On the Trail of Early Molecular Signals
Contributing to Lung Cancer
L
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in
the United States. However, the molecular
mechanisms that trigger airway epithelial cells to
become cancerous have not been well understood.
About 80 percent of patients diagnosed with lung
cancer die within one year because the disease is not
detected until it has reached an advanced stage. “We
know that exposure to environmental pollutants, such
as cigarette smoke, injures the lung’s epithelial cells
and can also trigger changes in cellular functions that
can lead to development of lung cancer,” explains
Associate Professor and molecular and cellular
physiologist Dr. Sekhar Reddy. “If we better
understood these early molecular mechanisms
controlling epithelial cell hyperplasia and squamous
metaplasia, which have been considered to be among
the precancerous cellular changes, we might be able to
prevent the development of lung cancer.”
In a major step towards understanding how air
pollutants injure the lung and trigger a cascade of
molecular events leading to lung cancer, Reddy is
looking at gene expression and regulation during
toxicant-induced airway epithelial injury and repair.
He found that FRA-1 transcription factor, a member
of the activator protein 1 (AP-1) family, induces the
expression of airway squamous metaplastic marker,
SPRR1B gene. FRA-1 is overexpressed in a variety of
human tumors, and contributes to tumor progression.
In addition to mitogens, various toxicants and
carcinogens persistently induce FRA-1 expression.
Reddy, therefore, believes that FRA-1 plays key roles
in cigarette smoke-induced respiratory pathogenesis,
especially lung cancer development. After discovering
that exposure to cigarette smoke caused a marked
upregulation of FRA-1, he began investigating the
mechanisms that control the upregulation of FRA-1
by cigarette smoke and tumor promoters in noncancerous and cancerous airway epithelial cells. His
lab recently found that cigarette smoke stimulates
FRA-1 expression via EGFR and PI3-kinase mediated
signaling in non-cancerous airway epithelial cells.
Several recent studies show that aberrant activation of
EGFR and PI3K signaling occurs during
tumorogenesis. His research is currently focused on
identifying the key effector proteins that control a
high-level expression of FRA-1 in tumors and the
effects of carcinogens on those factors. He is
employing mouse genetic models to specifically delete
the FRA-1 gene in lung epithelial cells to determine
whether this transcription factor is required for the
initiation and/or
progression of
lung cancer in
vivo. Reddy
wants to
understand
ultimately how
tobacco
smoke and
other
carcinogens in
air pollutants
cause airway
epithelial cells to
become
tumorigenic.
Dr. Sekhar Reddy wants to understand
ultimately how tobacco smoke and other
carcinogens in air pollutants cause airway
epithelial cells to become tumorigenic.
Under the Microscope
Research News of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Team Player: Physiologist Extends the Boundaries of His Research
A
According to Clarke Tankersley, PhD, it’s not a
long-term career plan that keeps him satisfied: “You
just plan to come in tomorrow. You bring the same
energy you did twenty years ago and hope, in the end,
that you had an influence.” More than two decades
after coming to the Department of Environmental
Health Sciences as a Laboratory Coordinator, his
enthusiasm is still in ready supply. Now, as an
Associate Professor in the Division on Physiology, the
opportunity to share his excitement and energy with
students, staff, and other faculty adds yet another
motivation to his work.
In a time of increasing specialization, Tankersley
finds enjoyment in constantly broadening his interests. He
praises the intense focus some researchers have for a
topic. That track — attacking a
single question until it has
given up its secrets — has
produced amazing results,
here at Hopkins and around
the world. But it’s not the
system he prefers to work in.
“Diversity is
what really interests
me,” he says.
Investigations into
air pollution, lung
genetics and ALS
(Lou Gehrig’s
Disease) can run
concurrently in his
laboratory.
Though they may
not appear linked
on the surface,
these topics are
part of an
integrated
examination of lung
physiology. That
Environmental
Health Sciences
nourishes all of these
topics is a testament
to, and perhaps a glimpse into, the strength of the
Department. These topics hardly delineate the whole
scope of the Department; but even if his interests
widened further, he would find collaborators already inhouse.
This unique opportunity to interact with other
thinkers is part of what brings Tankersley in to work
every day. He draws inspiration from being among
this group, who he describes as the “smartest people
on the scene.” Watching these “great minds” go
through the intellectual processes of their research
keeps him inspired and coming back for more. To be
able to collaborate with these outstanding faculty and
students is an opportunity that doesn’t exist anywhere
else.
Never one to put himself on a pedestal, he says,
“There’s nothing shining about me. I’m just doing what I
set out to do, and having fun doing it.” Having so much
fun, in fact, that he has stayed at Hopkins more than
twenty years, despite looking forward to a small-college
career for himself as he worked toward his PhD. A
small school, a faculty position, and perhaps coaching
lacrosse: that was the five-year plan. Tankersley sees
remaining at Hopkins as an incredible opening of
possibilities beyond that plan. The opportunities and
collaborations at Hopkins are second to none. He now
has the pleasure, with his laboratory team, of exploring
his own research interests as they catch his fancy. Besides
he’s managed to coach lacrosse for his three children in
his off-time.
The idea of a team is the foundation of his
view of work in public health. Tankersley may now be
captain of a squad, as he describes it, but he knows he
wouldn’t be in the game at all without his team. From
other research faculty, through student investigators
and support staff, he acknowledges his debt to the
Department’s team members. They are crucial to him
continuing his research. Research that won’t be
narrowing in focus any time soon. As Tankersley says,
“The impact of the environment on human health is the
central question of public health.” It’s a safe bet that he’ll
be exploring a broad range of those effects in the
coming years.
A Match Made….on the Farm!
The work of recent PhD and the Center for a Livable Future prove mutually beneficial
F
Following your path, with a combination of
determination, hard work, and openness to the thread
that guides you, sometimes bears fruit in serendipitous
ways. Consider, for example, Amy Chapin, newlyminted PhD and the Center for a Livable Future
(CLF), both in the Department of Environmental
Health Sciences.
found in Chapin a capable researcher as well as an
effective communicator to bridge the perspectives of
the scientific, policy and advocacy communities on
issues central to the work of CLF. Chapin’s research
interests dovetailed nicely with CLF’s Spira/Grace
project that addresses the impacts of industrial animal
production on the environment, rural communities,
and human and animal health. She serves as Research
Director for the project and provides technical
assistance on project activities as well as writing
resource documents.
A native of Columbia, Maryland, Chapin majored
in biology at the University of Maryland, College
Park. She considered
medical school but applied
to the Yale School of
Public Health when she
learned about the field of
environmental health
sciences. At Yale, she
volunteered with an
environmental protection
clinic made up of law,
forestry and public health
students working on
projects with
organizations around the
country. Her clinic work
for the Kerr Center for
Sustainable Agriculture
became the basis for her
master’s thesis.
Amy Chapin works closely with CLF Project Director Shawn
Amy’s doctoral
studies at Johns
Hopkins were
supported for her
four years by the
Howard Hughes
Medical Institute’s
Predoctoral Program
in Biological Science.
In addition, several of
her research projects
and ensuing
publications were
supported by CLF
Directed Research or
Innovation Grants —
specifically her work
McKenzie, providing technical assistance on project
with arsenic resistance
After graduation, she
activities as well as writing resource documents.
in campylopacter on
was accepted to law
poultry products and
school but deferred to
airborne multi-drug resistant bacteria from
become an environmental epidemiologist at the
concentrated swine operations. “These are emerging
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
issues,” says Schwabb, “which are often challenging to
Monitoring pfiesteria outbreaks, oil spills, and blueget funded. CLF has been instrumental in support of
green algal blooms in the Chesapeake Bay kept her
both applied and fundamental science for Chapin and
busy. However, the lukewarm response by the State
other students.”
agency to concerns of a western Maryland
community about health impacts from a concentrated
Without a crystal ball it is difficult to say what the
swine facility helped Amy decide to hone her scientific
future holds for this promising new graduate, but if
skills rather than go to law school. She chose JHSPH
past is prologue, look out!
over Harvard for her doctoral studies because Kellogg
Schwabb, PhD, who became her advisor, was building
the Center for Water and Health here. That decision
For more information on the
also brought Chapin to the Center for a Livable
activities of the Center for a
Future where she found a host of shared interests.
Livable Future, please visit
The Center for a Livable Future (CLF), whose
www.jhsph.edu/Environment
subject is the complex interrelationships among diet,
food production, environment and human health,
Spring Cleaning Indoor Air Pollution
W
We’ve all heard about indoor air pollution. The
marketing blitz concerning air-purifying machines
does indicate we are wising up. We recently sat down
with Timothy J. Buckley, PhD, MHS, an associate
professor of Environmental Health Sciences, about
what indoor air pollution is composed of and
whether we should worry about the air inside our
dwellings.
Any others sources of indoor pollution?
Buckley: The third big category is consumer
products, and even the materials our houses are made
of. Plywood and particle board, for instance, release
formaldehyde fumes and other aldehydes. Carpeting
and carpet adhesives, solvents, shoe polish, degreasers,
air fresheners—all are sources of pollution. Some
people even store gasoline and pesticides indoors,
which of course will off-gas harmful fumes as well.
How bad is indoor air pollution, compared
to the pollution outside?
Buckley: Indoor air pollution can be many times
higher than what’s going on outside. If you think
about it, our indoor air almost always has to be worse
because the outdoor pollution provides the baseline
that’s automatically going to be added on to whatever
pollution is inside. Your lowest indoor pollution levels
can’t be any lower than the levels of pollution outside.
Can these noxious fumes combine with
one another and create an additive effect?
Buckley: Yes, especially in some urban areas where
you’ve got high background air pollution outside,
poor quality housing that’s maybe letting in water, a
high prevalence of smoking. These pollutants do pile
on for a double, triple, even quadruple whammy. But
we don’t know much about how they play off of one
another, their synergistic interactions—that’s an area
ripe for new research.
But it seems like we hear a lot more about
outdoor pollution than we do about
indoor.
Buckley: Yes, that’s probably because most
epidemiologic research has focused on outdoor
pollution. But, on the other hand, now we’re telling
people that indoor air pollution is much more serious
a problem. So there’s a little schizophrenia about our
handling of indoor pollution. The good news is, we
have some control over indoor pollution. We can
modify our indoor contributions.
What are the major indoor contributors to
pollution?
Buckley: Number one, cigarette smoke. If there’s
one thing to change, that would be it. Cigarette smoke
contains pollutants across the whole spectrum of
harmful compounds: particulate matter, carbon
monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
nitrogen oxides—these compounds will overwhelm
almost any other pollutants that seep in from
outdoors.
What about other sources of fire or
combustion besides cigarettes?
Buckley: Yes, burning candles or incense—and
cooking meals—all can generate a lot of unhealthy
airborne particulate matter.
What about mold?
Buckley: Yes, molds and
fungi are a big concern.
We could classify these as
biological contaminants
of the home, along with
other allergens such as pet
dander, dust, mouse-urine
proteins and dust mites.
Obviously, these too
become more of a
problem when
windows and
doors are shut
tight during
the winter—
although
winter’s low
humidity is
protective
against this
class of
pollutants.
Continued
on next
page
Any other chemicals—in packaging, say?
Buckley: In fact, the consumer products I was just
listing bring to mind another set of compounds that
are causing growing concern: the flame retardants and
stain repellants in our upholstery and clothing. The
flame retardants are called PBDEs, for
polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and their use in
consumer goods has increased exponentially in recent
years. Another group of chemicals, called
perfluorinated hydrocarbons, are also applied to
upholstery fabric, to keep spills from soaking in and
to make stains come out more easily. These non-stick
chemicals, believe it or not, are also added to the
insides of pizza boxes to keep our pizzas from
adhering to the package.
If these PBDEs and PFH are dangerous,
why are they allowed on and in our
bodies?
Buckley: Chemically, PBDEs look a little like some
other organic chemicals that we do know are quite
toxic. And they are persistent, so we know their levels
are constantly increasing in our indoor environments.
But right now we don’t understand their toxicity very
well—or whether they even are toxic.
Our increasing ability to detect the presence of
such chemicals in the human body has outstripped
our ability to determine whether they are harming us.
Are they a health threat? We don’t know. We know
that new classes of chemicals are being brought into
our homes and that our exposures to them are likely
quite high. In fact, a five-year study of nursing
mothers in Sweden has detected an exponential rise in
PBDE levels in the mothers’ milk, and thus in their
babies.
Then shouldn’t we be doing something
about this exposure right now?
Buckley: There’s something called the
precautionary principle, which asks: If you don’t
know anything about the toxicity of something,
should you assume it’s toxic and act accordingly? It’s a
controversial question in public health right now
because, on the one hand, could there perhaps be a
link between some ubiquitous household chemical
and the skyrocketing incidences of asthma and
autism? On the other hand, if we invoke the
precautionary principle in this case and ban flame
retardants, there’s going to be a trade-off, a price tag
for consumers because we’ll be losing the chemicals
that protect us from fire injury and death.
One solution is the type of air purifier that uses
the so-called HEPA filters—high-efficiency particulate
air filters. I have had experience with this type of air
filter and they do work. I haven’t seen the data on the
other type of air cleaners, those that use ionization.
So what would you say to the energyconscious homeowner trying to save
money on the heating bill?
Buckley: You must be smart about indoor air
pollution at the same time you’re being smart about
energy conservation. Sealing up windows and doors
saves money on the bill, it’s true, and there wouldn’t
be a big downside to that if you’ve got no indoor
sources of pollution. But who doesn’t cook, and burn
candles, and bring home the dry-cleaning and
household products, and buy new clothes? A low airexchange rate means that whatever fumes are in there
are going to stay there and that we’re going to have to
inhale them.
Faculty Fellows Named to Center for Excellence in
Environmental Public Health Tracking
A
Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences Norma Kanarek, PhD was among
four faculty members recently named fellows of the Center for Excellence in Environmental
Public Health Tracking at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. While
senior scientist at the Public Health Foundation (PHF) of Washington, D.C., she participated
in the design and development of the Community Health Status Indicators Project—an effort
that has produced a community health profile for every U.S. county. Along with the Centers
for Disease Control and PHF, she is working to update these community profiles and make
them available once again to local planners, officials, community advocates and academics. She
is also integrating epidemiologic strategies and etiologic information about cancer with
statistical tools to assess local excesses of disease or other poor outcomes.
Student Highlights
Student Highlights of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences
All Creatures Great and Small
Seeking Alternatives to Animal Testing in Research
A
At the end of a stressful day, PhD student Renee
Gardner likes to sit silently with her two cats to
decompress. Respect for animals has long guided her
viewpoint on animal welfare and her concern with
responsibility toward animal testing in research. “I
believe we have a moral obligation not to cause
unnecessary pain and distress to animals,” explains
Gardner.
When Gardner was initially looking at PhD
programs, Hopkins grabbed her attention due to the
Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal
Testing (CAAT) residing within the Department of
Environmental Health Sciences. The Center has
worked with scientists since 1981 to find new
methods to replace the use of laboratory animals in
experiments, reduce the number of animals tested,
and refine necessary tests to eliminate pain and
distress. The Three Rs—replace, reduce, refine—have
become the cornerstone of the Center’s mission. “I
couldn’t wait to sit down with the Center Director Dr.
Alan Goldberg to learn about CAAT’s work,” says
Gardner. “Following
that discussion, I
knew Johns
Hopkins was
Renee Gardner (right) is investigating scientific alternatives
to the use of animals to progress her research with Dr. Ellen
Silbergeld (left) on the role of mercury in the development of
autoimmune disease.
where I wanted to go for graduate school.”
With help from a grant from the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Gardner is
investigating scientific alternatives to the use of
animals. She is using the one-year renewable grant to
progress her current research with Dr. Ellen
Silbergeld on the role of mercury in the development
of autoimmune disease. “To date, researchers have
used animals to test the impact of toxic compounds,”
explains Gardner. “My ultimate aim is to explore
alternative testing methods that can be used in place
of current animal tests.”
Gardner’s interest is timely. The European Union’s
proposed chemical safety legislation, known as
REACH, could require producers and users of
chemicals to register and test approximately 30,000
chemicals currently in commercial use within the
European Union. Such tests will include screening for
developmental toxicity, which is complex and
expensive in terms of animal use and scientific
resources. “Unfortunately, there are currently no tests
that enable high volumes of chemicals to be tested
quickly and without the use of animals, yet there are
tens of thousands of chemicals that need to be tested
under REACH proposals,” adds Alan Goldberg, PhD.
CAAT, along with international collaboration, recently
launched a new program of scientific meetings to
identify alternatives to the
use of animals in
developmental
neurotoxicity (DNT)
testing. The program,
called TestSmart DNT,
will bring together research
scientists, policy analysts,
regulators, academics,
industry representatives, and
public interest groups to
examine potential alternatives
to the use of animals.
continued on page 7
Continued from page 6
Gardner credits, in part, her undergraduate degrees
in philosophy and cell biology with her interest in
animal testing alternatives. The two degrees facilitated
an interaction between the two disciplines, leading her
to consider scientific research in the context of
philosophy and ask herself if there is a better, safer,
more humane future for people and animals. “In
time,” she concludes, “I believe the scientific
community will embrace the three Rs as a challenge
and not a threat.”
Sa
ve the Da
te
Sav
Date
WHA
T DNT Conference:
WHAT
TestSmart
Creating a Humane and Efficient Approach
to Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing
WHEN
March 13-15, 2006
WHERE
Hyatt Regency Reston, Reston, Virginia
For more information, visit
http://caat.jhsph.edu/dnt
Norovirus Found To Cause Traveler’s Diarrhea
Study of U.S. Travelers to Mexico and Guatemala Found 65 Percent Prevalence Rate
A
A majority of traveler’s diarrhea cases among U.S.
travelers to Mexico and Guatemala were attributed to
Norovirus, a common cause of nonbacterial
gastroenteritis outbreaks usually associated with
developed countries, according to a study by
researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health and other institutions. The
researchers found that the longer travelers stayed at
their destination, the more likely they were to contract
Norovirus infections. The study was published in the
March 2005 issue of the Journal of Clinical
Microbiology.
“Noroviruses are
known to be a major
cause of food- and
waterborne
gastronteritis outbreaks
in domestic and unique
settings, such as cruise
ships, and also have
been documented
among military groups
during deployment
overseas. However, few
studies have investigated
the prevalence of
Norovirus infection
among civilians traveling from industrialized to
developing countries,” said Kellogg J. Schwab, PhD,
corresponding author of the study and an assistant
professor in the Department of Environmental
Health Sciences.
He explained that Noroviruses often are not
considered in studies of traveler’s diarrhea because,
until recently, molecular detection methods for these
viruses have not been readily available in laboratories
in the United States or other countries.
Researchers examined stool samples from 34
individuals who experienced traveler’s diarrhea during
trips to Antigua, Guatemala or Cuernavaca, Mexico,
for Noroviruses, as well as for bacterial and
protozoan pathogens. Sixty-five percent of individuals
in the study had at least one stool sample positive for
Norovirus.
“Noroviruses are known
to be a major cause of
food- and waterborne
gastronteritis outbreaks,”
says Assistant Professor
Kellogg Schwab, PhD.
Amy Chapin, first
author of the study,
noted that 11 Noroviruspositive stool samples
also were positive for E.
coli, a leading bacterial
cause of traveler’s
diarrhea, thus indicating
that dual infections
among individuals
experiencing traveler’s
diarrhea may be more
common than previously
thought.
The authors said that
further research into the role of Noroviruses in
traveler’s diarrhea is warranted. The simple,
inexpensive molecular diagnostic techniques used in
this study to identify Norovirus-positive stool samples
could serve to facilitate future Norovirus-related
research in developing countries.
Educational Roundup
Educational Program News from the Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Recruitment Weekend Draws Top Students
O
On a blustery, cold weekend in February, the
Department of Environmental Health Sciences
welcomed prospective graduate students to
Recruitment Weekend. This year’s Recruitment
Weekend was held on February 4 & 5. The annual
event provides selected PhD applicants with the
opportunity to explore graduate opportunities within
the Department. Prospective students meet current
students and faculty, learn about the research activities
taking place across the Department, and familiarize
themselves with
career
opportunities in
environmental
health science.
“Recruitment
Weekend is the
culmination of
months of
working to find the best students to join the
Department,” explains Pam Derrick, Director of
Educational Programs. “The weekend gives those
students a chance to make a wise decision on graduate
programs within our Department.” Students who
would like to be considered for Recruitment Weekend
must submit their application to the Department by
January 15th.
EHS Showcase Promotes Academic Program
C
College faculty and advisors from across Maryland
attended the first annual EHS Showcase, held January
26, 2005. The day began with a luncheon, providing
guests with the opportunity to interact informally with
departmental faculty. The showcase was designed to
provide guests with a comprehensive overview of
graduate programs offered by the Department.
Activities included several research presentations,
laboratory and campus tours, and discussions with
current faculty and students. The day concluded with
student presentations and a reception. If you would
like to be included in the Department’s next showcase
or would like information on our academic programs,
please contact Pamela Derrick, Director of
Educational Programs at (410) 502-5918 or
[email protected].
The Urb Blurb
News from the Johns Hopkins Center in Urban Environmental Health
Center Researcher’s Article Among Most Cited
I
In 2002, Shyam Biswal, PhD, assistant professor in
Cancer Research, Biswal and his colleagues described the
the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at
use of “gene chip” technology to decipher the
the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
complex network of pathways that are turned on by
Health, published the groundbreaking article
the activation of Nrf2 (Nuclear factor E2 p45-related
“Identification of Nrf2-Regulated Genes Induced by the
factor 2) in response to anticancer agents such as
Chemopreventive Agent
sulforaphane. The gene chip
Sulforaphane by Oligonucleotide
allowed researchers to
Microarray.” The article
monitor the complex
identified how specific genes
interactions of thousands of
and enzymes enable
proteins on a whole genome
sulforaphane, a compound
rather than one at time. The
in broccoli and other
study was also the first gene
vegetables, to prevent cancer
profiling analysis of a
and remove toxins from
cancer-preventing agent
cells. Since then, Biswal’s
using “gene chip”
article has been highly cited
technology. The researchers
by other researchers, placing
said the findings provided a
it in the top 1 percent
better understanding of the
among the most cited
body’s defense mechanisms
articles in its subject
and could lead to the
category, according to
identification of other
Shyam Biswal, PhD is the director of the Center’s
Essential Science Indicators, ISI
cancer-preventing food
DNA Micoarray Core Facility. The Core Facility
Thompson.
compounds and strategies.
provides cutting-edge technologies for molecular
biology research to Center members. This
This research was the
Biswal notes that more
technology allows Center researchers to uncover
first project to come out of
recent studies show Nrf2 to
the functions of genes and their interactions in
genetic pathways by focusing research
the Department’s new DNA
be one of the most
specifically
on
automated
DNA
microarraying
and
Microarray Core Facility,
important transcription
DNA sequencing hardware and software.
which was started as a part
factors related to
of Johns Hopkins’ NIEHS
environmental diseases such
Center in Urban Environmental Health. The Core
as COPD, asthma and cancer because it regulates
Facility provides cutting-edge technologies for
pathways that have the potential to annihilate
molecular biology research, allowing researchers to
inflammation and a broad spectrum of carcinogens.
uncover the functions of genes and their interactions
He said future studies will determine the response of
in genetic pathways by focusing research specifically
Nrf2 in several inflammatory diseases in the
on environmental genomics.
population and help design clinical trials based on
activation of the Nrf2 pathway for several
In the article, originally published in the journal
environmental diseases.
NIEHS Center Sponsored Seminars: Hottest Tickets in Town
O
On Wednesday, March 9, you didn’t have to go to
Broadway for the hottest ticket around. It was
standing room only at Dr. Donald Coffey’s lecture
What We Know and What We Don’t Know About Cancer.
Coffey is Professor of Urology, Oncology,
Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences and Director
of the Research Laboratories of the Urology
Department at Johns Hopkins University. A
recognized leader in prostate cancer research, Coffey
is known for his engaging and animated presentations.
His laboratory has made significant contributions
through discoveries of how DNA of a cell is changed
when cancer occurs and why that cell becomes
resistant to treatment. Also discovered in his lab was
the first nuclear scaffolding system, or nuclear matrix,
which organizes DNA replication within the nucleus
of a cell. Coffey’s lecture was part of an ongoing
monthly seminar series co-sponsored by the NIEHS
Center and Training Grant.
NIEHS Center Sponsors Scientific Workshop
M
More than 100 scientists, faculty and students
attended the 13th Annual Scientific Workshop, held
Thursday, March 17. The 2005 workshop featured a
presentation, Toxicoproteomies: Protein Targets of Reactive
Electrophiles, by Daniel Liebler, PhD, Professor of
Biochemistry and Pharmacology and Director of the
Proteomics Laboratory Mass Spectrometry Research
Center at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
After the seminar, participants were invited to view
posters presented by Training Program and Urban
Environmental Health Center faculty and their preand postdoctoral students. This session provided an
excellent format for interaction and discussion.
Department Holds Biannual Research Retreat
T
The Department of Environmental Health
Sciences held its biannual research retreat on January
13-14, 2005. The retreat took place at the Mount
Washington Conference Center, nestled among the
hills just beyond the city limits of Baltimore. The
biannual retreat provides a forum for researchers to
interact and discover common research interests. It
also offers students an opportunity to learn about the
research being conducted in each of the four divisions
of the Department. The presentation theme for
Thursday was lung-related research and Friday’s theme
was metals. During lunch, students and postdocs
presented their research and answered questions
during an informal poster session. Friday’s social at
the Mount Washington Tavern provide more
opportunities for informal interactions between
faculty and students.
EHS Graduate Student Receives Prestigious Award
E
EHS graduate student Ms. Samar G. Khoury was chosen as one of the
University’s three ARCS scholars for the 2005-2006 academic year. The award is to
be used for education-related expenses such as tuition, books, supplies, travel to
conferences, and research activities. Khoury will be invited to an ARCS Foundation
awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. this fall.
About our publication
Connection is a free e-publication of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The name Connection reflects the Department’s role, linking
basic, population and clinical research in environmental health to public health intervention strategies.
Editorial Staff
Brian Fitzek, Research Associate
Dan Gudgel, Publication Specialist
Donna Mennitto, Contributing Writer
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Department of Environmental Health Sciences
615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205
tel: (443) 287-2905 Œ fax: (410) 955-0617 Œ email: [email protected]
Departmental website: www.jhsph.edu/Dept/EHS
Center in Urban Environmental Health website: www.jhsph.edu/Dept/EHS/Centers