Pediatric and Reproductive Environmental Health Scholars Southeastern Environmental Exposures and Disparities (PREHS SEED) Program

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Emory University in partnership with the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), a historically Black University, propose to establish a Southeastern Environmental Exposures and Disparities (SEED) mentored career development scholars program, in response to the Pediatric and Reproductive Environmental Health Scholars program (PREHS) (K12), RFA-ES-20-007. The overarching goal is to recruit junior clinical faculty scholars and mentor them in environmental health research in collaboration with communities experiencing environmental injustices in the Southeastern United States (US). In partnership with the Region 4 Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU), scholars will collaborate with community stakeholders who care passionately about reducing children’s environmental health inequities. The objectives of the PREHS-SEED program are to: 1) develop a research training program that produces leaders in pediatric and reproductive environmental health disparities research; 2) enhance existing infrastructure for individualized didactic training in research methodology as they relate to pediatric and reproductive environmental health; 3) identify and recruit a diverse cohort of promising scholars dedicated to careers in pediatric and reproductive environmental health research from Emory and MSM; and 4) expand existing multidisciplinary career development programs with mentorship from accomplished environmental health scientists. The Deep South bears the shame of some of the poorest health outcomes in US, such as high infant and maternal mortality rates among African Americans. Low-income communities of color face environmental health threats from extreme heat and climate-related weather events and dangerous air pollution conditions. Inequities are compounded by a legacy of unjust and systemically racist policies. Thus, priority will be given to scholars who focus on three areas of research: 1) documenting the burden of environmental health disparities, particularly among Black, Latinx, and immigrant/refugee women and children; 2) engaging in community-based research with local organizations; and 3) addressing adaptive solutions to climate change. The K12 program will begin in January 2022, providing 1-2 years of release time (75% effort), research funding support, and mentored career development for 6-9 scholars over 5 years. The program leverages programs at Emory, including the T32 program in Environmental Health Sciences and Toxicology at the Rollins School of Public Health; the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance KL2 program at partner institutions (including Emory and MSM); and the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health program. The PREHS-SEED program will support scholars to advance the breadth and depth of their research skills with training in clinical studies, team science, community engagement and novel methodologies (e.g., exposure assessment, toxicology, metabolomics, mapping, informatics) relevant to environmental health. The intended scholar outcomes are to advance scholars to the next phase of their academic careers by addressing environmental health disparities in the Southeastern US.