Project Summary (2012-2017)

The Research Translation Core (RTC) enables the Columbia University SRP Center (CU SRP) to address issues of high relevance, maximize program investments, and foster innovation while promoting cutting-edge research on the health impacts and geochemistry of Arsenic (As) and Manganese (Mn) via drinking water primarily from groundwater. The Core’s emphasis is on government partnerships, including U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and local/state agencies managing groundwater drinking water supplies. The RTC works with each Project principal investigator and the Community Engagement Core (CEC) to engage in constructive collaborations with agencies that can benefit from SRP expertise. The RTC facilitates interactions with site managers of the Vineland Superfund (SF) site, where CU scientists are working on applying accelerated remediation approaches. With the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Geological Survey, the U.S. Geological Survey, and local county Department of Health partners, the RTC is producing a proof of concept for 3-D risk based maps of As for siting private wells and creating educational videos for residents with arsenic in their wells. The RTC and GIS partners at EPA, ATSDR, and NIH are developing and utilizing state-of-the art geospatial and analytical tools.

Updates to CU SRP online mapping service are identifying and analyzing the impacts of SF sites on vulnerable populations, to more effectively remediate high priority sites. The RTC is communicating novel findings from the biomedical research projects to broad audiences via organized forums in the US and Bangladesh. Research translation is augmented by monthly multidisciplinary seminars, information exchange forums, and targeted meetings. EPA partners are advertising selected CU SRP seminars via TechDirect (with 37,000+ subscribers) and broadcast them via the online CLU-IN service. The Core is increasing their collaborations with other Centers and Superfund agencies in planning the SRP Annual Meeting, RTC workshops, Partnership for Environmental Public Health, and other EPA, NIEHS, and ATSDR events. The Core informs NIEHS of their Center's research briefs, publications, and success stories on a regular basis via phone, emails, and the online SRP data form. Their own website is updated on an ongoing basis, profiling CU research & scientists and linking to key resources from EPA, NIEHS, and SRP websites and to local issues of interest to the general public.