Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Duke University Program in Environmental Health - ABSTRACT Environmental chemicals and stressors are major contributors to disease. Our ability to reduce harm is limited by uncertainties about exposure, poor understanding of the exposures or exposure mixtures that cause health effects and the mechanisms by which they do so, as well as by limited ability to remediate polluted sites and treat diseases. Interdisciplinary expertise is required to rigorously quantify exposure and health effects to assess and manage risk, and to develop novel tools for exposure reduction, remediation of polluted sites, and treatment of disease. The Duke University Program in Environmental Health (UPEH) rigorously prepares students for the complexity of research careers in environmental health by leveraging and integrating the highly complementary disciplinary strengths of Duke’s internationally-renowned Schools of Medicine, Environment, and Engineering, and Departments of Biology and Statistics. The UPEH is a critical, keystone element of Environmental Health research and training at Duke. It makes possible a larger, interdepartmental, transdisciplinary program called the Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program, which was initially created in 1978 in the Duke Medical Center. By supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral training, the UPEH T32 creates a force- multiplying environment that trains many more PhD students and postdoctoral Environmental Health researchers than are supported financially by the T32. Importantly, Duke is fully invested in supporting this training program, offering very extensive support for Environmental Health training that complements the UPEH, and hosting twelve additional major environmental health-related centers and initiatives that enormously enrich the learning environment for our trainees. Finally, while the outstanding Duke UPEH faculty serve as primary advisors for trainees, the Program is further enriched by adjunct faculty and external advisors from our neighboring Research Triangle Park-based institutions such as the NIEHS, US EPA, and RTI, and our sister triangle universities (North Carolina Central University, NC State University, and UNC Chapel Hill). UPEH trainees receive high-quality training including: (1) development of essential research skillsets including content mastery in core disciplinary areas (Environmental Health, Toxicology, Exposure Science, Epidemiology, Environmental Engineering, etc.), quantitative methods (Biostatistics, Exposure Science Modelling, Big Data Analytics, etc.), and training in responsible conduct of research and rigorous and reproducible experimental design; (2) critical and creative thinking, and a research mindset focused on interdisciplinary problem-solving via cutting-edge, innovative research; and (3) knowledge, professional skills, and experiences required to identify and transition into environmental health careers. The UPEH fosters a supportive and inclusive training environment in which all trainees will prosper, evidenced by our increasingly diverse trainee population and by the success of alumni.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).