Environmental Factor

NIEHS Spotlight

Rider honored by U.S. Public Health Service medical officers

NIEHS physician-scientist and clinical researcher Capt. Lisa Rider, M.D., was named 2011 Physician Researcher of the Year.

New substances added to HHS Report on Carcinogens

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services added eight substances to its latest Report on Carcinogens released in June.

NIH honors Kunkel as distinguished investigator

In early June, NIH announced its approval for the promotion of NIEHS Principal Investigator Thomas A. Kunkel, Ph.D., to the rank of NIH Distinguished Investigator.

Annual Ethics Day probes, triggers interest

The NIEHS Office of Ethics continued where it left off the previous year, with a program featuring three notable speakers May 25 for the second annual Ethics Day.

Collman inspires Stony Brook graduates

NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training Director Gwen Collman, Ph.D., welcomed from the academic ranks a new generation of future leaders in public health.

National conversation on public health and chemical exposures releases highly anticipated Action Agenda

The Action Agenda released June 9 outlined 48 recommendations for protecting the American public from exposure to toxic chemicals and other hazardous materials.

Austin is new NIEHS associate director for management

Austin will serve as the principal advisor to NIEHS/NTP Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., on all management issues affecting the Institute.

NIEHS grantee honored for new video on breast cancer research

NIEHS-funded Bay Area Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Center was recently presented with the esteemed "Award of Distinction."

Miller welcomes and challenges 2011 summer interns

Nearly every one of the 50 students participating in the 2011 NIEHS Summer Internship Program attended a talk June 16 by Acting Scientific Director David Miller, Ph.D.

NIEHS fellow receives Endocrine Society Presidential Poster Award

NIEHS visiting fellow Javier Revollo, Ph.D., received the Presidential Poster Award at ENDO Expo 2011: The 93d Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society.

Suk honored by combustion emissions group

NIEHS Superfund Research Program founder and Director Bill Suk, Ph.D., was recognized with the Adel Sarofim Award for Excellence in Combustion Research.

NIEHS partner honored for environmental stewardship

NIEHS Public Interest Partners member Mary Lamielle received the Public Service Enterprise Group Environmental Stewardship Governor's Jefferson Award.

Klotz departs NIEHS for position at Sanford-Burnham

Klotz served as director of the NIEHS Office of Fellows' Career Development part time starting in May 2007, before transitioning into a full-time role in September 2007.

Local students energized by climate change workshop

Durham County, N.C. students spent an exciting week with NIEHS and EPA staff, learning about the science behind climate change and related health effects.

NIEHS recognized for composting

NIEHS scored an organization honorable mention in the Environmental Stewardship category of the FY2010 HHS Green Champions Awards Program.

Henry organizes session for "Sustainable Remediation 2011"

NIEHS Health Scientist Administrator Heather Henry, Ph.D., organized a multi-agency session on "Human Health" for a green chemistry meeting June 1-3 in Amherst, Mass.

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Inside the Institute

Representative David Price holds town hall at NIEHS

Veteran Congressman David Price, D-N.C., was back in his district June 17 to address NIEHS employees and contractors at a community forum in Rodbell Auditorium.

"Going local" at the spring Farmers' Fair

Local farmers and crafters exhibited their produce and products June 15 on the patio outside the Rall Building as part of the NIEHS spring Farmers' Fair.

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Science Notebook

Duke researcher gives 2011 Rodbell Lecture

Brigid Hogan, Ph.D., studies lung development in embryonic mice, and hopes her work will lead to a better understanding of the process of lung development.

Steady progress reported at SACATM

There was much to discuss and digest at this year's meeting of he Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods June 16-17 in Arlington, Va.

T cells take center stage at NIEHS symposium

Attended by more than 100 researchers, the symposium was organized by Donald Cook, Ph.D., NIEHS principal investigator and head of the Immunogenetics Group.

Autoimmune mysteries spark ongoing research

NIEHS epidemiologist Christine Parks, Ph.D., spoke May 27 on "Autoimmune diseases: What we know (and don't know) about environmental risk factors and why we care."

Is spit the future in diagnosis of preclinical Parkinson's?

NIEHS grantee Jing Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., is a scientist on a journey, searching for the Holy Grail of biomarkers for early detection of Parkinson's disease.

Copeland chairs mitochondrial disease symposium

NIEHS has teamed up with the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation to showcase research about mitochondrial toxicity to researchers, clinicians, and patients.

Superfund postdoc unravels arsenic exposure

Arsenic exposure does not have to be in large doses in order to have severe damaging effects on a biological system, according to Courtney Kozul-Horvath, Ph.D.

NIEHS at Society for In Vitro Biology meeting

NIEHS scientists contributed their bioinformatics expertise to a weeklong annual meeting of the Society for In Vitro Biology June 4-8 in Raleigh.

NIEHS trainee wows Science Café audience

Postdoctoral fellow Jeffrey Stumpf, Ph.D., presented an engaging introduction to DNA before a capacity audience at Raleigh's latest Science Café June 22.

Paper from Dudek group highlighted by Faculty of 1000

The study, which details the mechanism underlying rapid transcription of immediate early genes in neurons, appeared online in the journal Nature Neuroscience in May.

NIEHS nano consortium meets for progress updates

The NIEHS Centers for Nanotechnology Health Implications Research Consortium Meeting offered an opportunity for grantees to share and integrate data.

NIEHS-funded study suggests high infant exposure to flame retardants

A new NIEHS-funded study finds infants are being exposed to chemical flame retardants found in up to eighty percent of commonly used baby products, including car seats.

This month in EHP

The Focus feature story of the July EHP examines the chemical aftermath following the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

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Extramural Research

Extramural Papers of the Month

• Prenatal PAH exposure linked to behavioral problems in kids
• Breakfast helps to reduce childhood lead poisoning
• Endoplasmic reticulum stress in obesity
• Astrocytes and microglia display distinct sensitivities to methylmercury

Intramural Research

Intramural Papers of the Month

• Diet may protect against mutagens in fried meat
• Formation and repair of double strand breaks in yeast
• Crystal structure-based mutagenesis of EndA nuclease
• A novel protective role for beta2 adrenergic receptor in Parkinson's disease

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Calendar of Upcoming Events

• July 1, in Rall F-193, 1:00-3:00 p.m. - Grace Kissling, Ph.D., presents session one of the Biostatistics Short Course. The series continues July 5, in Rall F-193, 1:00-3:00 p.m., with Shyamal Peddada, Ph.D., presenting Biostatistics session two; July 6, in Rall F-193, 12:30-2:00 p.m., with Keith Shockley, Ph.D., presenting Bioinformatics Short Course session one; July 7, in Rodbell C, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., with Tom Randall, Ph.D., presenting Bioinformatics session two; and July 8, in Rall F-193, 1:00-3:00 p.m., with Robnet Kerns, Ph.D., presenting Bioinformatics session three.
• July 5, in Rall Executive Conference Room, 12:00- 1:00 p.m. - Receptor Mechanisms Discussion Group, with Howard Rockman, M.D., discussing "Biased GPCR [G protein-coupled receptor] Signaling"
• July 6, in Rodbell Auditorium, 3:30-4:30 p.m. - Laboratory of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology Seminar Series presentation on "Development of Polymeric Nanoconjugates for Cancer Targeting and Therapy," by Jianjun Cheng, Ph.D.
• July 7, in Rodbell Auditorium, 10:00-11:30 a.m. - Summer Internship Program Seminar Series, featuring Stavros Garanziotis, M.D., discussing respiratory biology research
• July 14, in Rodbell Auditorium, 10:00-11:30 a.m. - Summer Internship Program Seminar Series featuring Patricia Jensen, Ph.D., discussing neurobiology research
• July 14, in Rodbell Auditorium, 3:00-4:00 p.m. - Superfund Research Program Distinguished Lecture Series, featuring Bernhard Hennig, Ph.D., addressing "PCBs, Nutrition and Endothelial Cell Function: Implications in Atherosclerosis"
• July 15 (off-site event), at the NIH Natcher Center, Bethesda, Md., 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) Workshop #1 - Environmental Health Communication: Methods, Research, and Training
• July 18-20, in Rodbell Auditorium, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. - Outstanding New Environmental Scientists (ONES) Grantee Meeting
• July 28, in Rodbell Auditorium and Rall Mall, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Summer Internship Program Poster Session

View More Events: NIEHS Public Calendar

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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)