Author Archives: mnobrega
PROTECT Trainee Lauren Tetz Defends Thesis
PROTECT Trainee (Project 2) Lauren Tetz successfully defended her thesis on April 16, 2012. Our congratulations to the newly-minted Dr. Tetz! Read more about her thesis topic below.
MONO-2-ETHYLHEXYL PHTHALATE STIMULATES CELLULAR RESPONSES RELEVANT TO PARTURITION
ABSTRACT: Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is an environmental pollutant used universally as a plasticizer in polyvinyl consumer products. Exposure to DEHP increases risk of [...]
April Webinar – “The Quiet Epidemic: Causes and Classification of Preterm Birth”
The Quiet Epidemic: Causes and Classification of Preterm Birth
Thomas F. McElrath, Associate Professor of Obstetrics at Harvard Medical School and Attending Physician, Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital
This webinar is designed to:
Discuss the definitions and rates of prematurity.
Review current causes of prematurity in a very clinical fashion with an emphasis on the underlying [...]
Cordero works with EPA, Mt. Sinai to Promote Children’s Environmental Health Awareness
PROTECT co-PI and Core C Leader Jose Cordero is collaborating with the EPA and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine to raise awareness of children’s environmental health, particularly in Puerto Rico.
This one day, free-of-cost, conference will provide attendees with the latest information on hot topics in Children’s Environmental Health including prenatal exposures, asthma, childhood lead poisoning, [...]
Hellweger wins EPA Environmental Merit Award
PROTECT Core D Researcher Prof. Ferdi Hellweger has won the Environmental Merit Award from the New England Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in recognition of his exceptional work and commitment to the environment in 2011. EPA’s Environmental Merit Award is an annual award that recognizes outstanding environmental advocates who have made significant [...]
Postdoctoral Position Available for Fall 2012
Please visit http://www.northeastern.edu/protect/related-job-opportunities/ for more information on the position and how to apply.
PROTECT researcher links amniotic fluid to chemical exposure in fetuses
An article in Science of the Total Environment co-authored by Project 2 Leader Rita Loch-Caruso has described work by her and her colleagues showing that PBDEs (a chemical found in flame retardants and considered to hurt brain development) are present in amniotic fluid, which surrounds the fetus in the womb.
While the study size was small (15 [...]
PROTECT Researchers to Present at April 2 RiskeLearning Web Seminars
Project 2 Leader Rita Loch-Caruso and Project 3 Leader John Meeker will be presenting in the next NIEHS SRP Risk e-Learning webinars in the series Early Life Exposures – Long-Term Health Consequences
The session, which will address PCE and Phthalates, will be held April 2, 2012 from 1-3:00 p.m. ET – register on EPA’s CLU-IN website (http://bit.ly/w5rfxb).
This session will feature [...]
Alshawabkeh Seminar at Columbia SRP – March 19, 2012
PROTECT PI and co-Director Akram Alshawabkeh will present at the Columbia SRP on March 19th. This follows a presentation earlier this year at Northeastern by Columbia SRP Director Joseph Graziano as part of the PROTECT webinar series (click here to view Dr. Graziano’s presentation).
Click here for more information about Dr. Alshawabkeh’s presentation at Columbia. [...]
PROTECT Trainee wins Karst Scholarship
Amanda Laskoskie, a PROTECT Trainee pursuing her Master’s at West Virginia University, was recently awarded with the 2012 Karst Waters Institute’s William L. Wilson Scholarship in Karst Science Award. The award was presented to her advisor, Dr. Dorothy Vesper, on Amanda’s behalf at a public ceremony in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday, March 3, 2012, at the [...]
Alshawabkeh elected ASCE Fellow
PROTECT PI and Project 5 Leader Prof. Akram Alshawabkeh has been appointed as a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the profession. Our congratulations!
February Webinar – Mitch Beard
The Effective Use of Data Management Software in Environmental Projects
Mitch Beard, CEO and Founder of EarthSoft, Inc.
Mitch Beard is CEO and Founder of EarthSoft, Inc. EarthSoft’s EQuIS software is the most widely used environmental data management software in the world and is used by multiple US EPA Regions and states, many multinational industrials, most consultants, [...]
January Webinar – Glenn Rice
Exposure Assessment Approaches for Environmental Chemical Mixtures
Dr. Glenn Rice
Environmental Health Scientist
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Glenn Rice has served as an Environmental Health Scientist in the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) since 1990. He is a member of the chemical mixtures risk assessment team in NCEA. His research interest is human health risk [...]
2011 Changes to National Priority List sites in Puerto Rico
2011 brought several changes to the National Priority List of sites in Puerto Rico
Removed: Barceloneta Landfill
Added: Cabo Rojo Ground Water Contamination
Added: Hormigas Ground Water Plume
Currently there are 15 active NPL sites in Puerto Rico, 1 proposed, and 6 removed; take a look at all the NPL sites in Puerto Rico here (PROTECT map) or here [...]
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Recent PROTECT Events
Take a look at some of the events PROTECT has participated in this fall:
10/24/11-10/26/11: Superfund Research Program Annual Meeting
10/15/11: Let’s Talk About Water 2011
10/13/11: Research and Industrial Collaboration Conference (RICC)
You can also read more about PROTECT webinars here.
December Trainee Skill-Builder Workshop – Proposal Development
Proposal Development
Stacy-Ann Christian & Sara Clabby
Office of Research Administration and Finance
Northeastern University
Stacy-Ann Christian is Lecturer and Associate Director of Research Administration and Finance at Northeastern University. Her responsibilities include development and maintenance of university policies related to pre-award activities. In addition, Stacy-Ann oversees the review of funding applications to federal, state and local government sponsors. [...]
Alshawabkeh appointed George A. Snell Professor of Engineering
In recognition of his scholarship, technical and professional leadership, teaching, university citizenship, positive example, and strong contribution to the reputation, impact,and success of the College and University, Professor Akram N. Alshawabkeh has been appointed as the George A. Snell Professor of Engineering. Read the full appointment letter here.
John Meeker appointed Associate Chair of UMich Dept of Environmental Health Sciences
Project 3 Leader Prof. John Meeker has been appointed Associate Chair of the UMichigan School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences. From the entire PROTECT team – our congratulations to John!
Excerpts from the announcement below:
Professor Meeker has had a stellar career, receiving his doctoral degree in Environmental Health Sciences from the Harvard School of [...]
November Trainee Skill-Builder Workshop – Research Translation and Innovation: Results to Patents
Research Translation and Innovation: Results to Patents
Anne-Marie Dinius, Intellectual Property Manager, Center for Research Innovation, Northeastern University
This webinar will answer the question – how do the results I obtain in the lab turn into patentable intellectual property? Among other patent law fundamentals, IP Attorney Anne-Marie Dinius will answer the following questions:
(1) What is a patent?
(2) How [...]
November Webinar – Joseph Graziano
Poison in the Well: Exposure, Consequences and Remediation of Arsenic in Bangladesh
Dr. Joseph Graziano
Professor of Environmental Health Sciences & Pharmacology, Columbia University
Director of Columbia University SRP
Dr. Joseph Graziano’s research career has been devoted to understanding the consequences of exposure to metals, both on the molecular and population levels. Human exposure to metals occurs via a [...]
October Trainee Skill-Builder Workshop – The Scientific Method and Experiential Learning Projects
The Scientific Method and Experiential Learning Projects
Tom DeSutter, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Soil Science
North Dakota State University
Tom received his BS and MS degrees from South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD) in 1994 and 1998, respectively, and his PhD from Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS). The primary focus area of DeSutter’s graduate research projects was soil [...]
October Webinar – Daniel Madrigal
Beyond Newsletters and Brochures: Communicating Findings to Study Participants and Community Members of a NIEHS/EPA Children’s Center
Daniel S. Madrigal
Community Outreach Coordinator
Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH)
Mr. Madrigal is the community outreach coordinator for the Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH). Part of the Center’s work is on the environmental hazards to the [...]
LET’S TALK ABOUT WATER – October 15, 2011 – Register Today!
Please visit the LTAW site at www.neu.edu/protect/events/ltaw
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September Trainee Skill-Builder Workshop – Research Ethics
Ethical and Regulatory Issues in Conducting Human Subjects Research
Delia Wolf
Assistant Dean for Regulatory Affairs & Research Compliance and Director for the Office of Human Research Administration
Harvard School of Public Health
Dr. Delia Wolf is a nationally recognized speaker and an accomplished teacher who has served as a faculty member at numerous national conferences sponsored by Public Responsibility [...]
Akram Alshawabkeh funded under NSF earthquake research grant
PROTECT co-Director Akram Alshawabkeh is co-PI of a new National Science Foundation grant to develop a cost-effective method to prevent ground failure during earthquakes. Ground failure is a major cause of destruction to buildings constructed on water-saturated sandy soils.
The award for $1.2M from the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) will [...]
September Webinar – Dr. Eric Suuberg
The Brown SRP – Overview and Recent Results on the Vapor Intrusion Problem
Eric M. Suuberg
Professor of Engineering – Brown University
Co-Director of the Brown SRP
Professor Suuberg’s research interests center on energy and environmental areas, involving study of fuel chemistry (coal, oil shale, biomass), activated carbons (production and properties), materials reuse (automobile tires, coal fly ash), fire safety [...]
First PROTECT Baby Born
PROTECT is proud to announce the first baby in the study cohort was born on August 19, 2011.
Our congratulations to the family!
Learn more about the Human Subjects and Sampling Core which is working directly with the women (and babies) in the study cohort here.
PROTECT Graduate Student wins the KC Donnelly Externship award
PROTECT graduate student Celys Irizarry was awarded with the KC Donnelly Externship. This award is given by the National Institutes of Health Sciences Superfund Research Program to promote transdisciplinary and translational research among early investigators and improve the quality of the educational and training environment.
Celys is currently working on her master’s degree in Environmental and [...]
Filtering PROTECT News by Topic
Did you know you can filter our news by categories which include news feeds for each core, project, and webinars? Click on the names of each category below to see a tailored listing of news updates for that area!
Project 1 - Project 2 - Project 3 - Project 4 - Project 5
Administrative Core - Research Translation Core - Human Subjects and [...]
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PREEMIE Act Reauthorization Bill Introduced In Senate, House
The 2006 PREEMIE Act, abbreviated from the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who Deliver Infants Early Act, developed a public-private agenda aimed at reducing preterm labor and delivery.
On July 28, 2011 Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ) today [...]
PROTECT’s Meeker & Ferguson Relate BPA, Altered Thyroid Hormones
Project 3 leader John Meeker and his graduate student Kelly Ferguson have jointly published a paper in Environmental Health Perspectives that links BPA and altered thyroid activity.
As told by the U. of Michigan News Service:
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—A link between chemicals called phthalates and thyroid hormone levels was confirmed by the University of Michigan [...]
Meeker quoted on CNN
Project 3 Leader John Meeker (U. of Michigan) was recently quoted in a CNN article on the effect of BPA on the masculinity of male mice. The study determined that female mice found BPA-exposed male mice to be less attractive, even though their adult hormone levels were no different than male mice who were not [...]
Tom Sheahan appointed Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Core E Leader Prof. Thomas Sheahan has been announced as the new Northeastern College of Engineering Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
In his new role, Tom is working closely with the College leadership team on faculty hiring, college and departmental academic plans and budgeting, space utilization, tracking our progress as a college, faculty merit evaluations, [...]
PROTECT Student Wins 1st Place in Conference Poster Competition
PROTECT is very proud to report that Juan Manuel Paz-Garcia, a visiting student at Northeastern from the Technical University of Denmark, won first prize in the student poster competition at the EPA/TEI Sustainable Remediation Conference 2011, held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on June 1-3, 2011.
JuanMa’s poster, entitled “Mathematical Modeling of the Role of [...]
PROTECT WVU Researchers at Buckeye Cave Again!
PROTECT researchers Prof. Dorothy Vesper and graduate student Amanda Laskoskie (West Virginia University) recently took another trip to Buckeye Cave (Amanda’s local research site that she uses to develop the models that will be used to understand how pollutants may travel through Puerto Rico’s aquifers.)
At this trip, John and Amanda got the ISCO automated samplers [...]
PROTECT Researchers Highlighted at Puerto Rico Water & Env’t Association Conference
UPRM Professor and Project 4 leader Ingrid Padilla recently spoke at the Puerto Rico Water & Environment Association 2011 Annual Conference and Technical Exhibition, held on May 16-20, 2011. Her talk, entitled “Relating Source-Water Outcomes and Adverse Birth Effects” was one of the invited talks of the conference, which was sponsored by the Puerto Rico Health Department, the EPA, [...]
March for Babies brings PROTECT, March of Dimes, together
A recently published article by El Nuevo Dia (May 16, 2011 – available here) highlighted the March for Babies held in San Juan the day before. The march – in Spanish “Marcha Por Los Bebés” – was intended to raise awareness of preventing preterm birth in Puerto Rico. PROTECT co-Director and Core C leader Jose Cordero, who [...]
PROTECT researchers, work profiled in Puerto Rico’s largest newspaper
PROTECT Core C Researchers Dr. Jose Cordero and Dr. Hernando Mattei were profiled in an article published in the May 6, 2011 edition of El Nuevo Dia, Puerto Rico’s largest newspaper.
The article, entitled “Ojo a peligrosa anticipación” (“Looking at dangerous prematurity”), focuses on the issue of preterm birth in Puerto Rico and the goals of [...]
Roger Giese to present PROTECT research at Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Showcase
Project 1 Leader Roger Giese will present his work and that of the PROTECT at the 2011 Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Showcase. The talk, entitled “Does the Environment Contribute to Preterm Birth?”, will be held at Northeastern University on May 13, 2011.
For more information and to register, please visit the event website.
Strategic Planning at NIEHS: Your Input Requested!
The “Dear Colleague” message below is from Linda Birnbaum, Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Please take a moment to read through and visit the links she mentions.
Dear Colleague,
The NIEHS has just begun the process of updating our Strategic Plan.
As a first step in this process, we have launched a new Visionary [...]
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Dorothy Vesper and student highlighted in WVU Magazine
PROTECT Researcher Dorothy Vesper (Projects 4 and 5) was highlighted in a recent article in the WVU College of Arts and Sciences Magazine. The magazine cover features John Tudek, Dorothy’s student working on the PROTECT project. Click here to download a PDF of the article or here to look at the entire publication.
PROTECT featured in Engineering@Northeastern
Northeastern University’s Engineering@Northeastern magazine (a publication of the NU College of Engineering) highlighted PROTECT research in the 2010 issue. See page 4 of the magazine, available here, for the story.
Training Core Leader Thomas Sheahan to Present SRP-funded R01 Work at SRP/EPA Webinar
Prof. Thomas Sheahan, Training Core Leader, will be presenting at the Fall/Winter 2010 edition of Risk eLearning, entitled “Contaminated Sediments: New Tools and Approaches forin situ Remediation.” This Webinar is presented by the Superfund Research Program (SRP), in collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI).
The webinar will be [...]
EPA Proposes to Add Two Puerto Rico Sites to the Superfund List
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to add both the Cabo Rojo Ground Water Contamination Site in the municipality of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico and the Hormigas Ground Water Plume Site in the municipality of Caguas to its Superfund National Priorities List of the country’s most hazardous waste sites. Sampling at the sites [...]
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Northeastern student working on SRP research highlighted
Northeastern graduate student Dogus Meric was recently cited in an article published in The Nation entitled “Sapping the Superfund’s Strength”, available here. Dogus is working with Prof. Tom Sheahan on a related project also funded by the SRP.
Jose Cordero nominated as candidate for APHA presidency
Jose Cordero, co-Director of PROTECT and Core C leader, was recently nominated as one of two candidates for the presidency of the American Public Health Association. Please read more about this very prestigious nomination here.
PROTECT Webinar to be held October 1, 2010
The Harvard Superfund Research Program
Robert Wright, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Environmental Health
Harvard Medical School and School of Public Health
Director, Harvard Superfund Research Program
Dr. Wright is the overall PI of the Harvard Superfund Research Program and director of the HSPH Metals Research Core. He is an Emergency Room pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Boston and is [...]
Jose Cordero leads symposium on premature birth prevention strategies
In concert with colleagues at the March of Dimes and the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, Dr. Jose Cordero (PROTECT co-Director and Research Translation Core Leader, March of Dimes Prematurity Steering Committee Chair, and Dean of the UPRMSC Graduate School of Public Health) recently held a symposium focused on premature birth prevention strategies.
The [...]
John Meeker featured in several recent articles
UMich Assistant Professor John Meeker’s (leader, Project 3) work has been featured in several recent news articles.
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/08/04/exposure-to-plastic-chemical-may-harm-male-fertility/
http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2010/08/bisphenol_a_and_sperm_damage.html
http://pubs.acs.org/isubscribe/journals/cen/88/i24/html/8824news4.html
Dr. Meeker was also featured in another interesting article on plastics from last year:
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/dangers-of-plastic
EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Fellowship Opening
The National Center for Environmental Assessment, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development, is advertising a training opportunity (fellowship not to exceed 3 years) that may be of interest to post-docs, research fellows, PhD and masters students.
The position will be located in Arlington, VA in the US EPA Integrated Risk [...]
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PROTECT profiled by Associated Press
Mark Melia of the Associated Press looks carefully at the background problem – the high rate of preterm birth in Puerto Rico – and what PROTECT will be studying to combat this issue…read full article.
March of Dimes releases Global Action Report on Preterm Birth