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What's New: Grant Recipient Spotlights

Superfund Research Program

Wang conducting an experiment in the lab
Protecting Disaster-Impacted Communities with Clay
Grant Recipient Spotlights - May 14, 2025

Meichen Wang, Ph.D., former Texas A&M University (TAMU) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center trainee was recently featured in an NIEHS Grantee Highlight. As a doctoral student TAMU SRP, Wang collaborated with Tim Phillips, Ph.D., to develop edible, clay-based sorbents that bind to contaminants like PFAS that may be hidden in food, thus preventing dietary exposure.

Rollie Mills conducting an experiment in the lab
Thermo-responsive filters help remove PFAS
Grant Recipient Spotlights - May 14, 2025

At the Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award Lecture in March, Rollie Mills, Ph.D., formerly a trainee at the University of Kentucky Superfund Research Center, presented a new alternative to conventional strategies for removing PFAS from water, which can be expensive or unsustainable. Mills developed a specialized membrane coated with a polymer that responds to different temperatures.

Norbert Kaminski
Kaminski Shares His Story Before Stepping Down
Grant Recipient Spotlights - April 8, 2025

After two decades, Norbert Kaminski, Ph.D., announced he is stepping down as the Director of the Michigan State University (MSU) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center. During his tenure, the center became a leader in research on the health effects of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds.

Matthew Campen
Scientist Answers Big Questions About Tiny Plastics
Grant Recipient Spotlights - April 8, 2025

Matthew Campen, Ph.D., a scientist at the University of New Mexico Superfund Research Program Center, is at the forefront of research on micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs). NIEHS Director Rick Woychik, Ph.D., interviewed Campen about MNPs and his groundbreaking publication on MNP accumulation in humans.

Fry is also the Department Chair for the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at UNC and the founding director of the Institute for Environmental Health Solutions. (Photo courtesy of Rebecca Fry)
From Cells to Society: Protecting Children and Pregnant Women From Environmental Harms
Grant Recipient Spotlights - October 16, 2024

Rebecca Fry, Ph.D., has dedicated her career to understanding how environmental exposures affect children s health. Now a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Fry directs the UNC Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, which focuses on the health effects of metals, especially arsenic, in drinking water.

Jennifer Kay, Ph.D., was an MIT SRP Center trainee before becoming a research scientist at Silent Spring Institute. (Image courtesy of Silent Spring Institute)
Connecting the Dots Between DNA Damage, Hormonal Signaling, and Breast Cancer
Grant Recipient Spotlights - October 16, 2024

Toxicologist Jennifer Kay, Ph.D., of the Silent Spring Institute is studying how chemicals known to both damage DNA and change how the hormones estrogen and progesterone send signals in the body may pose greater threat of causing breast cancer than chemicals that only do one or the other.

Stephanie Cormier, Ph.D., directs the LSU Superfund Research Program Center. (Photo courtesy of Cormier)
Revealing the Effects of Air Pollution Across the Life Span
Grant Recipient Spotlights - October 8, 2024

As director of the NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center at Louisiana State University (LSU), Stephania Cormier, Ph.D., has prioritized research on the health effects of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFR), a type of air pollutant.

Upal Ghosh
Chemical contamination reduced by grantee's innovative technology
Grant Recipient Spotlights - September 17, 2024

The NIEHS director, Rick Woychik, Ph.D., spoke with Superfund Research Program-funded researcher, Upal Ghosh, Ph.D., about his work to clean up polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCB, contamination and protect public health.

Amanda Armijo
Unmasking NDMA: Cancer clues and repair insights
Grant Recipient Spotlights - September 17, 2024

Superfund Research Program trainee, Amanda Armijo, winner of the 2022 Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award, delivered an award lecture about her research on the genetic effects of exposure to carcinogenic n-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, through drinking water.

Detlef Knappe, Ph.D., of the NCSU SRP Center discusses PFAS remediation strategies at the 2024 National PFAS Conference. (Photo courtesy of Courtney Carignan)
SRP Grantees Lead the Conversation on PFAS
Grant Recipient Spotlights - July 22, 2024

Scientists across the country, including many funded by the Superfund Research Program (SRP), gathered with community groups, public officials, and others to share experiences and research related to PFAS. Through several recent events, they aimed to understand challenges and discuss strategies to protect the health of communities affected by the toxic and persistent chemicals.

Pavilonis and Team
SRP Webinar Series Highlights Grant Recipients' Contributions to Worker Safety
Grant Recipient Spotlights - June 20, 2024

New approaches to address the occupational health and safety risks found in various workplaces were the focus of a Superfund Research Program (SRP) Progress in Research webinar series.

Researchers at Fidalgo Bay
Connecting Cultures: Conducting Ethical Research in Tribal Settings
Grant Recipient Spotlights - April 17, 2024

Jamie Donatuto, Ph.D., is in a unique position as both the environmental health analyst for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and as the co-leader of the Community Engagement Core at the Oregon State University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center. She has spent decades researching the intersections of environmental contaminant exposures, Indigenous practices, and community health, and she regularly advocates for and educates others about ethical research collaborations that benefit Tribal health.

Digital map showing water settling points
Using Spatial Analytics to Address Flooding and Contamination in Fence-Line Communities
Grant Recipient Spotlights - April 11, 2024

As head of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning and a member of the NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center at Texas A&M University, Galen Newman, Ph.D., focuses on improving urban resilience against hurricanes and flooding. His work shapes community resilience plans that use environmentally conscious landscape design to improve health outcomes.

Andrew George
Forging Partnerships to Reach and Empower Rural Well Water Users
Grant Recipient Spotlights - March 7, 2024

As the community engagement coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Chapell Hill (UNC) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, Andrew George, Ph.D., is educating rural communities about the health risks of drinking well water contaminated with metals. He also relies on partnerships with community organizations across North Carolina to help under-resourced communities test their wells for free.

Robyn Tanguay
Zebrafish Represent Key Piece to Toxicology Puzzle
Grant Recipient Spotlights - February 14, 2024

Superfund Research Program (SRP) grant recipient Robyn Tanguay, Ph.D., was recently interviewed by NIEHS Director Rick Woychik, Ph.D. Tanguay, who serves as the director of the Oregon State University SRP Center, discussed her research using zebrafish and why she thinks they represent a paradigm shift in toxicological research.

Ana Navas-Acien
Scientific Journeys: From Preventive Medicine to Environmental Health Sciences
Grant Recipient Spotlights - February 14, 2024

Ana Navas-Acien, M.D., Ph.D., grew up in a desert-like area of Spain called Almeria where drinking water was scarce. For years, her parents relied on a rainwater collection system called an aljibe for drinking and cooking. These early experiences planted a seed.

Jennifer Richmond-Bryant
Combining Environmental and Social Sciences to Address Community Air Quality Concerns
Grant Recipient Spotlights - January 22, 2024

While Jennifer Richmond-Bryant, Ph.D., was studying for a degree in civil and environmental engineering at Cornell University, she heard that workers in nearby municipal offices were experiencing "sick building syndrome." This experience highlighted for her that environmental issues were really health issues.

Rollie Mills
Rollie Mills wins 2023 Wetterhahn Award
Grant Recipient Spotlights - January 22, 2024

The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) selected Rollie Mills, from the University of Kentucky (UK) SRP Center, as the 26th recipient of the Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award.

Kathy Vandiver
Building Environmental Health Literacy Across Generations and Communities
Grant Recipient Spotlights - January 22, 2024

Prior to joining the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2005 as a community engagement and education specialist, Kathleen Vandiver, Ph.D., taught middle school science for 16 years.

Map of SRP grant recipients that focus their research efforts on PFAS.
SRP Seminar Series on the Complexity and Persistence of PFAS Compounds
Grant Recipient Spotlights - January 3, 2024

The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) recently brought together several grant recipients and experts from other federal agencies to discuss new strategies and continuing challenges for PFAS site characterization. The three-session event, Tools for PFAS Site Characterization, included presentations on research efforts and tool development for sampling, monitoring, detecting, and characterizing PFAS. The widespread commercial use and the variety of risks of PFAS make site characterization important to researchers, who need to know which PFAS chemicals are where.

Grandjean in Faroe Islands
Scientific Journeys: From the Faroe Islands to PFAS Research
Grant Recipient Spotlights - October 20, 2023

Longtime NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grant recipient Philippe Grandjean describes what kickstarted his career and where his research is headed, as well as the health effects of PFAS and how people can limit their exposure. Grandjean is an investigator at the University of Rhode Island SRP Center and works with communities in the Faroe Islands, an archipelago between Iceland and Norway.

New Mexico Mining Waste
Partnering With Indigenous Communities to Improve Tribal Health
Grant Recipient Spotlights - September 7, 2023

Johnnye Lewis, director of the University of New Mexico Superfund Research Center, researches the Tribal health implications of exposures to environmental pollutants, particularly those from hardrock mining activity.

Kelly Pennell
Kelly Pennell, Ph.D. - From Pipes to People: Addressing Vapor Intrusion and Water Contamination
Grant Recipient Spotlights - September 7, 2023

As a high schooler, Kelly Pennell, Ph.D., was inspired by environmental and human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa to help people affected by environmental exposures. Now, as director of the University of Kentucky (UK) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, she is working to protect public health from exposures to toxic substances like PFAS, trichloroethylene (TCE), and tetrachloroethene (PCE).

PROTECT and Community Engagement
Protecting the Health of Mothers and Babies
Grant Recipient Spotlights - September 1, 2023

Led by Northeastern University and funded by the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), the Puerto Rico Test Site to Explore Contamination Threats (PROTECT) SRP Center brings together researchers from many institutions to explore the connection between environmental exposures and preterm birth in Puerto Rico.

The seven trainees that were awarded the 2023 K.C. Donnelly Externship Award
Seven Trainees Awarded K.C. Donnelly Externships
Grant Recipient Spotlights - August 7, 2023

Seven NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) trainees won K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplements to conduct research outside of their host centers. The three-month-long externships provide current SRP-funded graduate students and postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to learn new methods and techniques, while working in other SRP-funded institutions and government labs.

Upal Ghosh
Nature-based Remediation Technologies Help Clean Up PCB Contamination
Grant Recipient Spotlights - July 1, 2023

Exploring how chemical contaminants move through the environment and affect aquatic food webs, Upal Ghosh, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), aims to develop and implement technologies to help ecosystems recover from pollution.

Quetawki Headshot
Increasing Indigenous Health Literacy Through Visual Arts
Grant Recipient Spotlights - March 29, 2023

Artist Mallery Quetawki combines her visual art skills, biology and healthcare background, and Indigenous knowledge to improve environmental health literacy among American Indian Tribes. A member of the Pueblo of Zuni Tribe in New Mexico, Quetawki has collaborated on environmental health outreach projects using art with the University of New Mexico (UNM) SRP Center. She currently serves as the artist-in-residence for the UNM College of Pharmacy s Community Environmental Health Program (CEHP).

Ghosh Headshot
Enhancing Remediation Technology to Clean Up Contaminants
Grant Recipient Spotlights - March 23, 2023

Upal Ghosh, Ph.D., explores how chemical contaminants move through the environment and affect aquatic food webs, with the goal of developing and implementing technologies to help ecosystems recover from pollution.

Joseph Hamm
Fostering Trust-Building to Promote Environmental Health
Grant Recipient Spotlights - February 6, 2023

Joseph Hamm, Ph.D., strives to contribute to a deeper, fuller understanding of trust, one that crosses disciplines and helps different groups to work collaboratively toward better outcomes for community health and safety.

Amanda Armijo, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Amanda Armijo Wins 2022 Wetterhahn Award
Grant Recipient Spotlights - January 1, 2023

Amanda Armijo, D.V.M., Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology SRP Center, was selected as the 25th recipient of the Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award. Armijo received the award December 15 at the SRP Annual Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she was recognized for her work on tracing how the toxin NDMA damages genes, and how the DNA might repair itself.

Elkin Headshot
Chemical Toxicant Contributes to Low Birth Weight, Can Damage Placenta
Grant Recipient Spotlights - November 1, 2022

During an NIEHS lecture Oct. 6, Elana Elkin, Ph.D., a former NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) trainee and recipient of the 2019 Karen Wetterhahn Award, described how a chemical called trichloroethylene (TCE) can interfere with fetal development in the womb.

Top row, from left: Avinash Kumar, Ph.D., and Rebecca Dickman. Middle row, from left: Martine Mathieu, Charlotte Wirth, and Laura Dean, Ph.D. Bottom row, from left: Melissa Woodward and Francisco Leniz
Superfund Research Program Trainees Win Prestigious K.C. Donnelly Awards
Grant Recipient Spotlights - October 1, 2022

Seven trainees with the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) have earned K.C. Donnelly Externship Award Supplements. Named for longtime SRP grantee Kirby K.C. Donnelly, the funding enables graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to learn techniques relevant to their work from experts at outside institutions.

U.S. map highlighting the location of each of the 8 returning P42 SRP centers.
SRP Welcomes New and Returning Multiproject Centers
Grant Recipient Spotlights - September 27, 2022

The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) welcomes 11 new and returning multiproject centers.

Kirsten Reid and Anna Kremer
SRP Summer Interns Shine at NIEHS Poster Competition
Grant Recipient Spotlights - September 20, 2022

SRP summer interns Anna Kremer and Kirsten Reid presented their summer research projects in a virtual poster showcase along with interns and trainees from across NIEHS on July 28.

Andres Cardenas, Ph.D., head shot
Combining Biostatics and Genomics Research to Prevent Disease
Grant Recipient Spotlights - September 9, 2022

Andres Cardenas, Ph.D., of the University of California (UC), Berkeley SRP Center explained how is applying his epigenetics expertise to investigate how environmental exposures contribute to the development of diseases, and how to prevent them.

Johnnye Lewis, Ph.D., head shot
Tribal Environmental Health Strengthened by Lewis and Team
Grant Recipient Spotlights - September 5, 2022

For nearly three decades, Johnnye Lewis, Ph.D., has advanced Native American health by combining basic research, population-level studies, clear science communication, and robust partnerships with tribes.

Joel Meyer, Ph.D.
Toxic Agents Can Target Mitochondria, Influence Disease, Expert Says
Grant Recipient Spotlights - August 10, 2022

Joel Meyer, Ph.D., of the Duke University SRP Center, discussed his research into how early-life mitochondrial toxicity can affect later-life health, during his NIEHS Keystone Science Lecture.

Karlatta Chief, adorned in Native American jewelery with a smile
Partnering with Tribal Communities to Protect Water from Pollution
Grant Recipient Spotlights - July 1, 2022

Karletta Chief, Ph.D., of the University of Arizona SRP Center, explained how her interest in water stemmed from growing up within Navajo nation.

Kathleen Gray, Ph.D.
Improving Environmental Risk Communication Through Interdisciplinary Collaborations
Grant Recipient Spotlights - May 19, 2022

Kathleen Gray, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) SRP Center talked about her passion for increasing understanding of environmental exposures in communities affected by contamination.

Mike Denison, Ph.D.
Remembering Mike Denison, Longtime SRP Grantee
Grant Recipient Spotlights - May 13, 2022

Environmental toxicologist Michael (Mike) Denison, Ph.D., of the University of California (UC), Davis, who was internationally known for his fundamental research on persistent organic pollutants and for developing a widely used test for detecting toxic substances in samples, died March 22 of brain cancer. A longtime grantee of the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), Denison served as a project leader for more than 25 years.

Tiffany Sanchez, Ph.D.
Uncovering the Link Between Metals and Disease
Grant Recipient Spotlights - April 19, 2022

Tiffany Sanchez, Ph.D., a former trainee at the Columbia University SRP Center, reflected on her experience as a trainee working with large cohorts, or groups of participants, to understand the connections between metal exposures and disease.

Stefano Monti, Ph.D.
Preventing Disease Through Bioinformatics
Grant Recipient Spotlights - April 19, 2022

Stefano Monti, Ph.D., explained how he is developing computational models for environmental contaminants to predict their long-term health effects, such as cancer and metabolic disorders. Since 2012, Monti led the Bioinformatics and Molecular Modeling Core at the Boston University SRP Center.

Danielle Carlin, Ph.D.
SRP Shines at SOT
Grant Recipient Spotlights - April 14, 2022

NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) grantees from across the country gathered in person and virtually for the 2022 Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting, held March 27-31 in San Diego. The meeting highlighted cutting-edge research.

Keri Hornbuckle, Ph.D.
Exposure to Airborne PCBs an Ongoing Challenge, Expert Says
Grant Recipient Spotlights - March 1, 2022

Approaches for studying airborne exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls, and helping communities reduce such exposure, were discussed by University of Iowa Superfund Research Program Director Keri Hornbuckle, Ph.D., during her February 4 Keystone Science Lecture.

Celia Chen, Ph.D.
Leveraging Partners Across Disciplines and Continents
Grant Recipient Spotlights - February 18, 2022

A feature on Dartmouth College SRP Center Director Celia Chen, Ph.D., explains how she is leveraging decades of research on Mercury to better understand how people are exposed to per and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Mónica Ramírez-Andreotta, Ph.D.
Engaging Communities to Improve Well-being
Grant Recipient Spotlights - February 17, 2022

Monica Ramirez-Andreotta, Ph.D., from the University of Arizona SRP Center, shared her experience engaging communities in science and her journey from SRP trainee to SRP researcher.

Elsie Sunderland, Ph.D
Complexities of PFAS Research Focus of Congressional Hearing
Grant Recipient Spotlights - February 1, 2022

Complexities of studying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were shared by SRP grantees and other experts during a congressional hearing. Witnesses discussed how increased research and development can better inform regulation and strengthen methods for cleaning up PFAS in the environment.

Cherie De Vore, Ph.D.
Former SRP Trainee Featured in NIEHS Global Environmental Health Newsletter
Grant Recipient Spotlights - February 1, 2022

Cherie De Vore, Ph.D., a former trainee with the University of New Mexico SRP Center, explained how her mechanistic research on metal contaminants in the environment is grounded in her Dine identity.

systems approach graphic
Annual SRP Meeting Highlights Collaboration and Innovation to Address Emerging Challenges
Grant Recipient Spotlights - January 5, 2022

The annual meeting to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) was held as an abbreviated virtual event December 16, 2021. Drawing over 400 attendees from across the U.S., the meeting highlighted how SRP's dedication to innovation and collaboration across scientific fields can tackle emerging challenges.

Molly Frazar
Effort to remove PFAS from water earns grad student Wetterhahn Award
Grant Recipient Spotlights - January 1, 2022

The NIEHS Superfund Research Program bestowed the honor on Molly Frazar, from the University of Kentucky.

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Last Reviewed: April 08, 2025