December 2024| Center for Human Health and the Environment

A Note from the Director

Hello everyone!

This time last year, I had just met many of you for the first time at our State of the Center event. Wow, it is amazing how fast a year can speed by! As the semester winds down, the winds get much colder, and we make plans for the work that can be accomplished before winter break, please take time to attend the CHHE State of the Center Social on Dec 11th to meet members of our Stakeholder Advisory Board and hear research updates from four of our Center members. If you are able, donate to help the many in need in NC. Also, a reminder of the Dec 6 extended deadline for the Rapid Response Inter-P30 WNC proposals. This week I will travel to Washington D.C. to provide invited testimony on PFAS health effects to the Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee hearing. You can listen in or view the hearing at a later time via the EPW site. This is especially important now that there will be a change in Administration on the Hill. It is crucial that the progress made in regulating "forever chemicals" does not lose its foothold. I will be noting examples of the important community informed/engaged research that our Center conducts in the area of PFAS exposures. Once returned from travel, my energy will shift to end of year reporting as the RPPR drafts are due to me from all Core/Program leads by Jan 17th. I wish you all a successful end of semester, a relaxing break and happy holidays!!

Sue Fenton

sefenton@ncsu.edu

Toxicology Bldg. 1104E

Upcoming Events

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

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News

Scott Belcher Delivered TED Talk at Planet Action Summit

Dr. Belcher presented a TED Talk at the Planet Action Summit at MIT on Nov 16. His presentation entitled "Impacts of Chemicals to our Ecosystem" focused on One Health Science and Global Policy/Regulations, showcasing groundbreaking research from NC State Centers.

Xiaoping Pan Received ECU's Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Pan was recently awarded ECU’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity. Her work is focused on understanding how environmental contaminants (e.g., nanoparticles, GenX and triclosan) and parasitic species influence the performance of organisms (e.g., like a parasite’s host) by altering biochemical processes which alter the way an individual’s genes are expressed. Congratulations, Dr. Pan!

Xian Wu Received Award at the U.S. DOHaD Society Annual Meeting

Dr. Wu as one of ten selected scientists to present his work in platform talks at the US DOHaD Society Meeting, focused on “Exploring Translational DOHaD Science: from Cells to Communities”. His abstract was chosen as Best Abstract Award, out of nearly 100 submissions. This award comes with free meeting registration for the next annual meeting and a 1 year membership fee. Congratulations, Dr. Wu!

2024 Community Grant Program Awardees

Our 2024 Community Grant Program cycle was the most competitive yet. We received 27 applications from various organizations and educators across the state, all of whom submitted a proposal to tackle an environmental health problem in their communities. After much deliberation and feedback from our external reviewers, the following three projects were chosen for funding.

Kinston Clean Creeks, led by Sound Rivers aims to support student education at Lenoir Community College and clean the aquatic environments of Kinston. The project will see Sound Rivers and LCC students assess the health of the Adkin branch. This will include testing for E. coli. The students will collect and test samples and help support two creek cleanups. Findings from the study will be recorded and available online at the Sound Rivers website.
Green Beginnings, led by Mobilizing African American Mothers Through Empowerment (MAAME) Inc . aims to remake the "Healthy Baby Guide" in such a way that it is more culturally appropriate and which addresses plastic pollution and PFAS. They will also install a water filter system in their office for people to come and collect water from. Additionally, PFAS free baby and postpartum products will be given out to participants.
Spidey Sense-r, led by North Carolina Environmental Justice Network (NCEJN) seeks to provide communities with air pollution data gathered from Funnel Weaver Spiders webs. This methodology is tested and currently used in Pitt and Wayne Counties. It provides a reliable and non-controversial way to discuss and test for air pollution. The program will also provide organizational and educational support for local environmental justice programs who desire to strengthen activism in the community. Community events will be held such as the Mapping Session, Clearing Event to clear the spider webs, and the Collection Event to collect the webs. The project will provide communities with important air quality data as well as improve community outreach and participation.

These projects will take place throughout 2025, with final results to be presented at our end of year social. Special thanks to everyone who provided an external review this cycle. We could not have made these funding decisions without you.

Click here to learn more about the Community Grant 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.

Funding Opportunities

Inter-P30 UNC/NC State Rapid Response Initiative

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

PROPOSAL EXTENDED DEADLINE: December 6, 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.

Click here to learn more about the Pilot Project Program.

Recent Publications

Alcohol Activates Cannabinoid Receptor 1 and 2 in a Model of Pathogen Induced Pulmonary Inflammation De'Jana Parker, Somnath Muhkopadyay, Vijay Sivaraman

Sodium Benzoate Induces Fat Accumulation and Reduces Lifespan via the SKN-1/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway: Evidence from the Caenorhabditis Elegans Model Jiah D Lee, Jiwoo Lee, Jerry Vang, Xiaoping Pan

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.

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Order Your CHHE Business Cards Today!

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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.