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November 2024| Center for Human Health and the Environment

A Note from the Director


Hello everyone!  


I am not sure how October flew by so fast! I hope you had some fun during one of the driest Octobers in history. The dry and pleasant weather was a blessing after the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene. Please keep that community and all of the volunteers helping them in your thoughts. Please note below that CHHE is teaming up with UNC's P30 to offer a RAPID RESPONSE pilot project RFA to assist with water quality issues in Western NC, that closes on November 22. Details for proposals are included below and on our CHHE website. Congratulations to the Fall CHHE PPP Awardees - see the list below. Great thanks to Hong Wang, David Aylor, Yogesh Saini, and all of our ad hoc reviewers that make this possible twice a year. There were 16 applications this cycle. In other news, our Center grant renewal received an excellent score and we are hopeful that we will be renewed in the new year. Thank you again to the many Center members and staff that worked hard to produce the renewal application. Sadly, Molly Puente, a PDU essential teammate, has taken a position at NIEHS and will be truly missed for her insight and creativity in preparing our big Center proposals. As we all start to think about the end of the semester and a little holiday break, please make sure to hold the date for our State of the Center Social at Transfer Co. Food Hall on Dec 11th. Our stakeholders will be invited and there will be 4 featured member science talks, in addition to our awards ceremony. It will be a great chance to enjoy each others company, meet a new collaborator, or just take a short break! Please RSVP - see the link below. I hope to see you there! I have done all I can to take your mind off the election!! Now we stay calm and wait!  


Sue Fenton

sefenton@ncsu.edu 

Toxicology Bldg. 1104E

Upcoming Events

Nov 8: Behavior and Neuroscience RIG Meeting, Javier Lopez-Soto’s Lab 12:00pm Fox 306

Nov 27: Environmental Health Disparities RIG Monthly Meeting 3:00pm Zoom

Dec. 11: State of the Center Social

Click here to Register!


The Center for Human Health and the Environment State of the Center Social will be held on on December 11th, 2024 from 2:00-5:00 pm at the Transfer Co. Food Hall. The Social is open to CHHE members and their collaborators, graduate students, postdocs, and community partners. There will be food and drinks throughout the event so please come out and socialize with your fellow CHHE members! Agenda


Add the CHHE Google Calendar to your calendar to never miss an event or opportunity!

News

David Aylor Awarded U01 Grant


Dr. Aylor is Co-Investigator on a newly funded U01 entitled "Leveraging Novel Mouse Models to Investigate Toxic Metal Exposures on Brain Aging and Alzheimer's Disease." The project will make the link between genetic susceptibility, metal exposures (Pb, As, Cd), and Alzheimer's disease pathology. It will be funded by the National Institute of Aging. David's primary role in the research will be genetic and epigenetic data analysis. This work will fit squarely in the Genes, Environment, and Precision Health RIG.

Sue Fenton Wins US DOHaD Society Scientist Award and 2024 NIEHS Group Merit Award


On Oct 15, Dr. Fenton was awarded the US DOHaD Society Scientist Award, which was established to recognize a scientist who has performed exceptional DOHaD research in the United States. The meeting was held at the Rizzo Center, Chapel Hill, NC.


On Nov 4, Dr. Fenton and a group of others will receive a NIEHS Group Merit Award for exemplary efforts to respond to community health concerns and research needs associated with the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. This award is the Institute’s highest-level honor and recognizes significant achievements that have advanced the NIEHS mission over the past year.

Sinan Sousan ECU Innovator of the Month


Dr. Stephanie Richards and Dr. Sousan (ECU Department of Public Health) are recognized by the ECU Office of Licensing and Commercialization as “Innovators of the Month” for October 2024 for their wind tunnel invention for insecticide testing. The patent provides a low-cost and compact exposure chamber that can be used for assessing the efficacy of insecticides for mosquito control to protect the public's health from mosquito-borne diseases. 

Coby Schal Awarded HUD Grant


Dr. Schal (PI) and Madhavi Kakumanu (Co-PI) received a 3-year $999,917 grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The project title is "Abatement of cockroaches and indoor biological pollutants with a sequential two-component intervention." Preliminary data for this project were generated with support from CHHE's Pilot Project Program.

Share the Good News!


Have you or someone in your research interest group or lab; received an award, served on a special committee, given an invited lecture, published a paper and/or completed a project recently? Click here to share the good news. An announcement may be included in the newsletter and/or posted on the website.

2024 FALL PILOT PROJECT AWARDEES


Title: Investigating The Role of Volatile Organic Compounds in Breast Cancer Risk and Progression

PI: Sue Fenton

Co-I: Alina Hamilton

Budget: $25,000


Title: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Atrazine Toxicity in Intestinal Malrotation

PI: Nanette Nascone-Yoder

Budget: $25,000


Title: Imprinted Genes as Novel Regulators of Senescence and Premature Aging in Response to Environmental Stress

PI: Michael Cowley

Budget: $25,000


Title: Emerging Contaminants in an Ecologically Important Transnational River Catchment: A One Health Investigation           

PI: Scott Belcher

Budget: $25,000


Title: PFAS and Eye Health: Molecular Drivers of Ocular Disease at the Intersection of Environment and Health Equity

PI: Tracy Woodlief

PI: Jessica Cooke Bailey 

Budget: $25,000

Funding Opportunities

Inter-P30 UNC/NC State Rapid Response Initiative

Special Release: Climate Impacts on Human Health in Western North Carolina

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: November 22, 2024

Click here for the RFA/Guidelines


The UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility (CEHS) and the North Carolina State Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE) NIEHS P30 Core Centers announce the availability of funding for a rapid response project addressing climate impacts on human health in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, with an emphasis on water quality and health. This inter-P30 initiative must include meaningful collaboration between scientists at NC State and UNC Chapel Hill. Each Center will allocate $25,000 toward the scientific aims of the project, and an additional $5,000 each toward the UNC and NC State P30 Community Engagement Cores to work in tandem with scientists in engaging community stakeholders. We encourage the scientific team to incorporate a diverse breadth of expertise, including population and environmental health scientists. The anticipated project period is approximately 12/02/24 - 11/31/25. 


Visit the CHHE website for more information on the Pilot Project Program.

Recent Publications

Reminders

Cite the Center



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.”


Click here for instructions on how to add the CHHE grant to your Publications in MyNCBI



Publications citing the Center grant in the acknowledgements of a manuscript and in the deposit of the manuscript in the NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) system are the currency for the P30 renewal!


PINS: Select "Center for Human Health and the Environment" as the center when submitting your proposals

CHHE Branding Materials


The CHHE letterhead, logos, and powerpoint slides are all available on the website.

Download these materials for your presentations and communications. 


Order Your CHHE Business Cards Today!


We're excited to offer personalized CHHE business cards for all members, complete this form.


Employment Opportunities


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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