University of New Mexico
METALS
Superfund Center
M etal E xposure and T oxicity A ssessment on Tribal L ands in the S outhwest
NIEHS Researcher Highlights:

UNM METALS Center Director,
Johnnye Lewis

Community-Engaged Research to Address Mining Waste on Tribal Lands 

SRP e-Posted Notes
Trainee Spotlight:

Carmen Velasco Studies Uranium to Improve Water Quality for Underserved Communities
UNM METALS SRP TRAINEES 

Currently, there are 19 graduate and post graduate trainees in the UNM METALS SRP Center. Eight previous trainees have matriculated out of the Training Core (TC); and several are now assistant professors.

Trainees actively participate in community-centered events such as research report-backs and updates to tribal communities, and presentations at tribal environmental
and IRB conferences.

Trainee research has been presented at professional meetings including the Mountain West Chapter and National meetings of the Society of Toxicology; the National IRACDA conference; the American Chemical Society National Meeting; Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration; NIH/EPA Centers of Excellence on Environmental Health Disparities Research annual meeting; the Albuquerque Chapter of the American Statistical Association; the SRP 2019 Annual Meeting; and the Southwest Conference on Disability.

The ethnic diversity of UNM METALS SRP trainees mirrors the diversity of the state of New Mexico,
a majority-minority state
TRAINEE HIGHLIGHT: Maria Isabel Meza
 I sabel Meza, a METALS SRP trainee, is studying the mechanisms controlling how uranium and arsenic interact in water. Her research on the solubility of uranium- and arsenic-containing minerals has significant implications for reducing risk and for clean-up of contaminated sites.

Working under the mentorship of Dr. Jose Cerrato (UNM Department of Civil Engineering), Isabel collaborates with researchers from across the UNM METALS Center, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Iowa.

Always enjoying learning about new subjects, Isabel never thought she would be “playing with” uranium - and is delighted for having the opportunity for interdisciplinary collaborations to find solutions to environmental risks.

According to Isabel, being a METALS SRP trainee has opened her eyes to an inclusive research community that helps her to become a better scientist with each passing day .

Isabel delivered the platform presentation "Determination of solubility products of uranyl arsenates" at SRP 2019 Annual Meeting in Seattle WA.

Outside of the lab, Isabel is the Events Coordinator from AWWA UNM Student Chapter and the mother of a beautiful 8-year-old daughter who came from Ecuador with her to pursue her dream of earning a PhD in the United States. 
SRP CROSS CENTER COLLABORATIONS
The UNM METALS Center is collaborating with SRP Centers across the country to expand data integration, interoperability and reuse based on the  FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles of data.

On Feb 21, 2020, Columbia University, the University of New Mexico and the University of California-Berkeley Superfund Research Programs, conducted the mini symposium Novel Methods for Integrating Environmental and Metal Biomarker Data.

The three SRP Centers are developing a common approach to analyze the environmental and biomarker arsenic data collected among diverse populations in Bangladesh, Chile, and the Navajo Nation in the USA.
OTHER NEWS
Dr. Erica Dashner-Titus explains “Thinking Zinc: A Community-based intervention to mitigate health effects of metals exposure” to NIEHS A cting Director Dr. Rick Woychik at the 2020 PEPH meeting in Durham, NC .
Dr. Jose Cerrato delivered an update on the L egacy of Uranium Mining on Native American Lands in New Mexic o at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science's Curator's Coffee Series
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NIH/NIEHS P42 ES025589 (UNM METALS)
This material was developed in part under cited research awards to the University of New Mexico. It has not been formally reviewed by the funding agencies. The views expressed are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the agencies. The funders do not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this presentation.

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