March 2022| Center for Human Health and the Environment
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Upcoming Events
March 4: CHHE Behavior & Neuroscience RIG Meeting: Dr. Casey Nestor, “Nutritional regulation of LH secretion” 4:00pm zoom link
March 22: Toxicology/CHHE Seminar: Dr. Steve Roberts,“APOBEC3A-induced mutagenesis during cancer development and treatment” 4:00pm zoom link
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Jane Hoppin received the UNC Board of Governors Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr. Award
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Dr. Hoppin received the 2021 Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service. The award honors faculty who exemplify the University’s commitment to service and community engagement. Created in 2007 and renamed in 2013 to honor former Gov. James E. Holshouser, Jr., the award was designed to “encourage, identify, recognize and reward public service by employees of the University.”
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Congratulations to Erin Baker and Albert Keung! Named 2021-22 University Faculty Scholars
Dr. Baker and Dr. Keung were named to NC State’s 2021-22 class of University Faculty Scholars. These early- and mid-career faculty receive this designation in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements and contributions to NC State through their teaching, scholarship and service to the university and beyond.
Congratulations to Jennifer Runkle! Awarded a NIEHS R15 grant
Dr. Runkle was awarded a NIEHS R15 grant entitled "A Causal Analysis of the Complex Mental Health Impacts of the Climate Crisis in Young People". This 3 year grant will involve collaboration with co-PI Dr. Maggie Sugg at Appalachian State University to provide new insights into the timing and incidence of the mental health consequences in youth impacted by climate disasters. The project will extend causal inference linking wildfire, hurricanes, and heat to mental health risk in youth for single events and across co-occurring climate disasters complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Upcoming CHHE Speakers
The Toxicology Spring Seminar Series began on January 11, 2022 at 4:00pm. All seminars will be held via zoom webinar on Tuesdays at 4pm. We are trying to host as many of them in person as we can in the Toxicology Auditorium (rm. 2104). Please check the TOX Seminar Series Calendar and weekly flyer to confirm it will be held in person. Toxicology and CHHE are co-sponsoring five speakers throughout the semester.
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March 22: Dr. Steve Roberts, "APOBEC3A-induced mutagenesis during cancer development and treatment" 4pm zoom link
Dr. Steve Roberts is an associate professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences at Washington State University in Pullman, WA where his lab studies mechanisms of mutagenesis during cancer development. His interests in DNA damage, DNA repair, and mutation began during his Ph.D. research in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Roberts’s group has contributed significant discoveries on the mechanisms leading to the APOBEC mutation signature in human cancers, including how these enzymes damage nuclear DNA, identifying APOBEC3A as a key enzyme causing the signature, and understanding how this type of mutagenesis is controlled. Additionally, his lab has worked to develop methods to map the location of DNA base lesions at single nucleotide resolution to understand how DNA damage, DNA repair, and chromatin structure contribute to the formation mutation hotspots in cancers like melanoma.
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Eric Brooks (Full Member)
Dr. Brooks recent work has focused on genetic and cellular mechanisms that drive closure of the cranial neural tube, the embryonic structure that gives rise to the brain. Defects in this closure process are among the most common human congenital diseases. In humans this disease is strongly impacted by both genetic and environmental factors. However, the impact of these environmental agents on the core developmental mechanisms of cranial closure remains largely opaque. He hopes to address this by examining how environmental perturbations modulate developmental signals as well as the core molecular machinery responsible for individual cell dynamics.
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Rob Onyenwoke (Full Member)
Dr. Onyenwoke is classically trained biochemist with interests in bioenergetics, specifically kinase-mediated mechanisms, and in the fields of biochemistry, metabolism, cell biology and pharmacology. His major area of study has developed into actively investigating the mechanisms involved in acute and chronic airway disease and more specifically how Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) products such as E-cigarette (E-cig) use or “vaping” contributes to disease onset and progression. His lab work will ultimately provide: insights into how ENDS-specific constituents alter molecular and cellular pathways of vaping-induced inflammation, and developmental biomarkers for predicting toxicity, for both potential regulatory consequences and therapeutic development.
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Sinan Sousan (Full Member)
Dr. Sousan's research focuses on airborne exposures (aerosols and toxic gases) and their health effects. His specific expertise is related to exposure measurements and the possible health effects based on the quantitative analysis of the data collected. His current active projects are personal exposure using low-cost sensors, respiratory protection and respirator efficiency test, quantifying secondhand electronic cigarette exposure, and detecting airborne pathogens inside residential halls and occupational sites.
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Meet the CHHE's Stakeholder Advisory Board
This group of educators, academics, and advocates exemplify the diversity of our partner communities and provide a pulse on emerging local environmental health issues. They can be a sounding board for new research ideas, a connection to new stakeholder groups, and an invaluable source of knowledge and expertise. This month, you’ll meet the advocates.
The Advocates:
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The Cape Fear River basin may be huge, but from hog farms, to coal ash, and from PFAS to biogas, Kemp is on top of all things water quality and human health.
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Heather is our gal for all things Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River basins. Heather leads Sound Rivers’ efforts around harmful algal blooms, nutrient pollution, and citizen science water quality monitoring.
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Lenora Smith | Executive Director, PEACH
For more than 15 years, Lenora has been leading PEACH’s work around in-home and childhood lead exposure in East Durham. Over the last few years, PEACH has begun expanding to address other aspects of community health. During the pandemic, Lenora has directly connected hundreds of East Durham residents with vaccines, PPE, fresh produce, lead-safe cleaning materials, and environmental education resources.
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Clean Aire NC (formerly Clean Air Carolina) serves the entire state, focusing on air pollution, climate change, and environmental justice. Among a bunch of great stuff they are working on, Clean Aire NC is working to build “cluster networks” of community-based air quality monitoring in marginalized communities.
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Research Interest Group Updates
Behavior and Neuroscience Interest Group
Leader: Emilie Rissman
The Neuroscience and Behavior RIG invites anyone interested, in or out of the CHHE community, to attend their monthly get togethers. They will rotate the lab in the spotlight and that lab will present new data, old data, ideas for experiments, etc. Whatever strikes their fancy. The first meeting is Oct. 1st at noon and they will meet each first Friday thereafter at 12:00pm.
March 4: CHHE Behavior & Neuroscience RIG Meeting: Dr. Casey Nestor, “Nutritional regulation of LH secretion” 4:00pm zoom link
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CHHE Seed Funds Available - Use it or Lose it
CHHE provides Full Members up to $5,000/year (April 1-March 31) for projects that are related to the mission of the Center. CHHE will provide these funds to defray costs associated with using the Systems Technology Core (STC) (metabolomics, metallomics, proteomics and genomics) and the Comparative Pathology Core (tissue embedding, sectioning, and staining). Please note that Seed Funds can also be used at other NC State core facilities including Analytical Instrumentation Facility, Cellular and Molecular Imaging Facility, and the Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Lab.
Note: Due to the pandemic and research restart, the Genome Sciences Laboratory (GSL) has a significantly longer turnaround time than normal. Therefore, from July to December 31, 2021 CHHE full members can use their STC funds or Seed Funds to get NGS sequencing done at external vendors such as Duke, UNC-CH, Novagene etc. CHHE will reevaluate this temporary change at the end of 2021.
To request Seed Funds or STC Voucher Funds go to the CHHE website and click on Supplemental Funds.
Funds must be used by March 31, 2022 so work in core facilities must be completed by mid-March 2022.
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Employment Opportunities
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!
The CHHE Website posts job openings in the environmental health sciences field. Send us your postings for new jobs, email Michico (MJ) James. It's a great place for students and post-docs to see new available positions.
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Cleaning out your lab? Updating your equipment?
Local schools can use your old lab supplies!
The CEC is looking to give lab supplies and equipment a new home with local science teachers to help them implement hands-on EHS activities in their classrooms. If you're ever looking to get rid of items email Katy May! There's a good chance that the teachers we work with in Wake and Durham counties will be able to use them in their classrooms, summer camps, and after school programs.
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Career Development: Want some help with your grant?
All investigators, especially Early Stage Investigators, are encouraged to work with the Career Development Core to develop and refine their grants. Email chhe-ncstate@ncsu.edu to set up a chalk talk to help organize ideas for your next proposal. |
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Reminders
Please remember to cite and acknowledge NIH award support and the CHHE’s P30 grant in future publications and presentations by including this –
“Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P30ES025128. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.”
Publications citing the Center grant in the acknowledgements of a manuscript and in the deposit of the manuscript in NIHMS are the currency for the P30 renewal!
CHHE Resources and Facilities Page for NIH Grants is available on the CHHE website.
PINS: Remember when submitting your grants, be sure to select "Center for Human Health and the Environment" as a center in PINS. Link to Additional Resources
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CHHE Cited Publications
Click here to check them out!
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