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Author Archive for Community Engagement Core

STEER Researcher Anna Bushong investigates health implications of hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania

Posted by Community Engagement Core 
· Wednesday, January 6th, 2021 
· No Comments

My name is Anna Bushong and I am from Jacksonville, Florida. I am a rising senior attending Centre College and I am double majoring in Biology & Environmental Studies. This summer I worked with Dr. Field to investigate the public health implications of hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania.

What is your summer research project?

My summer research project focused on investigating the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and asthma using only publicly available data. My project consisted of two main components: (1) replicating a study that used private patient data to establish a correlation between asthma exacerbation and hydraulic fracturing using only publicly available, and (2) designing a study that would best address this research question using the available public data. I conducted statistical analysis, predominantly multiple linear regression, to evaluate whether there was a significant association between asthma hospitalization and hydraulic fracturing. I also used R studio to create maps pertinent to fracking in Pennsylvania.

What are the implications of your research?

If passed, the EPA’s proposed ‘secret science’ rule would strictly limit the use of studies that rely on private data to inform environmental regulatory action. This could have major implications on the strength of future environmental regulations since a vast number of high-quality environmental health studies depend upon private patient information. Therefore, more scientific research focused on using public data is vital not only to examine the reproducibility of the results of literature based on private data, but to ensure there is a body of quality scientific work using public data that illustrates correlations informing of potential environmental health risks. If this ‘secret science’ rule were to pass, not having readily permissible environmental health studies on fracking to inform ongoing discussions surrounding regulatory action could leave vulnerable Pennsylvanians at risk.

What new skills have you gained through your research?

Through engaged mentorship offered by the STEER program, I have had the opportunity to gain valuable research skills. This summer has been my first in-depth research experience, so I have gained experience in how to formulate and persistently tackle a research question and, specifically, design a study using public data. Through this project, I have also had the opportunity to significantly improve my skills in applied statistics. I have built upon my programming knowledge in R, experience in data analysis, and gained exposure to data visualization techniques in QGIS and R. Additionally, because the 2020 STEER program took place remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I had the opportunity to learn how to effectively collaborate, give formal presentations, and develop professional interpersonal relationships completely through a virtual format.

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Categories : COEC Blog

STEER researcher Alexandra Rizaldi investigates neighborhood characteristics associated with COVID-19 in Philadelphia

Posted by Community Engagement Core 
· Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020 
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My name is Alex Rizaldi, and I am from Chadds Ford, PA (a Philadelphia suburb). I am a rising sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania studying biology on the pre-med track. As my first research experience and my first in-depth exposure to the environmental health field, STEER has been monumental in helping me determine my academic and career paths. This summer, under the mentorship of Dr. Blanca Himes, I have been investigating neighborhood characteristics that may be associated with COVID-19 in Philadelphia.

What is your summer research project?

COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has infected 5.3 million Americans and over 30,000 Philadelphians as of August 17, 2020. What is unique about COVID-19 is that it affects people in a variety of ways; those who test positive may have no symptoms, suffer from nausea or loss of smell, or unfortunately experience severe outcomes like hospitalization or death. However, what is not unique about COVID-19 is that racial and socioeconomic disparities have been reported, with minority and low-income populations being disproportionately affected by the disease. With all of this in mind, there were two goals of my research. First, I wanted to see

what areas in Philadelphia have worse COVID-19 outcomes (positivity, testing rate, hospitalization rate, death rate) compared to others. Second, I wanted to see what neighborhood characteristics (prevalence of medical conditions like asthma, health behaviors like smoking, socioeconomic status, demographics) may be associated with the areas of worse COVID-19 outcomes. Using public data sources including the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, and the Public Health Management Corporation, I calculated zip code-level metrics to visualize and analyze in R. For these metrics, I also excluded COVID-19 cases and deaths attributed to nursing homes and prisons, as disease transmission in those congregate living facilities do not accurately reflect community spread in the underlying population. From my preliminary analysis using bivariate and lasso regressions, educational attainment and household size seem to be most associated with COVID-19 outcomes. However, I plan to conduct additional analysis and expand into surrounding counties in Southeast Pennsylvania to further investigate and validate these associations.

Maps showing COVID-19 positive test rates (left) and percent of adults with graduate education (right) by zip code in Philadelphia.

What are the implications of your research?

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the shortcomings of our healthcare system and has emphasized the need to prioritize public health. This type of epidemiology and health disparities research is vital in informing policy decisions that are rooted in science and accurately portray the needs of the community. By identifying subsets of the Philadelphia population that are being disproportionately affected by COVID-19, in addition to the neighborhood characteristics associated with specific COVID-19 outcomes, the city will be able to efficiently address specific populations that require greater access to testing, health care, and education.

What new skills have you gained through your research?

Conducting an independent project from start to finish has been incredibly valuable in immersing myself in the research process—from developing a research question, to manipulating (and learning the limitations of) public data, to writing and presenting my results. I have gained proficiency in QGIS and primarily R programming, specifically in data manipulation, geocoding, data visualization, and regression analysis. This experience has also helped me develop my leadership and communication skills and build relationships with guest lecturers, program directors, and fellow interns despite the fully virtual format.

A less concrete, but equally important, skill that I have gained this summer is an awareness of the intersection between clinical work, policy, research. Through my research this summer, I have been able to translate the health disparities I have observed as a campus EMT, COVID-19 response volunteer, and free clinic intake worker to the neighborhood-level research and mapping I have done for Philadelphia. And more importantly, now I will always consider the social determinants of health and environmental exposures of the patients I encounter in my clinical work. With all of these new insights and a reaffirmed desire to pursue a career in the medical field, I am very excited to continue with my research with the Himes Lab following the STEER program end.

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Categories : COEC Blog

STEER Researcher Swapnika Alahari examines the extensive effects of lead exposure on children’s developmental behavior

Posted by Community Engagement Core 
· Friday, October 30th, 2020 
· No Comments

My name is Swapnika Alahari and I am from Dallas, Texas originally; however, now I live in Miami, FL and will be a rising senior at the University of Miami studying Microbiology and Immunology. This summer, I tackled the effects of lead toxicity in community children under the mentorship of Dr. Jianghong Liu. STEER has been my first research experience in environmental health.

What is your summer research project?

In modern society, the effects of environmental hazards are being studied more in an effort to increase regulation. Specifically, in Philadelphia lead toxicity has been a huge issue for many populations across various socioeconomic, cultural, and demographic boundaries. The pervasive nature of lead in paint, piping, household dust, and other sources makes it hard to eliminate completely; however, as research continues, it becomes increasingly apparent that lead is toxic even at very low levels (≤5μg/dL). Furthermore, once in the body, lead is difficult to remove. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitalization and chelation therapy, designed to eliminate lead through insoluble complexes, is only available at lead levels greater than 45μg/dL – well above the toxic limit that research shows. This preexisting information set the tone for my research this summer. The aims I had were twofold: establish preventative factors for lead exposure and show the effects of low-lead exposure on children. 

Using cohort samples from Jintan, China, we conducted a study into the effects of children’s dietary patterns on blood lead levels and helped identify protective food factors in dietary lead exposure. I conducted a literature synthesis and review on why our ‘healthy’ dietary pattern, consisting of fruits, vegetables, milk, and cereals, was inversely correlated with blood lead levels; while the ‘snack and drink’ dietary pattern, consisting of fast food, sweets, and soft drinks, was positively correlated with blood lead levels. In creating presentations and a manuscript for this project, I discussed the synergy between various dietary factors and the in vitro implications they have on lead absorption. 

Secondly, using data from the same cohort of adolescents in a different study, we identified the correlation between low-level environmental lead exposure and children’s aggressive behavior. Specifically, we looked at the impact of gender on types of aggression and lead levels on types of aggression. In creating a manuscript for this project, I looked to explain the reasoning behind why boys showed greater proactive and total aggression compared to girls and why lower-lead levels impacted boys aggression at greater levels.

What are the implications of your research?

While I continue to work on the scientific manuscripts for both projects, these pieces of literature will add to the growing evidence that the acceptable standard level of lead in children needs to be dropped. To this end, I have worked to create a brochure that details the impacts of dietary factors and patterns on blood lead levels. Specifically, I hope to make this pertinent information accessible to all populations in Philadelphia. Through the Perelman School of Medicine, Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, and the National Institutes of Health, I have been able to make an informational guide that is now available to print and use across Philly. In doing this, I look to make the lay public aware of issues that can continue to affect them and how to practice healthy habits. 

What new skills have you gained through your research?

While previously I focused mainly on wet lab benchwork and molecular pathways, this summer I was introduced to the world of epidemiology and the dynamic impact it has on human health. Honestly, I was enamored with this field of study right off the bat and I look to immerse myself in further translational work moving forward. This introduction to epidemiology and the unique time period we are currently in makes it easy for me to learn new skills that are applicable virtually. As such, I really expanded on my skills in scholarly writing, literature synthesis, outreach and accessibility, and understanding how to combat environmental injustice. These are tools I look to take forward in my practice of medicine and public policy.

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Categories : COEC Blog, Uncategorized

A Look at Children’s Environmental Health in Philadelphia

Posted by Community Engagement Core 
· Thursday, October 8th, 2020 
· No Comments

Today we celebrate the 5th annual Children’s Environmental Health Day. Children’s Environmental Health Day serves as an opportunity to reflect on the progress Philadelphia has made in addressing environmental threats that face children in our region. Through the determined work of local non-profits, government agencies, and universities, Philadelphia has taken major steps to reduce childhood lead-poisoning and childhood asthma through initiatives targeted to improve the home environment. However, gaps in protection remain and action still needs to be taken to protect Philadelphia children from environmental hazards. Due to aging infrastructure and inadequate maintenance, Philadelphia schools have remained a health hazard to the children that attend them. Improving the school environment must be a priority for Philadelphia moving forward.

COMBATING CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING THROUGH RENTAL LAWS
Lead poisoning of young children remains a major issue in Philadelphia. In 2018, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health identified 1,568 new cases of elevated blood lead levels among children less than 6 years. As an old, industrial city, Philadelphia is burdened with many sources of lead in the environment, including lead from lead-based paint, found in buildings built before 1978, lead in drinking water, due to lead service lines, and lead in soil, due to the former use of lead in gasoline and past industrial sites.

Children in Philadelphia are exposed to lead primarily through lead-based paint found in their homes, nearly 90% of which were built before 1978, when lead-based paint was banned. These older housing units built before lead-based paint was banned is strongly associated with elevated blood lead levels in children. Poverty can be associated with dilapidated housing conditions, a risk factor for elevated blood lead levels. The highest rates of elevated blood lead levels are found in North and West Philadelphia, the most economically disadvantaged regions of Philadelphia.

Source: PDPH

There is no safe level of lead exposure, especially for infants and young children. Lead poisoning can cause irreversible damage, including lower IQ and lifelong learning and behavioral problems.

One of the most significant actions taken to protect Philadelphia children from lead in their homes was the passing of the Rental Property Lead Certification Law in September 2019. This law requires all landlords to test and certify their rental properties as lead-safe or lead-free.

The successful passage of the Rental Property Lead Certification bill was largely due to the unrelenting support from Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown and activism from many local organizations, most notably Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY). The 2019 Rental Property Lead Certification Law went into effect on October 1, 2020. This monumental bill will work to protect Philadelphia children from the dangers of lead paint in rental homes as long as it is enforced. There is still much work to do to ensure children in owned homes are safe.

ADDRESSING CHILDHOOD ASTHMA IN THE HOME
In Philadelphia, 21% of children have asthma, which is more than double the national rate. Indoor and outdoor air pollution are major contributors to the high prevalence of asthma in Philadelphia. Common in home asthma triggers include tobacco smoke, dust mites, pests, mold, and even cleaning products. Outdoor air pollution is a major concern for children living close to busy roadways or industrial facilities.

Asthma affects a child’s health as well as their academic performance. Asthma-related school absenteeism affects the majority of children with asthma and is linked to lower academic performance, especially among urban minority youth. Asthma is also a leading cause of emergency roomvisits for children. Now more than ever, it is important to put measures in place to prevent unneeded visits to the hospital. In Philadelphia, the rate of asthma related hospitalizations is 59 hospitalizations per 10,000 children. Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic children had the highest rates of asthma-related hospitalizations in Philadelphia, roughly 5 times higher than that of non-Hispanic white children.

Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stevens from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has been working to address these disparities in Philadelphia for over 20 years. Dr. Bryant-Stevens founded the Community Asthma Prevention Program (CAPP), a comprehensive program aimed to improve asthma knowledge, control, and quality of life for participants by providing free asthma education classes at schools, churches, daycares, and community centers, home visits to address the home environment of children with asthma and provide one-on-one education, and asthma resources for professionals, students, and schools. In 2018, CAPP launched CAPP+ Home Repairs Program, an extension of their program that includes home repairs aiming to further reduce asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations by removing asthma triggers in the home. Through their partnership with the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC), CAPP+ is able to offer repairs to address mold, water intrusion, and pests in the home.

Since its inception, CAPP has conducted over 20,000 home-based asthma visits, educated 3,000 caregivers in community education classes, taught more than 600 children in school-based asthma classes, and provided site-based asthma trainings for hundreds of primary care providers. This program has served as a model for how to conduct successful community-based public health interventions.

For more information, contact CAPP at (215) 590-5261 or through their online contact form.

While addressing indoor air pollutants is important to reduce asthma rates, improvements in outdoor air pollution in Philadelphia are essential if we expect to reduce Philadelphia rates to those of the rest of the Commonwealth of PA.

PROBLEMS REMAIN AT SCHOOLS
Philadelphia schools are currently facing a facilities crisis that is reflective of years of systemic deferred maintenance, and children are paying the price. Philadelphia schools are on average 70 years old. Due to their age, and lack of proper maintenance, these schools are plagued by flaking lead-based paint, lead in drinking water, damaged asbestos materials, and mold growth.

Source: Martha Washington Elementary

Recently the Philadelphia City Council has put forth legislation addressing several environmental hazards present in Philadelphia schools, including  testing and reporting for lead in water and inspections for lead paint. Asbestos in schools is currently mandated under the EPA Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) that requires building inspections every three years. Although these laws are in place, enforcement and timely remediation is an ongoing problem. In December 2019, it was uncovered that 70% of Philadelphia charter schools did not have any publicly available water quality tests, as is required by a 2017 law.

There are currently no requirements for mold testing in Philadelphia schools. Mold grows in areas with a lot of moisture. In schools, this is usually due to roof and plumbing leaks or excess humidity due to uncontrolled indoor temperatures. These circumstances are common in schools. Mold has been formally reported in 142 schools in Philadelphia, which enroll over 88,000 students. In the summer of 2017, nearly 25,000 square-feet of mold was found on carpets, desks, chairs, walls, and the ventilation system in Munoz-Marin Elementary School, in North Philadelphia. Only a few months later, John B Kelly Elementary School, also in North Philadelphia, closed for a week due to a massive mold outbreak. To date, John B Kelly Elementary has received almost 200 reports of mold and three other schools have reported over 100 reports of mold, just in 2017 alone.

Source: PFT Health and Welfare Fund

Mold can trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions. The rates of asthma-related hospitalizations are highest among children living in North and West Philadelphia, which are the same neighborhoods that see the most closures of schools due to environmental issues. These infrastructure problems present in Philadelphia schools are an example of environmental injustice faced by low-income, minority children in Philadelphia.

The Philly Healthy Schools Initiative (PHSI) has been working to combat these hazards present in schools. PSHI is a coalition of parents, school faculty, students, community members, and public health experts aimed to develop plans to address the environmental hazards found in Philadelphia school buildings. One of their most recent initiatives, launched through their partner the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT), was the development of an app, PFT Healthy Schools Tracker App. Through this app students and teachers can report hazards they see in their schools. These reports, which include location, type and magnitude of problem, and photos, are sent to PHSI, who then sends summarized reports to the School District of Philadelphia. This app promotes citizen-science and engagement with students about the issues present in their schools. Knowing where and how bad problems are is the first step.  Developing a strategy on how to safely and efficiently fix them is necessary.

Philadelphia has made good progress to protect children from environmental hazards in their homes. It is time to expand that coverage to their schools as well. Keeping schools clean and in healthy condition must be a non-negotiable priority to ensure the health and safety of the children who attend them. Creating a safe school environment for all Philadelphia children is one step towards improved environmental health and environmental justice.

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Categories : COEC Blog, Uncategorized

What could the New Jersey environmental justice bill mean for Pennsylvania?

Posted by Community Engagement Core 
· Tuesday, September 29th, 2020 
· No Comments

On September 18th, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a landmark environmental justice bill. This bill, NJ S232, is designed to limit new sources of pollution in environmental justice communities by allowing the Department of Environmental Protection to deny permits for power plants, incinerators, landfills, large recycling facilities and sewage treatment plants if the new permits introduce additional health and environmental risks to already overburdened communities. This is the first state bill to address environmental injustice and cumulative exposures in this way in the country.

Environmental injustice refers to the disproportionate placement of sources such as pollution producing industry and landfills leading to greater exposure of low income and minority communities to environmental hazards due to unequal protection through laws, regulations, and enforcement. This injustice has been documented since the 1980s, starting with the work of the United Church of Christ in exposing how hazardous waste sites were disproportionately located in low income, minority communities. Recent studies have shown that these unequal impacts have continued, not only in regard to hazardous waste sites, but also in exposure to air pollution, water pollution, and more.

Recently, there has been an increasing focus on issues surrounding environmental injustice due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been shown to disproportionately affect people of color and individuals living in highly polluted areas. Environmental injustice is one facet of the racial injustice that has sparked national social justice protests across the country in recent months. Recognition that current federal environmental regulation is inadequate to protect all people has highlighted the need to legally address environmental justice on a state-level.

Pennsylvania is home to many environmental justice communities. The maps to the right show the locations of environmental justice communities in Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia County which is almost entirely made up of environmental justice communities.

Chester, a small city just south of Philadelphia, has been a focus of environmental justice activism since the 1990s and has been identified as one of the nation’s worst cases of environmental racism. The population in Chester is 74% Black, with 33% of the population living below the poverty line. Chester is home to an unprecedented number of industrial polluting facilities, including a trash incinerator, a sewage treatment plant, oil refineries, and more. There are 11 industries that emit carcinogens in Chester; some emitting tens of thousands of pounds of carcinogens every year.

A bill like the one passed in New Jersey, could prevent current industries in Chester from expanding and prevent additional industries from coming to Chester. The Chester Environmental Partnership (CEP), a faith-based organization run by Dr. Horace Strand, has been working with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the EPA for years to limit the amount of air pollution in Chester, but the organization’s efforts are often limited by current state permitting policies that do not take cumulative health impacts into consideration. If the DEP was required to assess additional health and environmental risks to overburdened communities when considering new industrial permits, then communities like Chester would be protected from new industrial development that would add to the pollution burden and the human health risk.

If New Jersey can protect its citizens from environmental injustice, then why can’t Pennsylvania?

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Categories : COEC Blog

STEER Researcher Aditi Nayak examined the relationship between early childhood lead exposure and sleep issues

Posted by Community Engagement Core 
· Tuesday, September 1st, 2020 
· No Comments

My name is Aditi Nayak, and I am from West Windsor, New Jersey. I am currently a rising sophomore at Amherst College, majoring in Neuroscience and Mathematics. Through the STEER program, I worked with Dr. Veasey to determine if developmental lead exposure caused lasting changes to sleep-related neurons and microglia in the lateral hypothalamus.

What is your summer research project?

Recent studies associate early childhood lead (Pb) exposure with sleep issues as early as preadolescence. The Veasey lab is trying to explain this correlation by identifying the mechanisms through which developmental lead exposure impacts the nervous system in utero. To determine this mechanism, we must figure out which portions of the brain are (and are not) impacted by lead exposure. This summer, I analyzed images of the lateral hypothalamus in mice models to see if its orexinergic neurons (neurons related to the sleep/wake cycle) and microglia are injured by lead exposure. My analysis demonstrates that there are enduring changes in the projections of orexinergic neurons and microglia, which corresponds to lasting sleep issues.

What are the implications of your research?

Despite regulatory efforts, lead remains prevalent in our environment. As a neurotoxin, lead exposure can impact brain development in children, potentially leading to permanent neurological damage that manifest into lasting lifestyle changes. If we can understand the mechanisms by which lead exposure in utero injures sleep-related neurons, then we can prevent early childhood lead exposure from inducing lasting sleep problems. Through my research, we know more about which neurons and regions of the brain are (and are not) injured by lead exposure. This information serves as clues to what the exact mechanism is.

What new skills have you gained through your research?

Although this year’s STEER program was entirely remote, I had the opportunity to gain new research skills for which I am extremely grateful. For example, I learned how to use ImageJ to analyze images of the brain. The remote nature of this internship also opened my eyes to the possibilities of remote research. Learning about my fellow STEER participant’s research, I now know more public data sources and how you can use RStudio and GIS to draw conclusions from publicly available information.

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Categories : COEC Blog

STEER Researcher Bonnie Mendelson uses experimental modeling to understand how climate change can impact disease phenology

Posted by Community Engagement Core 
· Thursday, January 30th, 2020 
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What is your summer research project?

My summer research project involves creating an experimental model of a multiple-host parasite system in order to study disease phenology or seasonality. A common example of this type of system is the bird-fish system in which a tapeworm parasite infects a three-spined stickleback fish which is then consumed by the belted kingfisher bird. This bird then becomes infected with the parasite and defecates into the water where the fish resides, leaving a growing parasite to once again infect more fish. This system, and many others like it, are strongly dependent on phenology or seasonality. Thus, phenology has the potential to increase or decrease transmission of the parasite depending on the life cycle of the fish and the bird. Changing seasons, which effect migration patterns and temperature for example, can impact how a parasite is transmitted as well as its virulence, effecting the entire host or multiple-host parasite system. This summer I have worked on experimentally modeling this system using bacteria and bacteriophage, the virus that infects the bacteria, in order to eventually test various aspects of seasonality on multiple-host parasite systems. 

What are the implications of your research?

This research has applications to the study of disease and understanding how climate change can impact disease phenology. By modeling these disease systems and determining how phenology impacts them over hundreds of seasons, which will be possible via this model, this concept can be applied to parasites that affect humans. For example, by understanding the impact of seasonality on mosquitoes, one can better understand how climate impacts the timing of transmission of malaria from mosquitoes to humans. This can be impactful in more effectively treating human disease by predicting when and where exactly disease is most virulent and has the highest rate of transmission. 

What new skills have you gained through your research?

This summer I have learned about bacterial culture, plasmids, and genetic recombineering. Part of this project includes the insertion of antibiotic resistance genes into the bacterial genome in order to knock out the J gene, a gene that encodes for receptor that recognizes a certain type of bacteriophage, requiring a specific set of protocols. I have also been using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) in order to verify that some of these genes have been inserted or deleted from the bacterial genome. 

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Categories : COEC Blog

STEER Researcher Kimmy Halberstadter examines the effects of maternal opioid usage on offspring exposed in utero

Posted by Community Engagement Core 
· Monday, January 6th, 2020 
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My name is Kimmy Halberstadter, and I am a rising senior at Penn.  I am majoring in Cognitive Science with a specific concentration in neuroscience, sparked by my deeper interest in exploring the overlap and interactions between biological mechanisms and psychological behavior.  In the spring of my junior year at Penn, I began working in Dr. Mariella De Biasi’s pharmacology and neuroscience lab, exploring various effects of substance use on neural development and behavior in a mouse model.  Through the STEER program, I have been able to continue this work over the summer and expand both my knowledge of this field and my general skills working in a wet lab. 

What is your summer research project? 

This summer, my primary project sought to explore the effects of maternal opioid usage on offspring who were exposed to these opioids in utero.  With great mentorship from Vanessa Fleites and Dr. De Biasi, I have been able to record and analyze multiple types of data, all lending to the common theme of prenatal exposure to opioids.  This research follows these opioid-exposed pups through multiple stages of their development, from their first days, through adolescence, all the way to adulthood. 

What are the implications of your research? 

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 130 United States residents die every day after overdosing from opioids.  Even more, Pennsylvania has the third highest rate of fatal drug overdose, and Philadelphia alone saw over 1,100 fatal drug overdoses in 2018.  It is no secret that opioid use in the United States has been on the rise in recent years, and the often-fatal implications of this usage are astounding.  In order to properly curb this rising drug usage, it is imperative to understand the roots of drug-initiating behavior and the mechanisms in the brain which either affect or are affected by this usage. 

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) resulting from prenatal exposure to certain drugs poses a particular problem to newborn children.  This syndrome describes a host of dangerous symptoms suffered by a newborn, and research today is interested in looking at long-term consequences of this exposure.  The idea of prenatal exposure to opioids (through maternal usage) is thus of interest in the De Biasi lab, in hopes of better understanding the effects (both short-term and long-term) of opioid use and exposure on later development and behavior so as to inform future efforts to curb this drug usage. 

What new skills have you gained through your research? 

My work as part of the STEER program has helped me improve my laboratory and leadership skills while also exploring more deeply the environmental implications of my work.  Although I have always taken an interest in environmental health, and have more recently explored in-depth environmental toxicology, this environmental perspective had not to date been the primary focus of my work; by combining pharmacological research with lectures and research on public health (and the effects of the environment on this public health), I have been able to widen the scope of my exploration and understanding.  It has been particularly special to examine the effects of opioid use not only on the patient-level, but also on the population (and environment) level.  The STEER program has enriched my research experience, and my work in the lab specifically has given me the chance to utilize my interests in environmental and public health and provide an additional perspective in the lab. 

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Categories : COEC Blog

STEER Researcher Sunny Zhang uses biosenors to detect benzene, and other related chemicals, in both air and water

Posted by Community Engagement Core 
· Tuesday, November 26th, 2019 
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My name is Sunny Zhang and I am a rising sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania studying physics. Although I have never done research in environmental science prior to coming to Penn, I was involved in energy research for many years in high school and was also an active member of environmental groups. This summer, I had the opportunity to pursue my interest in materials science research while also learning about various applications to biosensing and environmental health. Participating in the STEER program has introduced me to many new fields which I can now add to my list of possible future research directions. 

What is your summer research project? 

This summer, I have been working in the lab of Dr. Charlie Johnson. My research project involves biosensors in the form of highly sensitive carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (NTFETs) as a way to detect environmental toxins. Specifically, I decided to focus on the detection of benzene, which is a known pollutant in air and groundwater. To do this, I used an olfaction system based on large arrays of NTFET sensors to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the headspace of samples prepared with varying concentrations of benzene. The arrays were functionalized with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), each with a particular sequence that interacts with the VOCs (in this case the benzene vapor). By measuring the current responses of each device when exposed to the benzene vapor, I was able to distinguish the various concentrations of benzene in the original samples. 

What are the implications of your research? 

According to the World Health Organization, human exposure to benzene has been associated with various adverse health effects, including cancer and anemia. Toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene are also similarly harmful, and all of these chemicals are widely used in the petroleum industry. Because the electronic olfaction system is modeled after mammalian olfaction systems, it contains many sensors that each respond differently to aromatic molecules, meaning that the system can be used to detect a wide variety of VOCs. In addition to benzene, it has been able to detect low concentrations of dinitrotoluene (DNT) and dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), among other chemicals. In the future, we can test for certain metabolites resulting from exposure to organic pollutants, since the system is also capable of detecting and identifying volatile biomarkers for various diseases. 

What new skills have you gained through this experience? 

Over the course of the summer, I have gained many new skills both in and out of the lab. In my research, I was introduced to nanofabrication techniques such as ALD and PVD. I also learned how to handle organic chemicals and biological material. In addition, the weekly lectures and field trips helped me learn about research techniques in many different fields, ranging from laboratory experiments to case studies to community-based approaches. I learned that in some cases, environmental science research is not limited to a lab. For instance, in the town of Palmerton, the scientists at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center had the entire town and mountainside to work with, and the process of treating the environmental damage was an endeavor that took years, rather than a project that could be completed over the course of a summer. Overall, my experience with the STEER program has been both challenging and rewarding, and I am very grateful to have had this opportunity this summer. 

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STEER Researcher Katie Bisson uses public data to investigate the health impacts of hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania

Posted by Community Engagement Core 
· Wednesday, October 30th, 2019 
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My name is Katie Bisson, and I am a rising senior at the University of Rochester interested in data-driven approaches to exploring environmental issues.

What is your summer research project?

This summer I have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Field to investigate the health impacts of fracking throughout the state of Pennsylvania using publicly available data. Guided by private results that have found a link between increases in cardiology hospital utilization and fracking, I have used free, public datasets on cardiac catheterizations and heart disease mortalities to see whether a relationship can be established.

What are the implications of your research?

The EPA under Scott Pruitt pushed to implement a “no secret science” rule that would eliminate reliance on non-public scientific data for creating EPA rules. This would take any health studies involving confidential patient information off the table for informing EPA policy. Most recently under Andrew Wheeler, the rule has been pushed back to the EPA’s long-term agenda. Even so, investigating the ability for publicly available data to confirm existing nonpublic research is a critical step in preparing for the potential implications for the environmental health community and the country as a whole.

What new skill have you gained through your research?

Through my research I have been able to further develop my skills using GIS and statistical software. Through lectures and field trips, the STEER program gave me exposure to many aspects of environmental health and science that will inform my future in the environmental community.

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