The University of Louisville?s (UofL) Center for Integrative Environmental Health Science (CIEHS) is building a framework to study the integration of the interactions of pollutants and lifestyle factors in order to better understand the impact on human health and disease risk across life stages and how these interactions are modified by genetics and gender with the overall goal of improving the health of the Louisville Regional Community. We will achieve this goal by fostering unique translational research on pollution and lifestyle as co- determinants that influence disease risk, and facilitating transformative interdisciplinary research on prevention and/or mitigation of disease resulting from exposure to these cofactors at various life stages, while considering genetics and gender as significant modifiers of outcomes. The CIEHS is designed to leverage existing resources to enhance trans-disciplinary environmental health research at UofL. The Administrative Core is an essential component of CIEHS that will provide scientific leadership and vision, coordinate all CIEHS programmatic activities, maintain open communication among the Cores, monitor program progress and member productivity, and provide good stewardship of resources to maximize member productivity. In addition, the Administrative Core facilitates an active Community Engagement program that educates healthcare providers serving an underprivileged patient population, and the community members, focusing on youth groups. The Administrative Core also mentors junior and mid-level faculty through a Career Development Program. The Administrative Core coordinates activity between the Community Engagement Core, the Integrated Health Sciences Facility Core, the Biostatistics and Informatics Facility Core, the Integrated Toxicomics and Environmental Measurement Facility Core, and the Research Interest Groups to ensure multi- directional communication between CIEHS scientists and community groups to keep CIEHS research focused on community needs.
The Specific Aims are: 1. Provide leadership in coordinating and integrating Center components and activities; 2. Cultivate and recruit junior and mid-level investigators to enhance careers and research programs in environmental health sciences; 3. Assess productivity, effectiveness, and appropriateness of CIEHS activities and cores; 4. Determine CIEHS membership, assess scientific opportunities and areas for collaboration among CIEHS members; 5. Organize CIEHS activities, such as retreats, invitation of consultants, meetings, and focus groups; 6. Provide recordkeeping of meeting minutes and measures of success including use of CIEHS facilities, publications, pilot project awards, and new grant applications resulting from preliminary data enabled by the CIEHS; 7. Organize Internal and External Advisory Committees; 8.Interact with other Environmental Health Science Core Centers (EHSCC), the NIEHS, and other appropriate individuals, groups, organizations.
