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Superfund Basic Research Program

January 26, 2009 New

Arizona 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.

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January 6, 2009

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) Exit NIEHS Website.

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.
Prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent (LOI) due March 1, 2009.
Peer Review Date(s): June 2009
Council Review Date(s): August 2009
Earliest Anticipated Start Date(s): September 30, 2009

Questions?
Caroline H. Dilworth, Ph.D., dilworthch@niehs.nih.gov, (NIEHS)
Bernadine Kuchinski, Ph.D., BKuchinski@cdc.gov, (NIOSH)

January 5, 2009

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) Exit NIEHS Website. 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) Exit NIEHS Website 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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December 22, 2008

Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., A.T.S., Appointed as New NIEHS Director

On December 3, 2008, the National Institutes of Health announced the appointment of Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., A.T.S., as the Director of NIEHS. Currently, Dr. Birnbaum is a Senior Toxicologist with EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment; she will begin her new appointment in January 2009.

As NIEHS Director, Dr. Birnbaum will oversee multidisciplinary biomedical research programs and prevention and intervention efforts that encompass training, education, technology transfer, and community outreach. Her expertise lies in the areas of risk assessment and toxicological effects of dioxins, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and endocrine disrupting chemicals.

For more information on Dr. Birnbaum, please refer to the NIH press release (http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2008/niehs- 03.htm) Exit NIEHS Website.

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December 22, 2008

UC-Davis Host SBRP Annual Meeting, December 7-9, 2008

The SBRP marked 21 years of research and training success at its annual meeting held December 7-9 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds (Pacific Grove, California). This year's meeting, "Innovative Science and Technology for Mitigating Human, Ecological and Environmental Risks," was hosted by the University of California, Davis (UC-D), and sponsored by the NIEHS.

Keynote speakers, Drs. Arlene Blum (biophysical chemist and Visiting Scholar with the Department of Chemistry, UC-Berkeley) and Martin Kenney (Professor on Human and Community Development, UC-Davis), gave presentations titled, "The Fire Retardant Dilemma: Balancing Fire Safety, Human Health, and Environmental Protection" and "Is the Mandatory Invention Ownership University TLO the Best Method of University Technology Transfer?", respectively. These presentations supported the meeting's mission to focus on improved measurement tools for monitoring human and ecological exposure and biological/toxicological effects of Superfund chemicals in order to facilitate more accurate risk assessments with regard to Superfund chemicals in our environment.

2008 Student Poster Awards for Outstanding Poster presentations were awarded by Dr. Claudia Thompson, Acting Director of the SBRP:
Sunday Night Winner: Stephen Richardson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Monday Night Winner: Courtney Kozul, Dartmouth College

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December 22, 2008

Eleventh Annual Karen E. Wetterhahn Memorial Award Presented at Annual Meeting

Dr. Bill Suk, NIEHS Acting Deputy Director, presented the eleventh annual Karen E. Wetterhahn Award (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/s brp/training/training6.cfm) to Ms. Laura Senier, doctoral candidate, Department of Sociology, Brown University. Her presentation, "Public Schools and Contaminated Land in Rhode Island: Using SBRP Research Translation and Community Outreach to Foster Research and Advocacy," emphasized how translation and outreach activities can engage community groups while supporting policy in public health and environmental justice.

Currently, Ms. Senier is working on her dissertation under the guidance of Dr. Phil Brown. Her research examines how genomics is influencing public health research and practice in the United States, focusing on breast cancer research.

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December 22, 2008

SBRP-er Moves On

Earlier this month Ms. Kathy Ahlmark, our esteemed SBRP colleague, joined our sister NIEHS program, the Worker Education and Training Program (WETP). Over the last nine years, Kathy has been an indispensable asset to the SBRP. Those of you who have worked closely with her are well aware of her countless contributions.

Please join the SBRP in congratulating Ms. Ahlmark as she pursues her new career at the NIEHS�her e-mail address will remain: Ahlmark@niehs.nih.gov.

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December 22, 2008

Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society Awards Timothy Phillips 2009 Walston Chubb Award

Timothy D. Phillips, Ph.D., Professor of Toxicology, Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences at Texas A&M University, received the 2009 Walston Chubb Award for Innovation. The Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society presents this award to honor and promote creativity in science and engineering. Dr. Phillips is recognized for his research in food safety and toxicology; he currently holds three patents describing novel dietary strategies and enterosorbent interventions to treat disease in animals and humans. More information on Sigma Xi at Texas A&M (http://sigmaxi.tamu.edu/) Exit NIEHS Website is available on the web site.

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December 22, 2008

U.S.-Mexico Binational Center Hosts a Specialized Workshop in Sonora, Mexico

The University of Arizona's (UA) U.S.-Mexico Binational Center for Environmental Sciences and Toxicology hosted its sixth Specialized Workshop in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, "Health Impacts, Management, and Treatment of Contaminants in Southern Sonora," from October 27-28, 2008. The workshop was held in the new Centro de Estudios Estratégicos y de Negocios building (ITSON), and focused on regional environmental and health impacts in southern Sonora, such as arsenic, pesticides, and municipal landfills. Maria Mercedes Meza Montenegro, Ph.D., (Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora-ITSON) helped coordinate the workshop. Workshop assistants included collaborators from Universidad de Sonora (UNISON), Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila (UAC), and Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE). For more information, visit the University of Arizona's SBRP press release (http://www.superfund.pharmacy.arizona.edu/new s/ITSON_Workshop_2008.php) Exit NIEHS Website.

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December 22, 2008

SBRP Distinguished Lecture Seminar Showcases Dr. Barry Dellinger's Research

Barry Dellinger, Ph.D., Patrick F. Taylor Chair, Professor of Chemistry, and Director of the LSU Interdepartmental Environmental Co-operative, presented his research,"Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals: A New Paradigm for the Toxicity of Fine Particles" at the NIEHS (RTP, NC), Wednesday, December 17th.

Dr. Dellinger spoke of his discovery of persistent free radicals (PFRs) — newly detected molecules that form on airborne nanoparticles and other fine particle residues as gases cool in smokestacks, automotive exhaust pipes and household chimneys. PFRs can linger in the air and travel large distances. Once PFRs are inhaled, Dr. Dellinger suspects they are absorbed into the lungs and other tissues where they contribute to DNA and other cellular damage. This discovery is a potential explanation for the 10-15% of lung cancers that cannot be attributed to smoking and have been linked to exposure to air pollution.

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December 22, 2008

George Washington University Launches New M.P.H. Program

George Washington University (GWU) School of Public Health and Health Services is launching a new Master of Public Health program in Environmental Health Science and Policy (EHSP). The 45-credit graduate program is designed for students committed to finding sustainable solutions to today's problems, from global climate disruption to toxic chemicals. The EHSP program emphasizes regulatory policy and sustainability, while providing practical experience that takes advantage of GWU's Washington D.C. location.

For more information GWU's new M.P.H. Program (http://www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/about/news.cfm?vie w=news&d-7848) Exit NIEHS Website, visit the web site today.

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Last Reviewed: January 26, 2009