Dr. Annie Belcourt, professor in the Public and Community Health Science department and chair of Native American Studies, returns to Confluence to round out our coverage of the M-HOPES grant: Mental Health Opportunities for Professional Empowerment in STEM. JPB Senior Fellow Annie hits home the importance of trauma-informed approaches, reframing thoughts, and cultural context. And she brings with her a great sense of humor. Find the podcast here.
How UM is increasing faculty diversity | READER COMMENTARY
I write to underscore the important work to be done across higher education to increase the diversity of faculty who teach our students and prepare them for the workforce and future academic pursuits. We all stand to benefit from more faculty who reflect the diversity of our student body (”Black and Hispanic faculty underrepresented in Maryland public universities, data system shows,” Oct. 26). One way we’re working to address this at…
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Global call to action on sleep health published in The Lancet Public Health
A global call to action was published in The Lancet Public Health Sept. 28 to recognize sleep health as a foundation of human health. Decades of research across disciplines make this fact abundantly clear, and now is the time to begin leveraging sleep health to improve human health and wellbeing worldwide. Authored by an international group of experts — including NIEHS scientist Chandra Jackson, Ph.D. — on behalf of World Sleep Society…
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Emerging forever chemicals found in drinking water and humans
A newly released study led by researchers from Emory University‘s Rollins School of Public Health was one of the first to find an emerging class of “forever chemicals” in the homes, drinking water and bodies of United States residents. Key takeaways More than 300 samples from the homes, drinking water and blood and urine of 81 participants were studied. Elevated levels of ultrashort- and short-chain PFAS were found in most household dust samples,…
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Metabolic Perturbations Associated with an Exposure Mixture of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort
Prenatal exposure to single chemicals belonging to the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) family is associated with biological perturbations in the mother, fetus, and placenta, plus adverse health outcomes. Despite our knowledge that humans are exposed to multiple PFAS, the potential joint effects of PFAS on the metabolome remain largely unknown. Here, we leveraged high-resolution metabolomics to identify metabolites and metabolic pathways perturbed by exposure to a PFAS mixture during…
PFAS, Phenols, and Parabens: Links to Hormone-Mediated Cancers
A number of cancers are hormone-mediated. These include prostate, breast, ovarian, endometrial, testicular, and thyroid cancer, as well as melanoma. Many industrial chemicals found in consumer products and in the environment are endocrine disruptors, and could influence risk of hormone-mediated cancers. Dr. Max Aung, JPB Fellow, presented the results of a recent study that examined the relationship between certain chemicals and risk of hormone-mediated cancers. Specifically, the study examined current…
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Attorney General Bonta Warns Companies of Responsibility to Disclose Presence of Dangerous PFAS
LOS ANGELES — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued an enforcement advisory letter to manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of food packaging and cookware, alerting them to their obligations under Assembly Bill 1200 (AB 1200). AB 1200 is a recently enacted statute that restricts the presence of PFAS in food packaging and imposes labeling disclosure requirements for cookware. Attorney General Bonta also issued a consumer alert with tips for reducing PFAS exposures. Commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,”…
Water Insecurity And Population Health: Implications For Health Equity And Policy
Water insecurity can have important implications for health and health equity. Achieving universal water security requires strategies to advance access to safe, reliable, affordable drinking water and equitable protection from water-related threats. Read more about JPB Fellow Lara Cushing.
‘Forever Chemical’ Replacements Detected In Human Bodies And Homes
As part of efforts to remove toxic forever chemicals from their products, manufacturers around the world are scrambling for safer replacements. However, studies have shown that some of these replacements are also dangerous and have already been detected in human urine and blood samples, household dust, and drinking water. PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) are a class of chemicals that can be found in a range of everyday products, from…
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Elevated Levels of Ultrashort- and Short-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Acids in US Homes and People
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) make up a large group of fluorinated organic compounds extensively used in consumer products and industrial applications. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the two perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) with 8 carbons in their structure, have been phased out on a global scale because of their high environmental persistence and toxicity. As a result, shorter-chain PFAAs with less than 8 carbons in their structure are…