SUPERFUND RESEARCH CENTER The Texas A&M Superfund Research Center recently received a five-year renewal of its funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Since its launch in 2017, the Superfund Center has focused on understanding and mitigating the health and environmental consequences of exposure to hazardous chemical mixtures following disaster events. It is one of 22 university-based, multi-project centers within NIEHS’ Superfund Research Program. Over the next five years, Superfund Center researchers, led by center director, Dr. Ivan Rusyn (VTPP), and deputy director, Dr. Weihsueh Chiu (VTTP), will use a series of multi-disciplinary projects to expand upon its findings, begin new studies, and continue developing practical tools to keep the United States’ and Texas’ communities safe from climate change-related disaster events. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the Superfund Center’s work, its investigators and trainees are housed in multiple colleges at Texas A&M, as well as at other universities.
Highlights from FY22 include: •
Hosted NIEHS Director, Dr. Rick Woychik, for the Center’s Re-launch event here at VMBS. Dr. Woychik’s visit also consisted of tours of environmental justice neighborhoods in Houston.
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Trained staff and students in disaster response and played a role in increasing local COVID-19 vaccination rates.
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Met with TCEQ and USEPA in Austin to expand and strengthen collaborative relationships with state as well as NGOs.
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Hosted visitors from Taiwan EPA, National Cheng Kung University, and the National Taiwan University to learn from each other about environmental health research and regulatory science.
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Trainee, Kelly Rivenbark, was a NIEHS Summer Scientific Short Video Challenge winner. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=sXEecSffe48
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Trained graduate students and postdoctoral researchers through events like the Disaster Research Training Workshop and special “boot camps” to develop skills outside of the typical realm of didactic learning.
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Dr. Weihsueh Chiu gave a presentation titled, "Application of Bayesian and Probabilistic approaches for Cancer Dose-Response Assessment incorporating Model Uncertainty and Human Variability" at the International Conference on Environmental Mutagens (Ottawa Canada).
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Dr. Ivan Rusyn gave a presentation titled, "Human cell-based models of genetic diversity and case studies of their use in toxicology," at the International Congress of Toxicology (Maastricht, Netherlands).
Drs. Ivan Rusyn (right) and Weihsueh Chiu (left) with Superfund trainee, Lucie Ford (middle).
Publications •
Bhandari S., Casillas G., Aly NA, Zhu R., Newman G., Wright F.A., Miller A., Adler G., Rusyn I., Chiu W.A. Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Impacts of Hurricane Florence on Criteria Air Pollutants and Air Toxics in Eastern North Carolina. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Feb 3;19(3):1757. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031757
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Sakolish C., Georgescu A., Huh D.D., Rusyn I. A Model of Human Small Airway on a Chip for Studies of Subacute Effects of Inhalation Toxicants. Toxicol Sci. 2022 May 26;187(2):267-278. https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfac036
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Fawkes L.S., McDonald T.J., Roh T., Chiu W.A., Taylor R.J., Sansom G.T. A Participatory-Based Research Approach for Assessing Exposure to Lead-Contaminated Drinking Water in the Houston Neighborhood of the Greater Fifth Ward. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19 (13). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138135
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Rivenbark K.J., Wang M., Lilly K., Tamamis P., Phillips T.D. Development and characterization of chlorophyll-amended montmorillonite clays for the adsorption and detoxification of benzene. Water Res 2022; 221 ():118788. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118788
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Valdiviezo A., Aly N.A., Luo Y.S., Cordova A., Casillas G., Foster M., Baker E.S., Rusyn I. Analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay following a large-scale industrial fire using ion-mobility-spectrometrymass spectrometry. J Environ Sci 2022; 115:350-362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2021.08.004 2022 VMBS Annual Report • 39
