I am Esha Srinivasan and I am originally from a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina. I am a rising sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania where I am majoring in biochemistry and minoring in music. My after college plans include veterinary school! My love for animals and my experience with environmental science in high school made me really excited for the opportunity of being a STEER scholar. Lucky enough to spend the summer in Philadelphia, I worked in a translational human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) research lab with Dr. Katharine Bar. I found the summer to be extremely rewarding, considering how apt it is to study infectious pathogens in the midst of a global health crisis.

What is your summer research project?

This summer, I aided in the effort of understanding how HIV evolves in response to treatments and the body’s immune system. I sequenced SIVmac239, a close relative to HIV, in the plasma samples of 13 animals inoculated with the virus. The 13 animals were given antiretroviral therapy (ART) to suppress their viral load. Some animals were given monoclonal antibodies to prolong the suppression of the virus without having to continue ART.  After sequencing, I was able to look at the ambiguities between the original reference sequence and the viruses found within the sample. 

What are the implications of your research?

HIV is a health crisis ubiquitous throughout the world. Several millions of individuals are currently living with HIV globally. Though current medicines are certainly effective at suppressing the virus and prolonging the lives of patients, access to treatments unfortunately differ throughout the world. Not only is healthcare access unequal, but also clades of HIV endemic to Europe and the United States are more well studied than other clades of the virus. Studying all types of HIV assures that any treatments found benefit all that are infected with HIV and not just those infected with a clade native to an affluent country.

Since this research reveals the places in which HIV has changed its sequence, these loci on the HIV genome can help researchers understand how HIV is able to evade the body’s immune response. While ART is able to remove the virus lingering throughout the body, it is not able to remove the reservoir of virus that remains in the cells of the host. Understanding why HIV makes these changes brings us one step closer to finding a cure or preventative for the virus.

What new skills have you gained through your research?

Through this research, I was able to develop a deep appreciation for both the social science and actual science of HIV. Knowing about the debilitating effects this virus has on patients’ lives really motivates its research. I was also in awe of how clever HIV is at avoiding capture. I find it fascinating that a virus’ lack of skill in maintaining its own integrity actually supports its ability to persist in a host.

Gene sequencing was something that I had never done before this summer. At first it was daunting how the entire process seemed to consist of machines and tiny volumes of clear liquids, but it was motivating being able to make parallels between HIV’s replication and the lab methods. Working with SIV instead of HIV taught me how relevant non-human primate models are to research, and about how we are always working towards improving the accuracy of these models. I also enjoyed learning about SIV’s role in the environment and how HIV was once zoonotic. I learned how to turn RNA into DNA and it was fascinating to me that we were able to replicate a process that HIV already knows how to do. I learned how to use the polymerase chain reaction to make copies of DNA. I also learned how to perform gel electrophoresis and how it can be used to confirm the size of sequence fragments. Using software to read and analyze sequences was new to me as well. I always thought it was so cool that we are able to detect these sequences down to single nucleotides. I am excited to be able to use these skills in my science courses in undergrad and beyond.

My name is Hasibe Caballero-Gomez. I’m originally from Los Angeles, California, and currently study at Haverford College. I am a Chemistry major and environmental science minor. This summer I worked for Professor Pepino to investigate policy solutions that could decrease childhood lead poisoning for at risk communities in Philadelphia, PA

This summer I explored various city’s lead policies, regulations, and budgets in order to identify policies that could be translated to Philadelphia and improve health outcomes for children. I interviewed various stakeholders and analyzed published policy recommendations to determine the policy solutions that were the most likely to be successful. In the end, my research explores community engagement policy and the ways pre-exisiting resources in target communities can be adjusted to decrease childhood lead poisoning for at risk populations. 

Lead poisoning has been linked to decreases in academic achievement and IQ at levels as low as 5 ug/dL. Despite efforts from the Philadelphia Health Department to curtail systemic childhood lead poisoning, children continue to be identified with elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs) above the CDC reference level for diagnosis. This problem disproportionately affects low-income Black communities. At the moment remediation is costly, and with the current policies in place comprehensive remediation seems unrealistic.The solutions identified via my research create an interdependent model that offers increased community awareness and engagement with the issue that could potentially improve health and social outcomes for at-risk children.

I learned a lot about how to create questions and navigate interviews with various stakeholders in the field and community. Prior to this experience I have never had to engage as deeply with policy before, so I learned a lot about reading and analyzing policy. I also gained technical skills like learning to map data through R.

At risk communities highlighted with an X.

Interdependent model identified 

My name is Cece Chen and I am a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania. I am majoring in biochemistry and minoring in healthcare management & neuroscience. During my junior year, I had the opportunity to begin work in the Wells lab, but it was really through the STEER program this summer that I was able to really get involved in my research project. 

What is your summer research project?

(Background: Biliary atresia is a rare gastrointestinal disease in babies where bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder is obstructed. In babies with BA, the extrahepatic bile ducts get damaged in utero and then are obstructed/fibrosed. This prevents the proper flow of bile, so bile builds up in the liver and damages it. This causes liver fibrosis, which eventually leads to liver cirrhosis and liver failure. There are currently no treatments or cure for BA besides a liver transplant, which makes BA the leading indication for pediatric liver transplant. As such, we are interested in studying this disease to hopefully shed more light on prevention and treatment options. Although the cause of BA is still unknown, research seems to point to environmental insults as the primary cause. The Wells lab has already isolated biliatresone, an isoflavonoid from the Dysphania plant, as a biliary toxin. However, this compound is only found in one plant in the outbacks of Australia, so we are trying to see if more common/human accessible compounds, similar to biliatresone, also cause bile duct damage in vitro and in vivo. This is what my project focuses on.)

My project is to investigate the effects of 12 electrophilic compounds, all structurally or functionally similar to biliatresone, and their impacts on cholangiocytes. We have started dosage studies for 4 compounds (COS, DEL, PTL, IAL) to identify the ideal dosage for each compound such that it causes cell damage, but not necessarily cell death. To do this, we treated 2D cell cultures with a range of dosages for each compound and stained with CK19 and phalloidin to evaluate toxicity. Once the ideal dosages have been identified, the goal is to study these 12 compounds in both in vitro and in vivo models.

The original 12 compounds of interest included a class of compounds called microcystins, which is produced by blue-green algae. Knowing this, we have also been working on designing an epidemiological study to investigate if there is any spatial correlation between proximity to water sources (like lakes, rivers, and oceans) and the prevalence of BA cases. 

What are the implications of your research?

There are a lot of unknowns with the disease biliary atresia. We don’t know the cause and we don’t know the cure. Therapeutic options for babies with BA are also very limited, with the most significant of these options being the Kasai procedure. This helps to drain bile from the liver to the small intestines directly and bypasses the obstructed ducts. But even with this surgery, about 50% of babies with BA have to undergo liver transplant before the age of 2 and the remaining kids will need a liver transplant at some point later in life. As such, we are hoping that by exploring the toxin model for BA we can gain a better understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease, which can help lead to better prevention and treatment options. We are also hoping that the epidemiology studies will reveal significant correlations so that we can better recognize and address BA at a population level.

What new skills have you gained through your research?

It was such an honor to be a part of this program. I learned so much from my PI, other lab members, collaborators, and everyone involved in the STEER program. In order to complete my summer project, I had to first learn about the pathophysiology of biliary atresia. In my investigation of the 12 compounds of interest, I not only learned a lot about each compound but also became familiar with using the SciFinder database. Because the program was remote, I was unable to perform wet lab work, but I did learn how to use ImageJ to analyze images that Gauri shared with me. By being involved in the planning phases for the epidemiology studies, I also learned a lot about study design, such as thinking about different databases and control groups. Finally, this program taught me so much about environmental health research and about engaging with communities– I am looking forward to learning more and doing more in the fight for environmental justice. 

My name is Alina Mizrahi, and I am originally from Mexico City. I am a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Cognitive Science and Political Science. Through the STEER program, I worked with Dr. Jianghong Liu to determine the effects of the lead-related dietary pattern on cognition (measured as IQ). 

What is your summer research project?

Using data from a cohort in Jintan, China, Dr. Liu uses longitudinal data to understand the effects that lead can have on children’s development. Among other things, Dr. Liu is working to understand how dietary lead can affect cognitive outcomes in school children. This summer, I analyzed the existing literature regarding both the relationship between dietary patterns and cognition and the link between lead and cognitive functioning in children. In our manuscript we describe how we found an association between lead-related dietary pattern and IQ scores. I also drafted a poster that will be presented at the conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology.

What are the implications of your research?

Lead is prevalent in our environment. Sources of lead exposure are often due to human activities. In the United States it comes mainly from materials such as paint, caulking, and pipe solde in older homes. In China, lead exposure is more often related to air pollution. Whatever the source of exposure, lead is a neurotoxin that can affect neurocognitive development in children. It is important to understand the mechanisms by which lead can have a negative impact on IQ in order to assuage the problem. Through my research, we know more about how dietary lead can affect cognition. This offers insight into a preventative measure, diet monitoring,  that could help mitigate the effects of lead exposure. 

What new skills have you gained through your research?

The STEER program this year was entirely remote, but I had the opportunity to gain new research skills. First, I learned how to conduct a literature synthesis to look for gaps in the existing scholarship. I also learned to write a manuscript that has the potential to be published in a journal. By working with Dr. Liu, I was exposed to the process of submitting articles and posters for publication and presentation, which was very exciting.

In the second part of our series on local environmental justice heroes, we are celebrating the dedicated work of Earl Wilson in Eastwick, Philadelphia. When Mr. Wilson moved to Eastwick in 1978, he had no idea then that he was buying a home near the former Clearview Landfill, a dump laced with toxic materials. Now, Mr. Wilson is the president of Eastwick Friends & Neighbors Coalition (EFNC) and is actively involved in the community trying to ensure that Eastwick is a safe, healthy place to live for generations to come. 

Eastwick, a neighborhood in Southwest Philadelphia, borders the Clearview Landfill. This landfill operated from the 1950s to the 1970s and accepted municipal, demolition and hospital wastes. Waste disposal practices contaminated soil, groundwater, and fish tissue with hazardous chemicals. The Clearview Landfill and the Folcroft Landfill, located in Delaware County, make up the Lower Darby Creek Area superfund site. Eastwick residents believe that their area has increased cancer rates due to their environmental exposures. Many citizens also suffer from asthma and pulmonary related diseases. 

Since 2014, EFNC has been working to bring together community stakeholders in planning and advocating for an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable future for Eastwick. EFNC is made up of individuals from many groups, including the Sierra Club, Delaware River Keepers, the Darby Creek Valley Association, and more. EFNC brings these groups together to improve the regional watershed. EFNC works with the Eastwick Lower Darby Creek Area (ELDCA) Community Advisory Group (CAG), which was established to inform residents about Clearview Landfill clean up and provide opportunity to voice concerns and provide input to the process. At the leadership of Mr. Wilson, EFNC works with the EPA to make sure that there is accurate, up-to-date information shared with the community about the status of the landfill cleanup. 

The landfill is not the only environmental concern Mr. Wilson and the EFNC are involved with. Flooding is also a major issue for Eastwick. In August 2020, Hurricane Isaias brought 4 feet of flood waters to Eastwick, the lowest point in Philadelphia. It is estimated that 100 families were displaced due to flooding in their homes. EFNC is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study how Eastwick and the Heinz Refuge could be protected from flooding of neighboring creeks and rivers.  

Mr. Wilson’s commitment to community engagement has made Eastwick a more involved, interactive community. Through Mr. Wilson’s leadership, Eastwick residents play a major role in the decision making process of development in their community, an important step to address environmental injustice.

My name is Annie Huang and I’m a rising junior at Brown University studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I’m interested in environmental health exposures and environmental toxicology relating to intergenerational effects. This summer I’ve expanded my knowledge of doing pathway analysis, reading through journal articles, and writing a scientific report. 

What is your summer research project?

This summer I worked with great mentorship from Dr. Yu-chin Lien and Dr. Rebecca Simmons on a project analyzing the intergenerational impact of Lower and Higher BPA exposure in pancreatic islets cells of male offspring. I analyzed RNA seq data in a software called Ingenuity Pathway Analysis that outputs significant upstream regulators and pathways that were activated and inhibited. 

Previously, a post-doctoral researcher in the lab Dr. Amita Bansal designed an experiment where mothers were exposed to BPA throughout pregnancy where male F1 offspring showed decrease in insulin secretion, increased body fat percentage, and impaired glucose tolerance. She found several mechanisms responsible for the effects of decreased insulin secretion in pancreatic islet cells from lower and higher exposure of BPA in male offspring. However, there were still pathways and upstream regulators that were unknown in their role of mediating decreased insulin secretion. Thus, I found that a novel pathway, ER stress in the pancreatic beta-cells, that could be responsible for the phenotypes from higher exposure of BPA. 

What are the implications of your research?

A NHANES Study from 2004 found that 93% of the study’s participants had BPA in their urine sample and that urinary levels of BPA exposure are correlated to Type 2 Diabetes risk. Because of the widespread usage of and exposure to BPA, and that BPA has a non monotonic dose response curve, meaning that there is a nonlinear relationship between exposure and response, it is imperative to understand the unique mechanisms of lower and higher exposure to BPA as it relates to pancreatic islet cells and insulin secretion.

This research project could inform on better regulation of BPA levels, as well as better understanding mechanisms behind general pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction from Type 2 Diabetes.

What new skills have you gained through your research?

I have learned a vast array of knowledge in environmental health this summer from the public health perspective of environmental health to the wet lab and toxicology work. My previous experiences in environmental health have been mostly through environmental activism and coursework, so it was really exciting to combine my interest in biochemistry with environmental exposure research this summer. I have gained skills in the more dry lab aspect of research, such as understanding and analyzing RNA sequencing, using IPA Software, and reading numerous journal articles and reviews to write a scientific paper on my project. Presenting my work to the STEER community at the end of the summer also allowed me to hone my skills in scientific communication. Overall, from the various field trips, lectures, and my research project, I have enhanced my understanding of ways to better address environmental health issues through a combined policy and science perspective.

My name is Andrea Lewis. I am a recent graduate of West Chester University with a major in Environmental Health and minor in Health Education. The focus of my research in the STEER program stemmed from a previous research project in my field of interest, water quality as it relates to human health. In the Spring of 2019, I completed my first undergraduate research project to determine if extreme climate events, particularly heavy rainfall, have an association with disease prevalence in Philadelphia, PA. This summer I worked with Dr. Heather Burris investigating a possible association between the concentrations of chlorine disinfectant byproducts in the Philadelphia municipal water supply and the prevalence of preterm birth. These byproducts’ effects on human health and the significant associations between racial and ethnic disparities among Philadelphian citizens have made the social and environmental implications of this research highly relevant. 

What is your summer research project?

This summer, my project focused on understanding the associations between preterm birth rates in Philadelphia, PA and the city’s water supply concentrations of Trihalomethanes (THMs), a chlorine disinfectant byproduct. The research was conducted using data from a Penn Medicine prospectively enrolled pregnancy cohort and Philadelphia Water Department’s monthly data on Trihalomethane concentrations. My mentor, Dr. Heather Burris, and I created personal exposure profiles for each woman in the cohort dependent on the woman’s zip code of residence and the date of an immune test that was performed before preterm birth occurred. With this, we were able to create spatiotemporal variance to determine if THM levels had an effect on women’s immune states, specifically cervicovaginal microbiota and beta defensin levels, and in term preterm birth rates in Philadelphia between 2013-2017. 

What are the implications of your research?

Counter to our hypothesis, we did not detect strong associations between THM levels and cervicovaginal microbiota or beta defensin levels. We did however find significant associations between cervicovaginal immune states and a woman’s race as black women have a 50% higher risk of preterm birth than white women. This is likely due to the co-exposures of social and environmental factors that differ by race due to structural factors like medical bias and residential segregation. This together with Trihalomethanes may alter the immune state. 

What new skills have you gained through your research?

My work as part of the fully remote STEER program this summer has opened my eyes to the many researched opportunities that are available with the open data accessible online. I have always taken an interest in environmental toxicology, but through creating personal profiles for each woman in the biomedical prospective cohort, I learned the intricacies of integrating environmental exposure data with personal information. The STEER program has enriched my research experience and I am so grateful to have worked with and learned from so many great researchers while in it.