UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) The theme of the UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility (UNC-CEHS) is translating interdisciplinary research on environmental health threats to improve public health in North Carolina. The Center encourages and facilitates collaborations among basic researchers, public health scientists, and clinicians to generate high impact discoveries that improve public health. The strategic vision is implemented by the Administrative Core which manages budgets, oversees the Facility Cores, evaluates and funds innovative pilot projects, sponsors seminars and symposia, supports developing careers, communicates with Center membership, prepares reports and newsletters, and tracks publications and grant proposals. The Center has three Facility Cores that facilitate biospecimen acquisition, molecular analyses, and data analysis and experimental design. These cores ensure dissemination of proven and innovative new technologies to environmental disease research. The Integrated Health Sciences Facility Core provides expertise in biospecimen processing and helps encourage new collaborations using clinical and population-based studies. The Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Facility Core provides expertise in study design, data analysis, training and methodology development that especially supports the application of powerful "omics" technologies. The Molecular Analysis Facility Core provides expertise and instrumentation for mass spectrometry, assessment of DNA damage and its responses, translational histopathology and the full complement of genotyping and genomics technology. Each of the cores is designed to enhance productivity of UNC-CEHS investigators. Three Translational Research focus areas are supported by the Center: environmental cancer, cardiopulmonary disease, and developmental disease. North Carolina exposures often are associated with multiple outcomes, and thus research on similar environmental health threats unifies center investigators, provides connectivity, and ensures integration of UNC-CEHS. Scientific studies benefit from multi-directional communication, led by the UNC-CEHS Community Outreach and Engagement Core, which provides a means to disseminate research discoveries to public health professionals, community health workers, susceptible populations, families and lifelong learners. The science and outreach projects are supported by a competitive Pilot Projects program that prioritizes junior faculty. UNC-CEHS also actively mentors and cultivates leadership of junior and mid-level career investigators to train the next generation of environmental health researchers. Through the Stakeholder Advisory Board and External Advisory Board the UNC-CEHS receives input on community concerns and feedback on Center effectiveness. UNC-CEHS serves North Carolina, and ultimately the southeastern United States and the nation with innovative and strategic scientific activities and community engagement.