Summer Science Communication Intern, Kareem Dudley

My name is Kareem Dudley and I am a senior biology student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. I was ecstatic to work with the CHHE this summer. Environmental science is something I have always been interested in learning more about and I can honestly say I have learned way more than I can imagine this summer. We focused a lot on PFAS chemicals and how they affect our environment and bodies. My favorite memory from this summer was going into the lab and doing water sample prep with Lacey Brown, CEC Program Manager. We extracted PFAS from water samples collected from different bodies of water around North Carolina. Another favorite memory of mine was touring the labs and being able to hold an actual human brain! Prior to my internship I always thought I would go into the medical field but now I am eager to learn more about environmental science and I am heavily considering going into this field when I graduate. I greatly enjoyed my time here this summer. I got to learn so many things and meet some awesome people in such a short amount of time. I am grateful for this opportunity.

New Data Manager, Nathan Dunn

My name is Nathan Dunn and I have been working in Information Management and Data analysis roles for the past five years at both the EPA and Duke. I received my bachelor's in Business and Information Technology from NC State and I received my Masters in Library Science from North Carolina Central University. In my spare time I enjoy playing board games, music and finding new movies and shows to watch with my wife Isabela. We have a dog named Koda and a cat named Maggie who are a real handful, particularly when they're in the same room. I'm looking forward to bringing my skills to CHHE and getting to know you all. Nathan will be joining us August 14 to help support your data management needs.

Community Engagement Core, Teacher Program

You may have seen some unfamiliar faces in the halls over the last few weeks. We are about halfway through this year's Environmental Health Research Experiences for Teachers program. Ten teachers are spending six weeks in CHHE labs getting hands-on experience that they can take back to their classrooms. Shout-out to the Buchwalter, Duckworth, Gaddameedhi, Hall and Marsden labs for hosting!

So far our teachers have nothing but good things to say about everyone they've worked with and how they're excited to talk to their students about how things like the PCR, gel electrophoresis, DNA sequencing and cell cultures they're learning how to do are used to solve real-world problems like understanding ALS, treating cancer and improving water quality. 

Late July we toured a bunch of CHHE labs around campus. Big thanks to the Bonner, Cowley, Hoyo, Meitzen, Roberts and Schal labs for giving the teachers a taste of your work! Teachers got to look at mayflies and lung cells under the microscope, see some "live" action in the Cowley lab, get up close and personal with bed bugs and cockroaches and check out a human brain. Mark your calendars for 10am on Friday 8/11 to see the teachers present posters about their time with us. 

Behavior and Neuroscience Group RIG, New lead Kurt Marsden

Kurt's lab is focused on defining how genetic and environmental factors impact neural development and behavior. Using zebrafish as a model system and an array of techniques including high-throughput behavior analysis, next generation sequencing, proteomics, and confocal microscopy, his group aims to uncover mechanisms that underlie neurodegenerative diseases like ALS as well as neurodevelopmental conditions like autism, epilepsy and CHARGE Syndrome. Kurt's lab has also established collaborations with other groups at NCSU to study the impact of Vitamin D signaling and exposure to cadmium and mixtures of cyanotoxins on neural development. In taking on the leadership of the Behavior and Neuroscience RIG Kurt hopes to further foster a collaborative and broadly inclusive neuroscience community within CHHE and across NCSU to share expertise and resources and to support new funding efforts and trainee development.