This is a competing A1 renewal application to the NIEHS for years 48-52 of the P30 Environmental Health Sciences Center grant. The NYU Center fosters outstanding basic environmental science research, and the investigators' vision, with the active participation of the Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core (IHSFC), is to translate their basic research results into human health studies. Since its inception just three years ago, the IHSFC has been very active in implementing this vision, expanding on the knowledge gained from prior research using cell culture or animal models. The theme of the NIEHS Center is to understand the environmental causes of disease by investigating which pollutants, genes, epigenetic programs, and cell signaling pathways influence the development of disease. The broad goals of the Center are the identification, evaluation, prevention, and control of the adverse impacts of environmental factors on human health, with strong focuses in ambient air pollution effects, environmental and occupational exposures to heavy metals, and the roles of dietary factors in the causation and prevention of human cancer and disease. Further, the Center reaches out to the community providing assistance, information, and education on environmental issues. The Center also guides its members into new research areas of interest to the NIEHS involving modern technology or research areas that are timely and may have significant environmental impact. The Center supports investigator-initiated pilot projects, as well as encourages initiatives via RFPs in new areas. The Center also supports state-of-the-art Facility Cores that are used by its members to enhance their research funded by grants from the NIEHS and other agencies. With the recent advice of their External Advisory Committee, the Center has created Focus Groups instead of research programs to promote collaboration and interactions. The Center has strengths in Early Detection and Prevention, Heavy Metal Toxicology and Carcinogenesis, Particulate Matter, and Susceptibility to Environmental Disease and has formed Focus Groups in each of these areas. Ongoing research encompassing Experimental Studies, Biomarker Development as well as Epidemiological Studies is evident across each of these Focus Groups. Thus, two leaders have been chosen for each Focus Group. One leader conducts primarily human studies (either Epidemiology or Biomarker Development), while the other leader has expertise in experimental studies or bench research. In addition, the Center formulates new plans for career development of junior faculty and for established faculty as well as evaluates the need for new technology to be provided to the members by the Facility Cores and whether new Focus Groups should be formed.
The NYU National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center Grant organizes NIH-funded research into four main groups that meet to foster interaction and collaboration. The Center also supports state-of-the-art equipment and expertise that helps members of the Center carry out their research. The Center also awards small pilot projects to help investigators obtain grants and it reaches out to the community.
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