NIEHS Spotlight

Birnbaum Reflects on First Year as Director

On Jan. 12, just a week shy of her one-year anniversary at the head of NIEHS/NTP, Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., made her first annual state-of-the-Institute presentation to employees and contractors.

2009 ONES Awardees Speak at NIEHS

This year's six winners of the Outstanding New Environmental Scientists (ONES) awards gathered at NIEHS Jan. 21 to deliver resentations on their research projects.

HHS Calls for More Research on BPA

NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum Ph.D., joined U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials on Friday, Jan. 15 in a call for more research on bisphenol A (BPA).

Lewis Explores Federal Partnerships in Health Research

In a January 15 lecture at NIEHS, Denise Riedel Lewis, Ph.D., discussed her diverse experience as an epidemiologist and health scientist in a number of government organizations.

Miller Confronts the Lessons of Asbestos in Libby, Mont.

A capacity audience was on hand at NIEHS Jan. 22 as guest lecturer Aubrey Miller, M.D., spoke on "Environmental Health Responses:
Asbestos and the Libby Saga."

Local Stakeholders Offer Input on SRP

At the Superfund Research Program (SRP) planning session Jan. 5, NIEHS staff heard from a distinctly local and vocal group of stakeholders - Research Triangle area grantees and a contingent of NIEHS colleagues.

NIEHS Expands Bioethics Program

As part of the NIEHS commitment to building a top notch ethics office, resources and services on bioethics are now available to all NIEHS scientists, staff, fellows, and trainees.

NYC Charity Honors Olden

The New York City charitable organization One Hundred Black Men (OHBM) will honor NIEHS/NTP Director Emeritus Ken Olden, Ph.D., at its 30th annual Benefit Gala on Feb. 25.

Superfund Researcher Named AAAS Fellow

Superfund Research Program grantee Barry Dellinger, Ph.D., was one of eight Louisiana State University researchers recently named as fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

And Off We Go — Conference Season Begins

With each new year, opportunities come to showcase NIEHS research advances and new funding programs for scientists across the country. This year is no exception.

NIEHS Community Remembers Terri Damstra

The environmental health sciences community lost one of its distinguished senior members Dec. 9 with the unexpected death of former NIEHS/WHO scientist Thressa (Terri) Damstra, Ph.D.

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Inside the Institute

Wright Wraps Career as Information Guru

NIEHS Biomedical Librarian Larry Wright, Ph.D., bid farewell to friends and colleagues on a familiar note at a retirement reception in the NIEHS Library on Dec. 30.

NIEHS Celebrates Legacy of M. L. King Jr.

Oprah-bound motivational speaker Tawana Williams returned to NIEHS on Jan. 7 as part of the Institute's annual celebration of the achievements of Martin Luther King Jr.

NIEHS to Implement New IT Governance Committee

Although most employees aren't aware of all that the NIEHS IT Governance Committee does, staffers will soon begin to reap the benefits of its efforts.

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Calendar of Upcoming Events

• February 4, in Rodbell Auditorium, 10:00-11:00 - Keystone Seminar on "Carcinogenesis: Development Gone Awry" with Ana Soto, M.D., and Carlos Sonnenschein, M.D.
• February 8, in Rall F-193, 11:00-12:00 - Laboratory of Signal Transduction Seminar Series on "Adipogenesis and Gene Expression" by Philip Pekala, Ph.D.
• February 9, in Rodbell Auditorium, 2:00-3:00 - Distinguished Lecture Series Annual Rodbell Lecture featuring Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Ph.D., speaking on "Advances in Super-Resolution Imaging"
• February 16 (Offsite Event), at North Carolina State University (NCSU) Toxicology Building on the NCSU Centennial Campus, 4:00 - Raja Jothi, Ph.D., addressing "Systems Biology and Epigenetics of Gene Regulation"
• February 17 (Offsite Event), at Perkins Library, Room 217, on the Duke University campus, 4:30-6:00 - Duke Global Health Institute Seminar on "Incomplete Combustion—the Unfinished Global Agenda for Health, Environment and Climate Protection," featuring Kirk Smith, Ph.D.
• February 18 (Offsite Event), at Sigma Xi, 12:00-1:00 - American Scientist Pizza Lunch Lecture Series featuring Jeffrey Sonis speaking on mental health impacts in the wider population of human right tribunals in Cambodia focused on the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. RSVP for pizza
• February 18-19, in Rodbell Auditorium, 8:30-5:00 - National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council (NAEHSC) meeting
• February 22, in Rall F193, 11:00-12:00 - Seminar on "Neuroinflammatory Processes in Parkinson's Disease" with Etienne Hirsch, Ph.D.
• February 26-March 2 (Offsite Event), in New Orleans - 66th Annual American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

View More Events: NIEHS Public Calendar

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Science Notebook

The Environment and T-cell Differentiation

Distinguished Lecturer Dan Littman, M.D., Ph.D., explained the contributions of several factors involved in the maturation of T cells
in a seminar Jan. 19 at NIEHS.

Birnbaum Leads NIH Delegation

NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., led a delegation of NIH scientists to the Joint Workshop on Environmental Pollution and Cancer in China and the U.S. held January 5-8 in Guangzhou, China.

Kastner Kicks Off the First Clinical Series Seminar

"When the immune system turns against its host, it can be a horrific thing," said Daniel Kastner, M.D., Ph.D., during the inaugural talk of the NIEHS Clinical Director's Seminar Series.

Pritchard Announces 2010 Intramural Research Awards

On January 19, NIEHS Acting Scientific Director John Pritchard, Ph.D., announced Intramural Research Awards (IRA) for two new collaborative initiatives by NIEHS principal investigators.

Talk Highlights Utility of Copy Number Variant Studies

In a Jan 11 guest lecture at NIEHS, Baylor College of Medicine Professor James Lupski, M.D., Ph.D., explored the clinical impact of copy number variants in the human genome.

Researcher Looks for Key to Longevity

"Aging is one certainty in life that we can all count on, but not one that is particularly well understood by the scientific community," observed Xiaoling Li, Ph.D., in her Jan. 7 talk at NIEHS.

DNA Damage Found in Patients with Friedreich's Ataxia

An NIEHS/NIH-funded team of investigators published a groundbreaking study on gene expression and DNA damage among patients with the rare inherited disease Friedreich's ataxia.

Genetic Variation Influences Response to Environmental Exposure

On January 14, NIEHS grantee David Threadgill, Ph.D., explored "Preclinical Modeling of Environmental Exposures" during the latest installment of the NIEHS Keystone Science Lecture Series.

This Month in EHP

Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) revisits lead this month in a feature article titled "Exposure on Tap: Drinking Water as an
Overlooked Source of Lead."

Lippincott-Schwartz to Give 2010 Rodbell Lecture

Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Ph.D., will present the annual Rodbell Lecture on Feb. 9 at NIEHS with a talk on "Advances in Super-Resolution Imaging."

Kirk Smith to Speak at Duke

Veteran NIEHS grantee Kirk Smith, Ph.D., will be at Duke University on Feb. 17 to present a seminar on global health that is open to the public free of charge.

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Extramural Research

Extramural Papers of the Month

• Secrets of Drought Resistance Revealed
• Crystal Structure of Variant P450 Determined
• Lead Exposure Linked to Depression and Panic Disorders
• Genetic Risk Score for Multiple Sclerosis Developed

Intramural Research

Intramural Papers of the Month

• Mapping RNA Polymerase II Stalling to Study Gene Regulation
• Store-Operated Calcium Entry Suppressed by Phosphorylated STIM1
• DNA Polymerase β and Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase Partner in DNA Base Excision Repair
• Genetic Studies Identify DNA Sequences Associated with Lung Function

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NIEHS Papers of the Year

2009 Papers of the Year

Of the more than 2,700 papers published by NIEHS-supported researchers in 2009, 24 publications were chosen as Papers of the Year:

• Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) Identifies Multiple Loci Associated with Lung Function
• Genomic-Based Model Used to Predict Chemical Hepatocarcinogenicity
• Variations in Human Gut Microbiome Linked to Obesity
• Sun Exposure May Trigger Certain Autoimmune Diseases in Women
• Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water Causes Cancer in Rodents
• Clean Air Extends Life Expectancy
• Mapping RNA Polymerase II Stalling to Study Gene Regulation
• Skin Penetration Risk For Cadmium Selenide Nanomaterials Examined
• Surfactant Decreases Quenching in Brightly Fluorescent Single-Walled Nanotubes
• SIRT1 Identified as a Key Regulator of Hepatic Lipid Metabolism
• Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Asthma Gene
• Calcium Signaling During Mitosis
• Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Genes Increasing Heart Attack Risk
• DNA Scrunching During Gap Repair Synthesis
• Alzheimer's Disease Linked to Mitochondrial Damage
• Link Between Serum Cholesterol and Asthma
• Arsenic Compromises Immune Response
• Initiation of Repair of Random DNA Double Strand Breaks Requires RAD50
• Carbon Nanotubes Can Affect the Lung's Lining
• Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity Can Be Modified by Differential Calcium Handling
• Electronic "Nose" Smells Toxins
• Female Mice Neonatally-Treated with Genistein Exhibit Reproductive Abnormalities
• Gene Variant Linked to Bladder Cancer
• Methoxyacetic Acid Disrupts Endogenous Estrogen Signaling

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The Environmental Factor is produced monthly by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) (https://www.niehs.nih.gov/), Office of Communications and Public Liaison. The text is not copyrighted, and it can be reprinted without permission. If you use parts of Environmental Factor in your publication, we ask that you provide us with a copy for our records. We welcome your comments and suggestions. (bruskec@niehs.nih.gov)