November 2021 | Center for Human Health and the Environment
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Upcoming Events
Nov. 5: CHHE Neuroscience & Behavior RIG Meeting: Dr. Emilie Rissman, ”Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll: two out of the three.” zoom link
Nov. 9: Toxicology/CHHE Seminar: Dr. Yvonne Fondufe-Mitlendorf, "Epigenetic Reprogramming in Response to an Environmental Toxicant" zoom link
Nov. 16: Toxicology/CHHE Seminar: Dr. Suzanne Martos, "Single-Cell Approaches Reveal altered CD8+ T Cells in Smokers Indicating Immune Dysfunction and Premature Aging" zoom link
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SAVE THE DATE
Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022
6th. Annual CHHE Symposium
Climate Change and Health
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In the News
EPA announces plans to set PFAS limit in drinking water, accelerate cleanup
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans Monday to regulate per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — manmade "forever chemicals" found in many household products and North Carolina rivers.
The agency intends to establish and enforce national limits for PFAS in drinking water. The move comes after years of advocates calling for stronger PFAS rules.
“This is a bold strategy that starts with immediate action,” said Michael Regan, EPA Administrator and former secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). “We’re going to use every tool in our toolbox to restrict human exposure to these toxic chemicals.''
Regan spoke at a press conference Monday afternoon at North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus in front of Lake Raleigh. Governor Roy Cooper, current DEQ secretary Elizabeth Biser, and other state and local officials also attended the press conference. Full Article
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Take a moment to review the new site, your information, and your RIG information. Email Michico(MJ)James with any revisions or updates. |
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2021 CHHE Outstanding Member Awardee
Congratulations to Katy!
Katyln May
Co-Director, Community Engagement Core
This award is given in recognition of Katy’s outstanding contributions to community engagement and to the Center. Katy has advanced the stature and impact of the Center through her important contributions to the Center involving her work with teachers and their students, the NIEHS-funded High School Teacher’s Summer Program, community groups in Durham, Raleigh and Wilmington Community especially during these challenging pandemic times and on expanding environmental literacy in NC.
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Kylie Rock
Kylie is a Postdoc in Dr. Scott Belcher’s lab at NC State. Her research investigates the mechanisms by which environmental contaminants can impact sensitive windows of development and impact long-term health. My current projects in the Belcher lab focus on physiological outcomes in wildlife exposed to per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
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Derek Werthmann
Derek's research interests are concerned with the discovery of the environmental exposures that contribute to or protect against illnesses, injuries, disabilities, and deaths; and identification of public health actions to manage the associated risks. The theme of his research interest is to better understand the individual, social and environmental factors to health and well-being among populations who have traditionally experienced disparities in health and access to health care.
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New Grants
Cathrine Hoyo
Co-Is: Randy Jirtle, David Skaar, Jung-Ying Tzeng
R01 Novel Imprint Control Regions (ICRs) Responsive to Environmental Exposures ($3,115,275)
The overarching goal of this grant is to leverage the newly identified ICRs, to develop a custom platform for measuring them in human specimens, and statistically identify the subset of the human imprint-ome associated with one of the most common trace metals—cadmium, a heavy metal that is sequestered by the placenta, contributing to placental dysfunction. This ICR custom platform will be invaluable in identifying regions of developmental epigenetic perturbation associated with other early-acquired diseases or exposures, creating new opportunities for early detection and understanding the fetal origins of human health and disease.
Shobhan Gaddameedhi
Shobhan recently received the EMGS Education Award from the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EMGS). According to the EMGS website, this award conferred from time to time in recognition of EMGS members of long-standing dedication to educating and mentoring the future generation of scientists in the field of environmental mutagenesis.
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Upcoming CHHE speakers
The Toxicology Seminar Series began on August 17, 2021. All the seminars start at 4:00pm, some will be in person and all of them will be available via zoom.
CHHE is sponsoring two speakers in November. Please join us for their seminars at 4:00pm on Tuesday. zoom link
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Nov. 9: Yvonne Fondufe-Mitlendorf, "Epigenetic Reprogramming in Response to an Environmental Toxicant"
Dr. Fondufe-Mitlendorf's lab focuses on mechanisms by which chromatin and the epigenome are modulated during normal growth and in response to environmental cues. Her lab uses multifaceted approaches at the interface between biology, toxicology, bioinformatics and medicine, to study how when the modulation of chromatin and epigenomics goes awry, changes in gene expression ensues that then drive disease pathology. Her findings will not only provide a basic mechanistic insight into principles that govern gene regulation but will also inform on gene expression dysregulation in disease pathology and ultimately drug discovery.
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Nov. 16: Suzanne Martos, "Single-Cell Approaches Reveal altered CD8+ T Cells in Smokers Indicating Immune Dysfunction and Premature Aging"
Dr. Martos is the 2020 recipient of the Best Postdoctoral Publication Award from the Society of Toxicology, for her manuscript published in Cell Reports Medicine on the effects of tobacco smoke on the human immune system. In this paper, Dr. Martos described the use of single cell RNA-sequencing to identify a subpopulation of natural killer-like cells that is increased in smokers. Her work also demonstrates that smoking is associated with increased epigenetic aging and immune dysfunction.
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Research Interest Group Updates
Environmental Epigenetics and Genetics Research Interest Group
Leaders: David Aylor and Mike Cowley
The Environmental Epigenetics and Genetics RIG is sponsoring Suzanne Martos, Postdoctoral Fellow at NIEHS on November 16 at 4:00 pm.
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. We 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 we will meet each first Friday thereafter at 12:00pm.
Nov 5: Emilie Rissman, ”Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll: two out of the three.” zoom link
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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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