Scientists are uncovering new details in the connection between using certain hair straightening products, such as chemical relaxers and pressing products, and an increased risk of cancer in women. Ongoing research previously suggested that hair straightening chemicals are associated with an increased risk of certain hormone-related cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers, and now, a new study links use of hair straightening products with an increased risk of uterine cancer.…
U-M releases national framework to measure energy equity
To bolster a just transition to cleaner, more resilient energy systems, the University of Michigan’s Energy Equity Project has released the first standardized national framework for comprehensively measuring and advancing energy equity. Energy equity recognizes the historical and cumulative burdens of the energy system borne by frontline and low-income communities. To eliminate these disparities, energy equity centers the voices of frontline communities in energy planning and decision making and ensures…
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Disparities in Who’s Getting Good Sleep for Black, Other Minority Communities
Sleep problems are common among Americans, but a growing body of research reveals glaring racial and ethnic disparities in sleep quality and quantity that have major health consequences. Compared with white Americans, people who are African American or Black, Hispanic or Latinx, American Indian, Native Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander are more likely to have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and getting deep, restorative sleep. These groups are also more…
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Sleep societies announce 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Award recipients
DARIEN, IL – Sleep medicine professors and researchers Chandra Jackson and Girardin Jean-Louis are the recipients of the 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Award from the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC, a joint initiative of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to sleep medicine or sleep and circadian science through their work to increase the diversity,…
The impacts of wildfire smoke on human health with Dr. Colleen Reid
In this discussion, Dr. Colleen Reid discusses her field of Health Geography, or how environmental exposures impact population health. A detailed breakdown of the pollutant composition of wildfires, how they impact health outcomes, and which populations have been affected. Learn more. Reid, C., Seifert, M. (2022). The impacts of wildfire smoke on human health with Dr. Colleen Reid. Headwaters Science Institute, QUBES Educational Resources. doi:10.25334/W5J7-BC86
Why Doctors Are Prescribing Nature Walks
In early April 2022, about two dozen children and their families gathered beneath the redwoods in a regional park near Oakland, Calif. They sat with a physician, Dr. Nooshin Razani, beneath the branches of the ancient giants, breathing the fresh air and discussing the phenomenon of fairy rings—when a mama tree is cut down, the baby trees grow up in a circle surrounding the stump of the parent tree. These…
UC Study Finds Safe Drinking Water Remains Out of Reach for Many Californians
An estimated 371,000 Californians — about 1% of the state’s residents — rely on drinking water that may contain high levels of toxic chemicals such as arsenic, nitrate or hexavalent chromium, according to a study from the University of California campuses in Berkeley and Los Angeles. In a news release issued Tuesday by UC Berkeley, researchers said the results of the study likely understate the number of people impacted by…
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Tony Reames, Senior Advisor, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity
DOE Welcomes New Biden-Harris Appointees Tony G. Reames was most recently a professor of environment and sustainability at the University of Michigan, where he established the Urban Energy Justice Lab to conduct research and develop solutions on the production and persistence of racial, income, and geographic disparities in energy access, affordability, decision making, and participation. Reames served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and worked…
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New Article: Exploring Residential Rooftop Solar Potential in the United States by Race and Ethnicity
Over the last decade, the United States has experienced continued growth in residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption. However, solar adoption disparities have been shown across household income, homeownership status, and more recently racial and ethnic demographics. A key component to ensuring a just clean energy transition is understanding the existing landscape to establish realistic goals. Motivated by studies on solar adoption disparities, this descriptive study aims to evaluate the…
Pandemics and protests: America has experienced racism like this before
By JPB Fellow Jennifer D. Roberts “Riot Sweeps Chicago” should sound and feel intuitively familiar. However, this headline covered the front pages of a newspaper over a hundred years ago. Named the “Red Summer of 1919”, a spate of violence and bloodshed occurred from April to November 1919 with riots, lynchings, and mobs across the country. Hundreds of African American lives were claimed and hundreds more were left maimed and homeless. The most violent…
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