NIEHS Spotlight

Spirit Lecture Celebrates Achievement and Work-Life Balance

The Spirit Lecture Series, sponsored by the NIEHS Diversity Council, has honored women scientists who were not only leaders in their respective fields, but who were also able to balance science, community, volunteerism and mentoring....read more

NIEHS Marks International Women’s Day

On March 10 in Rodbell Auditorium NIEHS celebrated women scientists and their contributions by marking International Women’s Day. The event highlighted the scientific and personal achievements of foreign-born women scientists working in NIEHS labs with a program of talks and panel discussion....read more

RAISE Recognizes the Contribution of Women Scientists

Two scientists with a similar background on paper — a strong publication record, adequate teaching service and an exceptional history of training young scientists, for example — should have about the same chance of receiving a merit-based award or being awarded tenure. However, according to a national study, if review committee members know that one of the applicants is a woman, her chance of winning the award or gaining the promotion decreases dramatically....read more

Looking Ahead to Legal and Ethical Implications of Epigenetics

If bioethicist Mark Rothstein, J.D., is successful in his mission, the legal and scientific communities may be able to consider new research findings about the growing list of diseases related to epigenetics with at least some appreciation of their legal and ethical implications. That was one of the themes in the NIEHS grantee’s February 26 presentation at the annual Rabbi Seymour Siegel Memorial Lecture in Ethics and Law— and in the panel discussion which followed....read more

Exploring the Impact of HIV and AIDS on African American Women

Along with plenty of straight talk about the impact of HIV/AIDS on African American women, the audience at the NIEHS Black History Month Observance February 29 in Rodbell Auditorium heard a series of speakers who argued for greater participation of African Americans in clinical trials. Sponsored by the NIEHS Office of Clinical Research and the RTP Chapter of Blacks In Government (BIG), the event featured four women involved in the prevention and treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS and related diseases....read more

NIEHS Again Rated a Top Workplace for Postdocs

In the latest annual Scientist magazine ratings of top places to work for postdoctoral fellows, NIEHS again placed among the top government institutions and ahead of any other NIH Institutes or Centers (ICs). Survey respondents praised NIEHS for its strengths in the areas of career development opportunities and facilities and infrastructure....read more

Suk Speaks at Symposium Honoring Paul Lioy

A symposium honoring Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) Associate Editor Paul Lioy, Ph.D., was held at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), which is funded in part by NIEHS, on Friday, Marcy 7, 2008. Lioy was the recipient of the Fifth Annual Distinguished Alumni Award from the Rutgers University Graduate School. This distinguished award is given to a faculty member who has made significant contributions in the Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences....read more

Inside the Institute

Social Justice for People with Disabilities

According to NIEHS Bioethicist David Resnik, J.D., Ph.D., most people respond initially to the issues of accommodation for people with disabilities on the level of personal ethics. However, as Resnik explained in his March 4 talk on “Disability and Social Justice,” laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and formal statements of public policy also reflect the tenets of major theories of social justice....read more

New Triangle Roadway Proposed for 2010

Triangle residents who work in Research Triangle Park (RTP) know that the daily commute can be a test of patience at times. That’s why the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) wants to construct a six-lane, median-divided toll roadway called the Triangle Parkway....read more

Science Notebook

Epidemiologist Calls for Revitalizing Toxicology

For Devra Davis, Ph.D., the war on cancer is a prime example of the way economic and social forces can shape scientific inquiry and public health policy — and highlights the shortcomings of today’s toxicology....read more

The Role of Hormones in Breast Cancer and Metastasis

Breast cancer researcher Kathryn B. Horwitz, Ph.D., presented the most recent talk in the 2007-2008 NIEHS Distinguished Lecture Series on March 11 in Rodbell Auditorium to a capacity audience. The talk, titled "Hormonal Regulation of Breast Cancer: Stem Cells and Metastasis,". Was hosted by John Cidlowski, Ph.D., supervisory biologist in the NIEHS Laboratory of Signal Transduction....read more

New Directions in Autism Research Funded by NIEHS

Support from NIEHS is enabling researchers at NIEHS and across the country make important discoveries that may help unravel the mysteries of the complex syndromes grouped as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). New studies have been published in the past few months by NIEHS-funded investigators involved with the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) project and their colleagues....read more

Extramural Research

Extramural Update

In November 2007, the NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training (DERT) held its Annual Science Retreat, focusing on understanding Translational Research and the ability to bridge research findings from one domain to another....read more

Extramural Papers of the Month

• Black Carbon Air Pollution May Lower IQ
• Mitochondrial Protein Mortalin and the Progression of Parkinson’s Disease
• Identical Twins: Are They Really Identical?
• Flaxseed Improves Outcome from Lung Injury

Intramural Research

Intramural Papers of the Month

• Hormones Can Affect the Expression of Cardiac Genes
• Singlet Oxygen Production Indicates Site of Irradiation Damage
• Cell Surface Receptor Involved in Innate Immune Response
• Silicone Implants, Connective Tissue Disease and Monoclonal Gammopathies

Calendar of Upcoming Events

• April 3-4 (Offsite Event) in Natcher Conference Center, NIH Campus, Bethesda, Md. — Joint NIEHS SBRP-WETP Technical Workshop and WETP Spring Awardee Meeting: “Reducing Risk and Protecting Public Health Through Research and Training”
• April 4 in Rodbell Auditorium, 9:00 – 10:00 — Frontiers in Environmental Sciences Lecture Series, featuring Joe Piven, M.D., topic TBA
• April 7 in Rodbell Auditorium, 10:00 – 11:00 — Laboratory of Molecular Genetics Seminar Series, featuring Joann Sweasy, Ph.D., speaking on “Aberrant Base Excision Repair and Cancer”
• April 11 in Rodbell Auditorium, 9:00 – 10:00 — Frontiers in Environmental Sciences Lecture Series, speaker and topic TBA
• April 15-17 (Offsite Event) at Embassy Suites, Washington, D.C. — 2nd Annual CounterACT Network Research Symposium
• April 17-18 (Offsite Event), Bol, Island of Brač, Croatia —International Workshop on
  Diagnostic Criteria in Endemic (Balkan) Nephropathy
• April 18 in Rodbell Auditorium, 9:00 – 10:00 — Frontiers in Environmental Sciences Lecture Series with Jonathan Patz, M.D., topic TBA
• April 22 in Rodbell Auditorium C, 10:00 – 12:00 — “Xeriscaping and low water requiring native species for your garden” presented by UNC Habitat Gardens Curator Chris Liloia
• April 22–24 — Earth Week activities will include speakers, joint programs with EPA, a house plant exchange, and live music with musicians from both EPA and NIEHS; times and locations TBA.
  
• April 24 in Rodbell Auditorium, 10:30 – 11:30 — “The drought, water conservation, water resources and the future,” by James Lim, Durham Water Authority
• April 25 (Offsite Event) in the US EPA Main Building, RTP Campus, 8:45 – 4:30 — 11th Annual NIEHS Biomedical Career Fair
• April 25 in Rodbell Auditorium, 9:00 – 10:00 — Frontiers in Environmental Sciences Lecture Series, featuring Francois Guillemot, Ph.D., topic TBA

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) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/), Office of Communications and Public Liaison. The content 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)