On Thursday October 28, 2021, Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Wolf signed an Executive Order that will strengthen environmental justice work in Pennsylvania. Members of the Pennsylvania Black Caucus also announced legislation they are putting forth to accompany this executive order. These actions are important first steps to protect communities overburdened with environmental exposures. The maps below […]

Dr. Mary Regina Boland is currently an Associate Director of Masters in Biomedical Informatics Program and tenure-track Assistant Professor of Informatics in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Informatics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Boland is also an Affiliate Member of the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology […]

This post marks the beginning of our series on local environmental justice heroes. The individuals highlighted in this series are leaders in their communities and champions for environmental justice. Their activism and leadership have led to positive change in their community. Dr. Horace Strand has been working to bring environmental justice to Chester for over […]

Dr. Trevor Penning, the Thelma Brown and Henry Charles Molinoff Professor of Pharmacology, is a professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania and has been the Director of the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) since its founding in 2006. He formulated the strategic vision of the CEET from […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

I am a rising junior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in Earth and Environmental Science. I am planning on pursuing a masters in environmental studies. As a Philly native, I am extremely concerned about pollution and how it affects people that reside near it. This summer I am researching the air pollution levels in […]

Hello! My name is Jason Mark Soriano and I am a rising junior at the University of California, Berkeley (Go Bears!). I am majoring in Molecular Environmental Biology with a concentration in Environment and Human Health. I first became curious about environmental health after completing a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program last summer at […]

This summer I have been continuously developing a map of environmental air pollution sources from all across Philadelphia. It includes the big things—refineries and other large-scale industries; as well as the small things—like the 130 gas stations peppered across the city. It includes the obvious—city traffic and highway routes, but also a surprisingly large number […]

My name is Andrew Briskin and I am a rising junior at the University of Pennsylvania. I am pursuing a major in Health and Societies with a concentration in Disease and Society, and a minor in Chemistry. After graduation, I plan to attend medical school. I have not yet decided on what clinical specialty I […]

My name is Tina Wu, and I am a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania studying the Biological Basis of Behavior (Neuroscience) and Economics. Both my scientific and research interests lie in understanding how the broader environment interacts with individuals’ physiological function and lifestyle to impact their health outcomes. This summer, I worked with […]

On Wednesday, June 5th, community members gathered at Chew Park at 19th and Washington to discuss its recent closure. In attendance at this meeting were representatives from Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Philadelphia Department of Public Health and Risk Management as well as Philadelphia’s Rebuild Program, a City program focused on parks, recreation centers and libraries. […]

If you live in a neighborhood with housing built before 1978, chances are you have the toxic element lead lurking nearby. Lead is a heavy metal and potent neurotoxin that is particularly hazardous to the developing brains of children under 5 years of age. Lead exposure can occur from a variety of sources including: deteriorating […]

My name is Nancy, and I am a rising sophomore at Rutgers University studying Public Health and Environmental Policy! My hometown is Pennington, New Jersey, but I loved getting the chance to spend the summer conducting research in Philadelphia. My research interests include using the lens of GIS to visualize health disparities.             This summer […]

By Howard Neukrug, December 4, 2018, Professor of Practice, The University of Pennsylvania There are hundreds of thousands of residential lead pipes still in use in Pennsylvania, especially in older neighborhoods where persons of color, seniors or economically disadvantaged citizens often reside. Over time, lead may leach from the pipe surface into the home drinking […]

I am a rising senior at Penn majoring in molecular and cellular biology with plans to apply to continue my education at the graduate level. I became interested in environmental toxicology during the course of my junior year research. I studied the outcomes of cigarette smoke on lung adenocarcinoma in Dr. David Feldser’s lab, which […]

Melissa demonstrating how she uses an Airbeam monitor to take measurements of car exhaust emissions About me: I am a rising senior at Florida State University studying Biology. From a young age, I’ve had an affinity for the environment and animals. I have previously conducted research with the FSU UROP program, studying the marine Caribbean […]

Hi! My name is Ayah El-fahmawi and this summer I was working under Dr. Jianghong Liu on research about early childhood exposures and adult behavioral outcomes. Our research mainly focused on early, low-level lead exposure in children living in the greater Philadelphia area. The study that I mainly worked on was a follow-up on the […]

I am a rising senior at the University of Vermont studying Environmental Science with a concentration in Public Health and minor in Chemistry. I am interested in the impact of environmental toxins on public health and environmental health disparities. This summer I am working with Dr. Heather Burris investigating the association of blood arsenic concentration […]

For the second year in a row, the Community Engagement Core hosted an environmental health week for West Philadelphia high school students, as part of the Netter Center and Center for Public Health Initiatives summer public health internship. The partnership took place from July 9th to July 12th. Students in this internship learn about the […]

“Make sure to take your medication, visit your family doctor, maintain a healthy diet, keep up regular exercise, see the podiatrist, see the dentist and the eye doctor.” For some people, this good advice is more easily said than done. For those managing diabetes, keeping up good habits is especially important. According to the American […]

Living with asthma or other lung problems isn’t easy and air pollution can worsen these symptoms. Philadelphia has many sources of air pollution, which often are invisible to the naked eye. Exhaust from cars and buses come from city traffic and the I-95 Highway corridor. Miles away, fine particulates from coal-fired power plants are carried […]

Philadelphia has a lead problem. Philadelphia’s old housing stock is what gives it much of its charm yet poses the greatest risk for lead.  92 percent of current Philadelphia housing units were built before 1978, which means that lead continues to be present in the majority of homes in the City, especially in neighborhoods struggling […]

Benthic macroinvertebrates (macros) are spineless bugs, visible to the naked eye. They are often the nymph and larvae forms of many familiar creatures buzzing and crawling around you every day. You may know them as adult dragonflies, mosquitoes, crane flies, stoneflies and many more. What you may not know, is that these critters can say […]

The National Academy of Medicine has called on artists of all kinds to explore what health equity means to communities across the country for a community art show on: Visualizing Health Equity. Now, health equity can mean different things for different communities, however, the central idea is that everyone has a fair shot at living […]

After the lead contamination of Flint Michigan’s water supply, national attention to lead exposure from all sources heightened. Rates of elevated blood lead levels are high in Southeast Pennsylvania and especially in low-income Philadelphia Neighborhoods. Last year, nearly 2,700 children in Philadelphia were found to have harmful levels of lead in their blood. Known sources […]

The Community Outreach and Engagement Core hosted an Environmental Health week from July 10th –July 14th  for West Philadelphia high school students  as part of the Netter Center and Center for Public Health Initiatives eight week public health internship.  COEC director Dr. Marilyn Howarth and coordinator Tom McKeon taught the interns about environmental health problems […]

Engaged residents of Fishtown and Kensington organized a panel of experts to discuss the dangers of lead poisoning and ways to reduce exposure from water service lines, contaminated soil and chipping lead paint. Read more about the event on Plan Philly. Read more about the event on Star News Philly. The next panel is scheduled […]

Penn Student Interns work to Reduce Lead Exposure in West Philadelphia and Lancaster, PA Tabeen Hossain, Sara Labrum, Jessica Meeker In collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center, Earth and Environmental Science Department, and Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET), Professor Rich Pepino is leading a diverse group of experts and student researchers, […]

Dr. Rebecca Simmons, the CEET’s deputy director and a CHOP pediatrician, has a message that she thinks everyone should know: your health prior to pregnancy and during pregnancy has profound implications for not just how your fetus and newborn develops, but for their health as an adult and for their children and grandchildren’s health! Dr. […]

This year’s recipients of the Netter Center Faculty-Community Partnership Award are our very own Deputy Director of the Community Outreach and Engagement Core, Richard Pepino and his partners in the School District of Philadelphia. This award recognizes outstanding faculty-community partnership in West Philadelphia. A West Philadelphia native, It was a natural fit when Rich began […]

Yes, although radon has been out of the news lately, it is still an extremely important environmental health exposure. Pennsylvania has one of the most serious radon problems in the county. An estimated 40 percent of Pennsylvania homes have radon levels above the Environmental Protection Agency’s action guideline of 4 picocuries per liter. Fall and […]

I am a rising senior at Central Bucks High School West in Pennsylvania and am very interested in bioremediation, which is the use of naturally occurring microorganisms to break down environmental pollutants. This interest compelled me to conduct a project on the effects of a bacterium known as Bacillus cereus on 3- Nitrobenzanthrone, a carcinogen […]

Sebastian is a rising junior at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore. He is interested in groundwater and water pollution, which lead him to investigate the carcinogenic effects of fracking fluids and the water sources they contaminated. After high school, Sebastian plans to pursue a career in Environmental Science or Earth Science. What is your […]

In response to the childhood lead poisoning crisis in Flint, Michigan, Senator Bob Casey, Jr. held a roundtable on April 11th at CHOP to discuss what might be done to prevent such a crisis in Pennsylvania.  According to the CDC, Pennsylvania is one of the top five states in the US with the highest percentage […]

Poor air quality is not always easy to see. In fact, when it’s sunny and clear outside, there can still be high levels of invisible pollutants such as ozone and fine particles in the air. The outdoor air quality is influenced by a combination of pollutants from auto exhaust, power plants, oil refineries and airport […]

It is finally starting to feel like Spring! With Summer beginning in less than a month, most people are not thinking about air quality! We want to remind you about the importance of air quality to your health. The outdoor air quality is influenced by the combination of pollutants from auto exhaust, power plants, oil […]

The Community Outreach and Engagement Core is proud to highlight the achievements and contributions that CEET researchers have made to advance the field of environmental health sciences, and we are delighted to give them the opportunity to discuss their current research projects that address community health concerns.  Dr. George Gerton I received my BA in […]

The Short Term Educational Experiences of Research in Environmental Science for Undergraduates (STEER) Program is a ten week summer internship awarded to undergraduate students interested in environmental health. Through a collaboration between the CEET, the Center for Public Health Initiatives and multiple schools and faculty at Penn, the STEER program provides didactic experiences in environmental […]

The Short Term Educational Experiences of Research in Environmental Science for Undergraduates (STEER) Program is a ten week summer internship awarded to undergraduate students interested in environmental health. Through a collaboration between the CEET, the Center for Public Health Initiatives and multiple schools and faculty at Penn, the STEER program provides didactic experiences in environmental […]

The Short Term Educational Experiences of Research in Environmental Science for Undergraduates (STEER) Program is a ten week summer internship awarded to undergraduate students interested in environmental health. Through a collaboration between the CEET, the Center for Public Health Initiatives and multiple schools and faculty at Penn, the STEER program provides didactic experiences in environmental […]

The Short Term Educational Experiences of Research in Environmental Science for Undergraduates (STEER) Program is a ten week summer internship awarded to undergraduate students interested in environmental health. Through a collaboration between the CEET, the Center for Public Health Initiatives and multiple schools and faculty at Penn, the STEER program provides didactic experiences in environmental […]

The Short Term Educational Experiences of Research in Environmental Science for Undergraduates (STEER) Program is a ten week summer internship awarded to undergraduate students interested in environmental health. Through a collaboration between the CEET, the Center for Public Health Initiatives and multiple schools and faculty at Penn, the STEER program provides didactic experiences in environmental and […]

The Short Term Educational Experiences of Research in Environmental Science for Undergraduates (STEER) Program is a ten week summer internship awarded to undergraduate students interested in environmental health. Through a collaboration between the CEET, the Center for Public Health Initiatives and multiple schools and faculty at Penn, the STEER program provides didactic experiences in environmental and […]

The Short Term Educational Experiences of Research in Environmental Science for Undergraduates (STEER) Program is a ten week summer internship awarded to undergraduate students interested in environmental health. Through a collaboration between the CEET, the Center for Public Health Initiatives and multiple schools and faculty at Penn, the STEER program provides didactic experiences in environmental and […]

Hello and welcome to our new website! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit. Please take a look around to learn more about the COEC, the types of information available, more about the communities we work with and how to can continue to learn more about environmental health! Please take a minute […]