Summarize this content to 1000 words Autoimmunity, a condition in which the body’s immune system reacts with components of its own cells, appears to be increasing in the U.S., according to NIEHS scientists and their collaborators. Miller also heads the NIEHS Environmental Autoimmunity Group. His team works to understand how genes and the environment may play a role in autoimmune diseases. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)In a study published April
Summarize this content to 1000 words “Underserved communities tend to be disproportionately impacted by climate change,” said Benjamin. (Photo courtesy of Georges Benjamin)How climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have increased health risks for low-income individuals, minorities, and other underserved populations was the focus of a Sept. 29 virtual event. The NIEHS Global Environmental Health (GEH) program hosted the meeting as part of its seminar series on climate, environment, and
Summarize this content to 1000 words In 2019, Arana helped to organize a symposium honoring the research accomplishments of Kunkel, her mentor at NIEHS. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw) Mercedes Arana, Ph.D., a biologist in the NIEHS DNA Replication Fidelity Group, recently spoke with the Environmental Factor about her career path, as part of an interview celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month (see first sidebar). Arana, a first-generation college student from
Summarize this content to 1000 words Leaders from NIEHS and ten other federal agencies (see first sidebar) discussed innovative strategies to tackle emerging challenges related to hazardous waste cleanup as part of Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable (FRTR) webinars, held May 19 and May 26. Suk explained that one of the biggest challenges for remediation technologies is overcoming the valley of death, a metaphor used to describe a gap in funding
Summarize this content to 1000 words On World Asthma Day, May 5, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reaffirmed its commitment to research to improve the lives of people with asthma. More than 25 million people in the United States have asthma, including 5.1 million children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This chronic lung disease can reduce quality of life, contributes to considerable emotional and financial
Summarize this content to 1000 words By combining data across different projects and disciplines, Superfund Research Program (SRP) scientists will help to answer complex, never-before-answered questions, according to SRP Director William Suk, Ph.D. By promoting data sharing, SRP seeks to accelerate scientific discoveries, stimulate new collaborations, and increase scientific transparency and rigor. (Photo courtesy of PopTika / Shutterstock.com) He spoke May 17 at the launch of a webinar series that
Summarize this content to 1000 words In my view, the strength of the NIEHS research enterprise is reflected in the roughly 200 postdoctoral, predoctoral, and postbaccalaureate scientists who help to advance the institute’s vital mission, which is to promote healthier lives by discovering how the environment affects people. I am proud that our trainees receive support, mentorship, and professional development that paves the way for their career success, whether at
Summarize this content to 1000 words Sharon Beard, Acting Chief of the NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP) has received the 2021 Rachel Carson Award from the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). The honor is conferred in recognition of the recipient’s outstanding work in environmental and industrial health and safety. Rachel Carson authored the 1962 book “Silent Spring,” widely credited for launching the modern environmental movement. Beard spoke with colleagues during
Summarize this content to 1000 words Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are occurring more frequently and are most common during the summer and early fall months when the water is warmer, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new film series, “Saving Our Ponds,” educates Cape Cod residents and tourists about what causes blooms in the area and precautions they can take to keep themselves and their
Summarize this content to 1000 words “We plan to work together, across NIEHS, to come up with creative, innovative recommendations to bring to our leadership so that we can advance collaborations that address these complex, multisectoral problems,” Dixon said. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw / NIEHS) Environmental justice, research into chemicals such as lead, and science communication (see sidebar) were major topics at the annual meeting of the North Carolina
