NTP counselor named to California EPA post

Gina Solomon, M.D., will assume a top post with the California Environmental Protection Agency, according to a California Newswire press release April 11.

PEPH logoPEPH Evaluation Metrics Manual now available

After more than three years of collaboration, the Partnerships for Environmental Public Health Evaluation Metrics Manual is finally available to the public free of charge.

Raluca Dumitru, M.D., Ph.D.Stem cell fellow moves to UNC

Raluca Dumitru, M.D., Ph.D., will be director of the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Core Facility at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Twitter logoFacebook and Twitter drive NIEHS social media expansion

NIEHS continues to expand the reach of its environmental health message by creatively adapting it for the ever-exploding world of social media.

Quiana ChildressFormer NIEHS fellow receives travel award

Quiana Childress was selected to receive a FASEB Minority Access to Research Careers travel award to attend the Experimental Biology 2012 meeting.

Carol Folt, Ph.D.Folt appointed interim president at Dartmouth Story contains video

Carol Folt, Ph.D., a member of the Superfund Research Program at Dartmouth College, was appointed interim president of the college April 17.

Sarah Swerdlow, Ph.D.Trainees reach out to area students for NC DNA Day

This April, NIEHS trainees once again traded in their pipettes for hall passes to participate in North Carolina DNA Day.

Seal of U.S. House of RepresentativesBirnbaum discusses 12th ROC at congressional joint hearing

NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., addressed questions regarding the NTP report April 24 during a U.S. House of Representatives joint subcommittee hearing.

Department of Health & Human Services LogoEnvironmental justice advocates honored as green champions

NIEHS staffers Chip Hughes, Sharon Beard, and Liam O’Fallon are being honored with the Good Neighbor Award by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Inside the Institute

Tammy Collins, Ph.D.NTA meeting addresses accomplishments and concerns

The NIEHS Trainees Assembly held its spring 2012 general assembly meeting April 19, highlighting its accomplishments and plans for the upcoming year.

Bono Sen, Ph.D.Outreach staff hits the pavement during NC Science Festival

NIEHS outreach specialists joined the tens of thousands of people who flocked to Raleigh April 20-21 for the grand opening of the new Nature Research Center.

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Calendar of Upcoming Events

  • May 03, Rodbell A, 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. — Seminar with Rich Cregari speaking on “Emerging Automotive Technology”
  • May 03–04, Keystone 1003AB 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. — NIEHS Centers for Neurodegeneration Science Directors’ Meeting
  • May 07, 101/F-193 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. — Laboratory of Signal Transduction Seminar Series on “Control of Cholesterol/Lipid Homeostasis: the SREBP/miR-33 Circuit,” by Stefan Feske, M.D.
  • May 07, Rodbell Auditorium 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. — Laboratory of Molecular Genetics Fellows’ Invited Guest Lecture with Maureen Murphy, Ph.D., addressing “The Impact of p53 Polymorphic Variants on Cancer and Disease”
  • May 09–12 (Offsite event), Raleigh (N.C.) Convention Center, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. — Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting and 75th Anniversary Celebration
  • May 09, Rodbell Auditorium 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. — Ethics Day with guest speakers Kevin Elliot, Ph.D., and Meave Tooher
  • May 15, 101/F-193, 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. — Carlos de los Santos, Ph.D., speaking on “History of DNA Repair — Anecdotal Observations on the Origins of Mutation Research”
  • May 21–22, Rodbell Auditorium, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. — National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council Meeting
  • May 23, 101/F-193, 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. — Laboratory of Neurobiology Seminar Series with Ted Abel, Ph.D., topic TBA.
  • May 24, Rodbell C 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. — Seminar on “Responding to Community Concerns on Environmental Public Health — Advancing the Scientific Research, Translation, and Policy Agenda,” by Andrea Hricko
  • May 29–30, Rodbell Auditorium May 29 1:00 p.m. - 5 p.m.–May 30 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. — Symposium on Motif Identification and ChIP-seq Data Analysis

View More Events: NIEHS Public Calendar

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Science Notebook

Keith Yamamoto, Ph.D.Keith Yamamoto delivers 2012 Rodbell Lecture Story contains video

Keith Yamamoto, Ph.D., continued an annual tradition of outstanding Rodbell lectures with his seminar April 10, titled “Cell-, Gene-, and Physiology-Specific Regulation by the Glucocorticoid Receptor.”

Gail Martin, Ph.D.Spirit Lecture honors accomplished female scientist Gail Martin Story contains video

In recognition of Women’s History Month, University of California, San Francisco professor Gail Martin, Ph.D., delivered the 2012 NIEHS Spirit Lecture April 16.

Harriet Kinyamu, Ph.D.NIEHS scientist wins top rating at cancer conference

NIEHS Staff Scientist Harriet Kinyamu, Ph.D., won a poster prize at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting March 31-April 4 in Chicago.

Sri Nadadur, Ph.D.Science writers learn about NIEHS nano program Story contains video

NIEHS Health Scientist Administrator Sri Nadadur, Ph.D., delivered the American Scientist’s lunchtime seminar March 27 at Sigma Xi headquarters in RTP.

Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health LogoNew studies offer insight into effects of air pollution on children Story contains video

Two new NIEHS-funded studies, led by researchers at Columbia University, link urban air pollution with asthma risk and behavioral problems in children.

Joel Schwartz, Ph.D.Temperature variability tied to shorter life expectancy

NIEHS- funded researchers report that increasing variability in summer temperatures may reduce the life expectancy of elderly people with chronic medical conditions.

Kelly BrunstEarly-life exposure to secondhand smoke affects girls more than boys

The negative health effects of early-life exposure to secondhand smoke appear to impact girls more than boys — particularly those with early-life allergic sensitization.

Michael Waalkes, Ph.D.Arsenic turns stem cells cancerous, spurring tumor growth

NTP lead researcher Michael Waalkes, Ph.D., and his team have discovered how exposure to arsenic can turn normal stem cells into cancer stem cells.

Bernhard Hennig, Ph.D.Does diet alter damage from environmental exposures?

What people eat may be able to determine whether or how extensively powerful chemicals, such as PCBs, damage their bodies, according to a new NIEHS-funded study.

Audience member at GEMS spring meetingGEMS goes transdisciplinary with spring meeting

The agenda was designed to highlight emerging environmental issues — ones that are changing people’s everyday lives and challenging preconceived notions.

Reuben Harris, Ph.D.Harris discusses novel target to promote HIV eradication

Cancer geneticist Reuben Harris, Ph.D., spoke April 16 as part of the Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis Fellows Invited Guest Lecture Series.

Scott Belcher, Ph.D.BPA exposure traced to abnormal heart rhythms

A new study by NIEHS grantees links the chemical bisphenol A to increased frequency of arrhythmias, or heartbeat irregularities, in animals.

Meredith GoldenColumbia University unveils NPL mapper

NIEHS-funded researchers have developed a new online mapper capable of displaying population and environmental characteristics of areas surrounding hazardous waste sites.

EHP logoThis month in EHP Story contains video

The lead news story in the May issue of Environmental Health Perspectives examines Shell’s plans for addressing oil spills in Arctic seas.

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Extramural Research

Extramural papers of the month/news/newsletter/2012/5/dert/index.htm

Intramural Research

Intramural Papers of the Month/news/newsletter/2012/5/dir/index.htm

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