The Importance of Community Engagement and Research Translation within the NIEHS Superfund Research Program

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program (SRP) funds university-based, solution-oriented research to understand how hazardous substances contribute to disease and how to prevent exposures to these hazardous substances. A unique aspect of the SRP is that, beyond the biomedical, environmental sciences, and engineering research projects, SRP-funded centers are required to include community engagement to build partnerships with affected communities and research translation to communicate and facilitate the use of research findings. The SRP views both as effective ways to inform and advance science for protection of public health. The purpose of community engagement within the centers is to ensure bidirectional communication between the researchers and the community, identify best practices and activities in community engagement for prevention and intervention activities, enhance knowledge, and support the needs of the communities impacted by hazardous waste sites. The SRP views research translation as communicating and facilitating the use of research findings emanating from the center in a manner most appropriate for their application and for the advancement of a center’s research objectives. The SRP has a strong history of seeking opportunities to work with communities and stakeholders, by translating and sharing research findings in an impactful and informative manner with long-lasting benefits to improve public health.

Download Full-text

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program: a model for multidisciplinary training of the next generation of environmental health scientists

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2017-0024 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 53-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Danielle J. Carlin ◽

Heather Henry ◽

Michelle Heacock ◽

Brittany Trottier ◽

Christina H. Drew ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Health ◽

Research Program ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Environmental Chemicals ◽

Early Career ◽

Hazardous Substances ◽

Research Translation ◽

Next Generation ◽

Training Experience ◽

Environmental Health Sciences

AbstractThe National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) funds university-based, multidisciplinary research on human health and environmental science and engineering with the central goals to understand how hazardous substances contribute to disease and how to prevent exposures to these environmental chemicals. This multi-disciplinary approach allows early career scientists (e.g. graduate students and postdoctoral researchers) to gain experience in problem-based, solution-oriented research and to conduct research in a highly collaborative environment. Training the next generation of environmental health scientists has been an important part of the SRP since its inception. In addition to basic research, the SRP has grown to include support of broader training experiences such as those in research translation and community engagement activities that provide opportunities to give new scientists many of the skills they will need to be successful in their field of research. Looking to the future, the SRP will continue to evolve its training component by tracking and analyzing outcomes from its trainees by using tools such as the NIEHS CareerTrac database system, by increasing opportunities for trainees interested in research that goes beyond US boundaries, and in the areas of bioinformatics and data integration. These opportunities will give them the skills needed to be competitive and successful no matter which employment sector they choose to enter after they have completed their training experience.

Download Full-text

Greater than the sum of its parts: focusing SRP research through a systems approach lens

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2020-0073 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

William A. Suk ◽

Michelle Heacock ◽

Danielle J. Carlin ◽

Heather F. Henry ◽

Brittany A. Trottier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Health ◽

Data Science ◽

Environmental Science ◽

Systems Approach ◽

Hazardous Substances ◽

Research Translation ◽

Engineering Research ◽

Environmental Health Sciences ◽

Complex Interactions ◽

Big Picture

AbstractThe National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program (SRP) funds diverse transdisciplinary research to understand how hazardous substances contribute to disease. SRP research focuses on how to prevent these exposures by promoting problem-based, solution-oriented research. SRP's mandate areas encompasses broad biomedical and environmental science and engineering research efforts and, when combined with research translation, community engagement, training, and data science, offers broad expertise and unique perspectives directed at a specific big picture question. The purpose of this commentary is to adapt a systems approach concept to SRP research to accommodate the complexity of a scientific problem. The SRP believes a systems approach offers a framework to understand how scientists can work together to integrate diverse fields of research to prevent or understand environmentally-influenced human disease by addressing specific questions that are part of a larger perspective. Specifically, within the context of the SRP, a systems approach can elucidate the complex interactions between factors that contribute to or protect against environmental insults. Leveraging a systems approach can continue to advance SRP science while building the foundation for researchers to address difficult emerging environmental health problems.

Download Full-text

Sustainable exposure prevention through innovative detection and remediation technologies from the NIEHS Superfund Research Program

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2016-0037 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 32 (1-2) ◽

pp. 35-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Heather F. Henry ◽

William A. Suk

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Primary Prevention ◽

Exposure Assessment ◽

Research Program ◽

Small Businesses ◽

New Technologies ◽

Materials Science ◽

Technology Development ◽

Hazardous Substances ◽

Toxicity Screening

Abstract Innovative devices and tools for exposure assessment and remediation play an integral role in preventing exposure to hazardous substances. New solutions for detecting and remediating organic, inorganic, and mixtures of contaminants can improve public health as a means of primary prevention. Using a public health prevention model, detection and remediation technologies contribute to primary prevention as tools to identify areas of high risk (e.g. contamination hotspots), to recognize hazards (bioassay tests), and to prevent exposure through contaminant cleanups. Primary prevention success is ultimately governed by the widespread acceptance of the prevention tool. And, in like fashion, detection and remediation technologies must convey technical and sustainability advantages to be adopted for use. Hence, sustainability – economic, environmental, and societal – drives innovation in detection and remediation technology. The National Institute of Health (NIH) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) is mandated to advance innovative detection, remediation, and toxicity screening technology development through grants to universities and small businesses. SRP recognizes the importance of fast, accurate, robust, and advanced detection technologies that allow for portable real-time, on-site characterization, monitoring, and assessment of contaminant concentration and/or toxicity. Advances in non-targeted screening, biological-based assays, passive sampling devices (PSDs), sophisticated modeling approaches, and precision-based analytical tools are making it easier to quickly identify hazardous “hotspots” and, therefore, prevent exposures. Innovation in sustainable remediation uses a variety of approaches: in situ remediation; harnessing the natural catalytic properties of biological processes (such as bioremediation and phytotechnologies); and application of novel materials science (such as nanotechnology, advanced membranes, new carbon materials, and materials reuse). Collectively, the investment in new technologies shows promise to reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances in the environment. This manuscript highlights SRP funded innovative devices and tools for exposure assessment and remediation of organic, inorganic, and mixtures of contaminants with a particular focus on sustainable technologies.

Download Full-text

Authorship characteristics of retracted COVID-19 articles

ABCS Health Sciences ◽

10.7322/abcshs.2021207.1924 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rafaela Carolina da Silva ◽

Hadiseh Heidari ◽

Amanda Mendes da Silva

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Past History ◽

H Index ◽

History Of ◽

Research Findings ◽

The Mean ◽

Number Of Authors

Following the explosion of publications about COVID-19, some of these articles were retracted. These articles are potentially dangerous to public health as they can mislead about the nature of the virus. The growth and sensitive nature of retracted papers led to bibliometrics studies on them, although few, which focused more on the level of documents. This study, instead, examines the characteristics of the authors of these articles. 54 retracted COVID-19 articles that fit our study’s criteria were identified. The results revealed that 32% of these authors were MD, and about one-fifth of them had a past history of publishing retracted articles. The average number of authors per article was 6. Also, according to their profile in the Scopus, the mean number of documents, citations and their H-index were 61, 3159 and 12, respectively. Women also appeared in one-third of the articles as first and last authors. Continued research about retracted COVID-19 articles can continue to help prevent the further dissemination of questionable research findings.

Download Full-text

Toward the Assessment of Scientific and Public Health Impacts of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Extramural Asthma Research Program Using Available Data

Environmental Health Perspectives ◽

10.1289/ehp.0800476 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 117 (7) ◽

pp. 1147-1154 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Edward Liebow ◽

Jerry Phelps ◽

Bennett Van Houten ◽

Shyanika Rose ◽

Carlyn Orians ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Environmental Health ◽

Research Program ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Health Impacts ◽

Environmental Health Sciences

Download Full-text

Community Engagement and Participatory Approaches for Urban Health

Urban Public Health ◽

10.1093/oso/9780190885304.003.0013 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 263-286

Author(s):

Amy Carroll-Scott

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Community Engagement ◽

Urban Health ◽

Health Research ◽

Public Health Research ◽

Grassroots Organizations ◽

Research And Practice ◽

Community Needs ◽

Community Residents ◽

History Of

Community residents, and the community-based nonprofit and grassroots organizations who serve them, are important actors in urban public health. This chapter discusses challenges in effectively engaging community actors in urban health research and practice, as well as strategies for effective partnerships to overcome these challenges. Key challenges include addressing the history of mistrust between urban populations and research, making research relevant to community needs, and engaging communities in all phases of research. Community engagement and partnerships are fundamental to cross-sector collaborations in urban public health research and interventions.

Download Full-text

Benefits of basic research from the Superfund Research Program

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2019-0104 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 85-109

Author(s):

William A. Suk ◽

Michelle L. Heacock ◽

Brittany A. Trottier ◽

Sara M. Amolegbe ◽

Maureen D. Avakian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Biomedical Research ◽

Research Program ◽

Basic Research ◽

Public Health Research ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

The Body ◽

Transdisciplinary Research ◽

Hazardous Substances ◽

Research Projects

AbstractThe National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Hazardous Substances Basic Research and Training Program [Superfund Research Program (SRP)] funds transdisciplinary research projects spanning the biomedical and environmental sciences to address issues related to potentially hazardous substances. We used a case study approach to identify how SRP-funded basic biomedical research has had an impact on society. We examined how transdisciplinary research projects from the SRP have advanced knowledge and led to additional clinical, public health, policy, and economic benefits. SRP basic biomedical research findings have contributed to the body of knowledge and influenced a broad range of scientific disciplines. It has informed the development of policies and interventions to reduce exposure to environmental contaminants to improve public health. Research investments by the SRP have had a significant impact on science, health, and society. Documenting the benefits of these investments provides insight into how basic research is translated to real-world applications.

Download Full-text