NIEHS epidemiologist Chandra Jackson, Ph.D., was one of two scientists who received the Ernest E. Just Prize April 17 in Charleston, South Carolina. The annual award encourages innovative research developments in treating or eradicating chronic diseases that disproportionately affect African Americans.

Ernest Everett Just, Ph.D., was an African-American scientist and native of Charleston. During the early 1900s, he pioneered a number of advances in fertility and physiology. The award in his honor is co-sponsored by the College of Charleston Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

As head of the NIEHS Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Equity Group, Jackson studies racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in sleep health and chronic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

"It is an incredible honor to be acknowledged for the work I’m doing to identify the social, behavioral, and biological pathways that contribute to disparities in chronic disease," Jackson said.

Both recipients presented research seminars at the award ceremony. This year marked the fifth Ernest E. Just Prize, according to Titus Reaves, Ph.D., an assistant professor at MUSC. He said the two researchers were chosen for outstanding work in their fields and for their commitment to excellence.