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.

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.

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.