Superfund Basic Research ProgramArizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants (ALEC) Opens Doors for First Open House The University of Arizona (UA) SBRP, along with UA Colleges of Science, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Engineering, and Pharmacy, and researchers from Arizona State University in Tempe and Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, held an open house for the Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants (ALEC) January 21, 2009. This progressive laboratory will provide many different researchers with the ability to explore a wide range of organic and inorganic contaminants in water. Jon Chorover, co-director of ALEC, stressed the Program and lab's capabilities, "ALEC is focused on detection and quantification of inorganic and organic contaminants- inorganics, such as arsenic, uranium and lead, and organics, such as endocrine-disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, and personal-care products...it [has] state-of-the art analytical equipment, [which] is available for use by anyone in Arizona's water research community� training students and future researchers is one of the lab's core missions." ALEC will also work with researchers who study how persistent pollutants like the solvent trichloroethylene, or TCE, behave in the environment. "Our intent is to work with researchers across the board in terms of contaminants chemistry and the environment." A National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation Program grant of $578,000 provided funding for most of the equipment. ALEC receives additional support and funding from the UA's Water Sustainability Program, the Arizona Water Institute, the UA's Office of the Vice President for Research and the UA Colleges of Science, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Engineering and Pharmacy, and the UA's Superfund Basic Research Program. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Release New Request for Applications (RFA) The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have released a new Request for Applications (RFA) to solicit applications designed to collect information on community exposures to environmental or occupational agents or exposure-related diseases and use this new information to support environmental public health action. The RFA (RFA-ES-09-001) is now available online: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-09-001.html (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/ RFA-ES-09-001.html) . Details about the RFA This RFA solicits research applications designed to bring together community members and environmental and occupational health researchers to investigate the potential health risks of environmental and occupational exposures that are of concern to the community. Research will focus on environmental or occupational agents known or strongly suspected to be a significant environmental public health issue by community members but lacking basic information on exposure levels, sources of exposure, or potential health effects. An education, outreach, prevention or intervention program(s) also must be developed to translate and disseminate research findings to relevant audiences (e.g., scientists, community members, healthcare professionals, and policymakers) to inform them about the potential health burden(s) associated with environmental or occupational agents in their community, with the ultimate goal of supporting actions that will lead to the prevention or reduction of harmful environmental/occupational exposures and improve human health. Evaluation will be a central component of all projects. Applicants may request a project period of up to four years and a budget for direct costs of up to $225,000 per year. The NIEHS intends to commit $2 million in FY2009 to fund five to seven new grants in response to this FOA. The NIOSH intends to commit $500,000 in FY2009 to fund one to two new grants in response to this FOA. Applications are due April 1, 2009.
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Dr. Palmer Taylor, UCSD SBRP Grantee, Receives the 2009 Julius Axelrod Award Dr. Palmer Taylor, University of California, San Diego (UCSD) SBRP, is the recipient of the 2009 Julius Axelrod Award in Pharmacology (http://www.aspet.org/PUBLIC/awards/axelrod_aw ard.html) . The award will be presented by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) at the 2009 Experimental Biology Conference (http://www.aspet.org/public/meetings/eb09.htm l) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Each year, the Axelrod Award is given to an individual who has significantly contributed to "the understanding of biochemical mechanisms underlying the pharmacological actions of drugs and for contributions to mentoring other pharmacologists." Dr. Taylor's achievements were noted as the prestigious award's newest recipient. He is honored for his research accomplishments and his years of dedication to the UCSD community. Today, Dr. Taylor serves in the capacity of Dean of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; the Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences; the leader of the UCSD SBRP's Research Training Core for graduate students; and the Sandra and Monroe Trout Chair in Pharmacology. The SBRP would like to extend hearty congratulations to Dr. Taylor for his achievements. |
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