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Home >News and Events : EnHS News
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Update Meeting Held for MN Taconite Workers Health Study (June 29, 2009) -- On June 25, a community meeting was held in Eveleth, MN, to update former and current Iron Range taconite mining workers on the Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study. Researchers, including EnHS Prof. Jeff Mandel, were on hand to answer general questions and to explain the lung health survey in which 1,200 mine workers and 800 spouses will be asked to participate.
For more information about the study, go to:
www.taconiteworkers.umn.edu
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Nancy Nachreiner
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Prof. Nachreiner Named Co-Director of OEHN (June 26, 2009) -- Assistant Professor Nancy Nachreiner has been named Co-Director of the Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing (OEHN) Program of the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety, effective July 1, 2009.
Read More...
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Civil Service/Bargaining Unit Years of Service Recognition Ceremony (June 25, 2009) -- The School of Public Health recognized civil service and bargaining unit staff in their dedication to the school by honoring them at a special ceremony held on June 25.
The 2009 EnHS Years of Service Award recipients are: Joan Manzara - 5 years; Jennifer Nielson - 10 years; Aaron Zirbes - 10 years; Nancy Pengra - 15 years; Karl DeWahl - 20 years.
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Joan Manzara
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Eddie Kasner
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Eddie Kasner's Notes from the Field (June 22, 2009) -- EnHS graduate student and Judd International Fellowship recipient Eddie Kasner is blogging about his current field experience in China.
In his latest post, Eddie discusses recent trips to two large vegetable farming operations near Kunming, as well as a survey on farm pesticide use he will be conducting in July.
Click here to read Eddie's blog
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Pat McGovern Appointed to NCS Executive Steering Committee (June 17, 2009) -- Pat McGovern, Principal Investigator for the National Children's Study Center at the University of Minnesota, was recently appointed to the Executive Steering Committee for the National Children's Study.
This committee addresses protocol and operational decision making for the study--the largest, long-term study of environmental and genetic influences on children’s health ever conducted in the United States.
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Pat McGovern
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Ian Greaves
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Farewell Party for Professor Ian Greaves (June 15, 2009) -- On Thursday, June 11, several current and former faculty members, students, and staff were on hand to wish Professor Ian Greaves, M.B., B.S., a fond farewell and to thank him for his many years of service to the Division of Environmental Health Sciences and the School of Public Health.
Click here to view photos from the event
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Lake Superior Fish Meet Contamination Risk (June 15, 2009) -- Lake Superior has double the concentration of toxaphene found in Lake Michigan and five times that found in Lake Ontario, according to a recent University of Minnesota study authored by EnHS Professor Matt Simcik.
Click here to read the full article (SouthBendTribune.com)
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Matt Simcik
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Minnesota Taconite Worker Health Study Website Launches (June 8, 2009) -- Today the Division of Environmental Health Sciences and the School of Public Health officially launched a new website for the Minnesota Taconite Worker Health Study.
The Minnesota Taconite Worker Health Study is a comprehensive, University of Minnesota-led research initiative to determine the cause of mesothelioma in Minnesota’s Iron Range mining industry workers.
The goals of the new website are to provide study news, resources, and information for participants, health care providers, researchers, and members of the media.
Visit the website at: http://taconiteworkers.umn.edu/
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Tran Huynh Invited to Participate in the 2009 Delta Omega Poster Session (June 8, 2009) -- Delta Omega (Pi Chapter) Premier Poster Award winner Tran Huynh, (awarded at SPH's Student Research Day) has been invited to participate in the 2009 Delta Omega poster session at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Nationally, nearly 50 abstracts were received and 19 were selected.
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Tran Huynh
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Robert Joseph
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MCOHS Seminar: Occupational Health in India (June 3, 2009) -- On Tuesday, May 26, Dr. Robert Joseph, Professor in the Department of Community Health at St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore, India, gave a presentation on the challenges and opportunities for occupational health and safety in India.
Dr. Joseph discussed the disparities in occupational health and safety systems between the organized and unorganized employment sectors, the need to address a worker's primary health concerns before attempting a comprehensive workplace health initiative, and recent case studies which demonstrate successful occupational health interventions that have taken place in India.
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NORA Symposium: Where Are We with Occupational Safety and Health in the United States? (June 3, 2009) -- Christine M. Branche, the Acting Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), was the featured speaker at the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety's National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Symposium on Wednesday, May 20, 2009.
Click here to view photos from the event
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Christine M. Branche
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Amy Klobuchar
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Senator Klobuchar Pushes for Rapid Response to Foodborne Illness (May 28, 2009) -- Joined by Minnesota public health experts, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar held a news conference today to announce that she is introducing federal legislation to promote a more rapid and effective national response to outbreaks of foodborne sickness like the recent case of salmonella-tainted peanut butter.
Read full news release
Watch video from KSTP-TV
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EnHS Students Receive Judd Fellowships. (May 26, 2009) --Two of the ten Judd Fellowships that were awarded this year went to EnHS students. EnHS fellowship recipients are Eddie Kasner (M.P.H. — Global Environmental Health; Country of Study — China) and Amber Koskey (M.P.H. — Environmental Health; Country of Study — Uganda).
The Walter H. Judd International Graduate and Professional Fellowships provide assistance to increase opportunities for students to study, undertake internships, and conduct research projects abroad.
Click here to read more about this year's fellowship recipients
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Eddie Kasner
Amber Koskey
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2009 EnHS Student Awards Social (May 14, 2009) - Congratulations to the students (and faculty) that were recognized the annual EnHS Student Awards Social.
View the 2008-2009 award winners
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Tran Huynh Receives AIHF Scholarship (May 12, 2009) -- Environmental Health Sciences graduate student Tran Huynh has been selected by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHF) as the 2009-2010 recipient of the TSI/Arthur J. Abrams Memorial Scholarship, a $4,200 scholarship award.
Tran, along with other AIHF scholarship recipients, will be recognized at a special student reception at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition to be held June 1, in Toronto, Canada.
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Tran Huynh
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Gurumurthy Ramachandran
and Bruce Alexander
Jeff Mandel and
Ian Greaves
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Taconite Worker Study Group Status Update Meeting (May 12, 2009) -- Bruce Alexander, Ian Greaves, Gurumurthy Ramachandran, and Jeff Mandel discussed the status of the Taconite Worker Study Group investigation to the Inter-Agency Committee on Asbestos.
The committee is comprised of members from the EPA, ATSDR, U.S. Geological Survey, NIOSH and NIEHS. Some 25 members of the committee heard updates on the work in progress including occupational exposure assessment, environmental exposure characterization, and human health investigations.
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Delta Omega New Inductee Reception and Luncheon (May 8, 2009) -- The SPH Delta Omega Pi Chapter has inducted several EnHS students, faculty, alumnus, and honorary members into the Delta Omega Honorary Society for Public Health.
Read more...
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EnHS Students Create Websites Using U Blogging Tool (May 8, 2009) --
For the first time this spring semester, students in PubH 6120: Injury Prevention in the Workplace, Community, and Home used the University’s Uthink blogging tool to put their research online.
Read more...
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Institute for Health Informatics Open House (May 7, 2009) -- The Institute for Health Informatics (IHI) held an open house at its newly-renovated space in Diehl Hall on Wednesday, April 29. Located adjacent to the U of MN Bio-medical Library, the IHI now features a 4,000 square foot open floor plan and modern, modular work areas.
The institute is led by Dr. Julie Jacko, who also holds appointments in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences and in the School of Nursing.
Visit the IHI website
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from left to right: Julie Jacko, Diane Toscano, Khosi Nkosi, Bill Toscano
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Tim Boyer
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Tim Boyer Receives Fellowship from the Graduate School (May 6, 2009) --
EnHS Graduate Student Tim Boyer has been awarded a 2009-10 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from the Graduate School. He is currently researching the relationship between antibiotic use in agriculture and the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the environment.
The award includes a stipend of $22,500 for the academic year, plus full tuition for thesis credits.
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Jooyeon Hwang Participates in WCPHA/ISMOPH 2009 (May 5, 2009) -- Jooyeon Hwang, doctoral student in Environmental Health Sciences, participated in the International Students’ Meeting on Public Health (ISMOPH) and the 12th World Congress on Public Health (WCPHA), from April 26 - May 1, in Istanbul, Turkey.
Read more...
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Jooyeon Hwang
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Nicholas Kelly
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Swine Flu: What you should know (April 29, 2009) -- What should you know about the swine flu? Nick Kelley, EnHS graduate student and research assistant with the University's Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP), provides an overview on SPH's Public Health Scene.
Listen to Nick on Public Health Moment (04:53)
Click here to read Nick's blog post on swine influenza
Related Links:
>>The University's swine flu website
>>CIDRAP website
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Minnesota prepares for possible swine flu outbreak (April 27, 2009) -- Minnesota Public Radio's Cathy Wurzer speaks to EnHS Professor and Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) Director Michael Osterholm about state, national and international response to a newly identified strain of swine flu.
Click here to listen to the MPR interview
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Michael Osterholm
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Deborah Hennrikus (l) and Lisa Brosseau (r)
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MCOHS Seminar: "Integrating Safety and Smoking Cessation in Small Manufacturing Businesses (April 27, 2009) -- On April 27, 2009, Lisa Brosseau, Associate Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences and Deborah Hennrikus, Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health presented the most recent results of a pilot intervention in two small manufacturing businesses aimed at integrating workplace safety and health promotion activities.
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2009 Get Your Rear in Gear 5k Walk/Run (April 21, 2009) -- The Division of Environmental Health Sciences was pleased to sponsor a team to participate in the 5th Annual Colon Cancer Coalition's “Get Your Rear in Gear” 5K walk/run. The event took place on Sunday, April 19th, 2008 at Southdale Shopping Center, Edina, Minnesota..
Read more...
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Susan Gerberich
Debra Olson
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Susan Gerberich and Debra Olson Named Distinguished Alumni of the School of Nursing (April 20, 2009) -- EnHS Professors Susan Gerberich, and Debra Olson were announced as being among the 100 Distinguished Nursing Alumni and Centennial Distinguished Faculty Alumni to be honored on November 5, 2009 at the School of Nursing's Centennial Gala.
These outstanding alumni were selected, out of the School's approximately 8500 living alumni, for recognition as a result of their profound impact on families, communities, the school or the nursing profession.
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Study Finds Safer Handling of Fluorescent Lamps Needed (April 17, 2009) -- According to a study led by EnHS Professor Lisa Brosseau, most containers used for storage and transportation of used fluorescent lamps do not provide necessary levels of protection against mercury vapors.
Click here to read the SPH press release
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Lisa Brosseau
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McNamara Building Bake Sale
PWB Bake Sale
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GYRIG/Colon Cancer Awareness Bake Sales (April 14, 2009) -- Over $1,100 was raised at the GYRIG/Colon Cancer Awareness bake sales held at the McNamara Alumni Center and the Phillips Wagenstein Building on April 7-8, 2009. Cookies, bars, muffins and other delectable snacks were provided by Division members for the event. All proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Minnesota Colon Cancer Coalition.
Join EnHS and thousands of others who are making a difference in the fight against colon cancer by signing up for The 5th Annual Twin Cities Get Your Rear In Gear 5K event. On-line registration for the Division team is open through Wednesday, April 15th.
Click here to view photos from the bake sales
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PSG Institutions Visit (April 14, 2009) -- A team of trustees from the PSG Institutions, Coimbatore, India, visited the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota on April 1, 2009.
Read more...
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William Toscano and PSG Institutions Team
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John Adgate (l) and
Charles Oberg (r)
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National Children’s Study Speakers’ Series: Childhood Asthma -- UPDATE (April 10, 2009) -- Audio recordings and presentation slides are now available for the talk "Childhood Asthma: Potential Causes and Consequences."
The seminar, given by U of MN faculty and National Children’s Study investigators, Dr. Chuck Oberg and Dr. John Adgate, on March 26, 2009, addresses the epidemiology and consequences of childhood asthma for public health, social service, and other professionals.
Listen to the talk, Childhood Asthma: Potential Causes and Consequences:
Part 1, Dr. Chuck Oberg: The Epidemiology of Childhood Asthma
Part 2, Dr. John Adgate: The National Children's Study and Potential Environmental Determinants of Asthma
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Pat McGovern Gives Seminar on Postpartum Health at UMich (April 10, 2009) -- EnHS Professor Pat McGovern gave an invited research seminar at the University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor on April 2. "After Birth: Women’s Workload, Breastfeeding Choices, and Postpartum Health: Policy Issues and Practice Implications."
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Pat McGovern
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Nicholette Zeliadt
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Nicholette Zeliadt Presents at Graduate School Fellowship Research Showcase (April 8, 2009) -- EnHS Graduate Student Nicholette Zeliadt presented her research along with other fellowship winners at the Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Research Showcase, on April 7, at Coffman Union.
Nicholette has been working with EnHS Professor Dr. Elizabeth Wattenberg over the past few years to examine the effects of environmental carcinogens on cellular signals that regulate cell fate and function. Her research poster "Miscommunication and cancer: the role of MAP kinase phosphatase-3 in carcinogenesis" presents findings about changes that occur in one cellular-level communication network during the initial stages of cancer development.
142 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships were awarded by the Fellowship Office of the Graduate School for the 2008-2009 academic year. The award, which is given to outstanding final-year Ph.D. students, includes a stipend of $22,000 plus full tuition for thesis credits.
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“Using Energy Wisely, Anyone Can Do It” PSA Screened at SPH Film Festival (April 8, 2009) -- A public service announcement created by EnHS Study Coordinator Leslie Studenski’s family members (Idania, Celia, Michael, Amelia and Georgia) was selected as one of the top youth category entries in the School of Public Health’s 3rd annual Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest.
Their entry, “Using Energy Wisely, Anyone Can Do It,” was shown on April 6, 2009 as part of SPH’s National Public Health Week Film Festival.
Click here to view the PSA.
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"Using Energy Wisely" PSA
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EnHS Student Participants
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EnHS Students Volunteer in Tribal Community Engagement Meeting (April 7, 2009) -- The Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) recently conducted a community engagement meeting with the American Indian community in Minnesota regarding planning for pandemic influenza for at-risk populations.
Several SPH students volunteered to serve as note-takers and facilitators for the event, including a large EnHS contingent. EnHS students who participated are: Nick Kelley, Jessica Brown, Katherine Hall, Evan Henke, Jon Tatalovich, and Genelle Lamont.
The engagement meeting was held on April 4, at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia, MN, and is part of the ongoing work by CIDRAP on the CDC/ASTHO funded At-Risk Populations Project (ARPP).
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SPH Research Day 2009 (April 6, 2009) -- The research endeavors of School of Public Health students were honored at Research Day 2009. Students presented their posters and answered questions about their work at the celebration, which was held on April 6 at Coffman Union.
Both EnHS students who participated in the event received awards. Alyssa Olson won blue ribbons in both the Faculty/Alumni and the Student Choice categories for her poster "Estimating the Beneficial Effect of Recalls for Preventing Foodborne Illness." Tran Huynh won the Delta Omega (Pi Chapter) Premier Poster Award for her poster "Duck Husbandry practices and farmers' beliefs about avian influenza in South Vietnam."
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Alyssa Olson (r) and Advisor Craig Hedberg
Tran Huynh (l) and Advisor Pete Raynor
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Melissa Rudnick (l) and Carin Mrotz (r)
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MCOHS Seminar: Occupational Health, Safety, and Worker Welfare - A Community Response (March 30, 2009) -- Jewish Community Action members Melissa Rudnick and Carin Mrotz presented the Hekhsher Tzedek initiative at the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (MCOHS) seminar held on March 30.
Currently being piloted in the Twin Cities, the Hekhsher Tzedek (Seal of Justice) is a kosher food certification process that will use standards for worker health and safety as part of its certification criteria.
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Jooyeon Hwang to Participate in 12th World Congress on Public Health in Istanbul, Turkey (March 30, 2009) -- EnHS doctoral student Jooyeon Hwang will have her abstract, "Historical and Exposure Reconstruction in the Taconite Mining Industry – Study Design," showcased in the poster presentation during the 12th World Congress on Public Health in Istanbul, Turkey in April. She is one of 100 students attending.
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Jooyeon Hwang
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McNamara Building Kick-off
Mayo Building Kick-off
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Polyp Patrol-EnHS Team Kick-off (March 27, 2009) -- Polyp Patrol-EnHS team organizers held 'Get Your Rear in Gear' kick-off events at the McNamara and Mayo buildings on Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26. There were great turnouts at both locations!
Stay tuned for more colorectal cancer awareness and fundraising activities in the upcoming weeks - including a bake sale and a Division-sponsored team for the 2009 Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, April 19.
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NCS Seminar: Childhood Asthma: Potential Causes and Consequences (March 27, 2009) -- On Thursday, March 26, at the Wilder Auditorium, St. Paul, MN, Dr. Charles Oberg, pediatrician and Associate Professor (EpiCH) and Dr. John Adgate, environmental scientist and Associate Professor (EnHS) addressed how childhood asthma affects our community, recent changes in screening for and treatment of childhood asthma, and how environmental exposures in our homes and schools could affect childhood risk for asthma.
This seminar was presented as part of the National Children’s Study Speaker’s Series. For more information on this series, or other local NCS events, please contact Laurie Ukestad at ukest001@umn.edu.
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John Adgate (l) and
Charles Oberg (r)
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Michael Osterholm
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Michael Osterholm Reappointed to Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness Working Group (March 24, 2009) -- EnHS Professor and Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) Director Michael Osterholm has been reappointed by the Minnesota House of Representatives to the Legislative Coordinating Commission Working Group on Preparedness for Terrorism and Disasters.
The working group was established in 2007 to advise the MN Legislature on issues relating to homeland security, emergency management, man-made and natural disasters, terrorism, bioterrorism, public health emergencies, and vulnerabilities in public and private infrastructures.
Osterholm's term runs until January, 2011.
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Prostate Cancer Death Rate Not Affected Significantly By Screening (March 23, 2009) -- Six annual screenings for prostate cancer led to more diagnoses of the disease, but not fewer prostate cancer deaths, according to a new report from the national Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. EnHS Professor Tim Church, was a co-author on the research paper, which is available on the New England Journal of Medicine Web site. The University was the largest site for this nationwide study.
“What this report tells us is that the short-term benefits of prostate cancer screening, using present methods, do not result in the reductions in death that we had hoped,” Church said.
(From AHC News Release)
Read the Pioneer Press story
Listen to Church on SPH's Public Health Moment
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Tim Church
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'Team D'
Carrie Klumb
Evan Henke
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‘Team D’ Continues to Make Headlines (March 12, 2009) -- Last year, ‘Team Diarrhea’, or Team D — the Minnesota Department of Health's highly effective food-borne illness investigation unit — discovered that jalapenos were the cause of a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul. (view story)
This year, Team D was the first to identify Peanut Corporation of America as the producer of salmonella-tainted peanut butter that recently sickened more than 677 nationwide.
Currently three EnHS students, Carrie Klumb and Evan Henke (both pictured left), and Julie Hoffer, are among the eight SPH graduate students that make up the interviewing core of Team D. They are led by MDH epidemiologist (and EnHS alumnus) Carlota Medus.
James Phillips, head of infectious diseases for the Arkansas Department of Health, told USA Today that, "Minnesota is leap years ahead of ... most of the rest of the nation," when it comes to food-borne illness investigation.
Click here to read full USA Today article
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Tim Boyer wins MEHA Scholarship Award (March 11, 2009) -- Tim Boyer, a second year Ph.D. student in Environmental Health Sciences, has been selected as the 2009 Minnesota Environmental Health Association Scholarship Award recipient.
Tim has a B.S. in Plant Biology, a Master’s degree in Environmental Health (Master’s Project: “La Crosse Encephalitis: potential emergence in southwest Minnesota and factors affecting diagnosis”), and he is working on his Ph.D. in Environmental Infectious Diseases. The focus of Tim’s Ph.D. research is on the relationship between antibiotic use in agriculture and the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Tim was recognized at the MEHA winter conference held in St. Paul on February 12.
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Tim Boyer
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Mayo Building Dress in Blue Day Participants
McNamara Building Dress in Blue Day Participants
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EnHS Participates in National Dress in Blue Day (March 10, 2009) -- On Friday, March 6, Division members wore blue apparel in recognition of National Dress in Blue Day. Dress in Blue Day was initiated in 2006 to help raise awareness of colorectal cancer, which is currently the second leading cause of cancer deaths in America.
Several more colorectal cancer awareness and fundraising activities are planned for the upcoming weeks - including a Division-sponsored team for the 2009 Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, April 19.
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Study Suggests New Approach Needed to Govern Nanotechnology Risks (March 6, 2009) -- In a recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science and Technology, EnHS Professor Gurumurthy Ramachandran along with doctoral student Jae-Young Choi, from the Division of Health Policy and Management, and Milind Kandlikar, Ph.D., University of British Columbia, assessed the feasibility of shifting the responsibility for testing nanomaterials from government agencies onto industry.
Click here to read full press release
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Gurumurthy Ramachandran
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Michael Osterholm
Craig Hedberg
Pandemic Influenza Presentation
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MCOHS Conference Focuses on Controversial Health and Safety Issues (March 4, 2009) -- The Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (MCOHS) recently hosted "Emerging Issues and Controversies in Occupational Health and Safety” an interdisciplinary symposium focusing on controversial issues in OHS research, policy, and practice. The one-day conference was held at the Continuing Education and Conference Center, University of Minnesota - St. Paul Campus, on February 26, 2009.
EnHS Professors Craig Hedberg and Michael Osterholm discussed ways of dealing with widespread food-borne illnesses and global disease outbreaks in their presentations "Protecting the Nation’s Food Chain" (Hedberg) and "Preparing for Pandemic Influenza" (Osterholm).
Other conference session topics included: The Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Challenge; Mining and Mesothilioma in Minnesota; and Inflammatory Neuropathy in Swine Workers.
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Laurie Ukestad Joins NCS Study as Community and Hospital Liaison (March 3, 2009) -- Laurie Ukestad joined the National Children’s Study - Ramsey Location team this past January. She is currently working with investigators to develop and implement community outreach activities. As the study evolves, she will also be responsible for hospital engagement activities with the NCS health care team.
Read more about Laurie's new role and other NCS study news: NCS - Ramsey Location Update (March '09)
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Laurie Ukestad
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Pat McGovern
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Pat McGovern to Speak on Postpartum Health at SDSU (February 25, 2009) -- EnHS Professor Pat McGovern will give the Ethel Austin Martin Distinguished Lecture at South Dakota State University on March 4, 2009. She will speak on “Maternal Employment and Breastfeeding: Findings from the Minnesota Postpartum Health Study.”
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EnHS Mardi Gras Party (February 25, 2009) -- EnHS held its annual Mardi Gras party on February 24, 2009. Students, faculty, and staff celebrated 'Fat Tuesday' by wearing traditional masks and beads, listening to music, and feasting on king cake and fried chicken wings.
Click here view photos from the event
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Betsy Wattenberg and
Jooyeon Hwang
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Tim Church
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Cancer-Epidemiology Seminar: Using Smoking and Lung Cancer as a Model for Gene-Environment Interactions (February 23, 2009) -- On February 20, 2009, EnHS Professor Tim Church discussed how the association of smoking and lung cancer provides an excellent model for discovering gene-environment interactions. He illustrated an approach to finding interactions using a small case-control study nested in the large-scale Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. (PLCO website)
This talk was presented as part of the Cancer Epidemiology Interest Group Seminar Series. If you are interested in being notified about upcoming seminars, please contact Logan Spector at spector@umn.edu.
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William Toscano Guest Speaker at the UMAA - San Diego Chapter Annual Meeting (February 20, 2009) -- William Toscano, Professor and Head of the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, was the special guest speaker (topic: Globalization and Health) at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA) — San Diego Chapter Annual Meeting, February 15, 2009.
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William Toscano and UMAA -
San Diego Chapter President
Gary La Fleur
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EnHS Students at the MEHA Winter Conference
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MEHA Winter Conference (February 17, 2009) -- On Thursday, February 12, several EnHS students attended the annual winter conference of the Minnesota Environmental Health Association (MEHA) at the University of Minnesota - St. Paul Campus.
EnHS students set up an information booth at the event and promoted the Environmental Health Sciences program at the University of Minnesota by handing out flyers and speaking with other conference attendees about their current research and academic interests.
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Tim Church Testifies in Support of Colorectal Cancer Screening Bill (February 11, 2009) -- EnHS Professor Tim Church testified before the House Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight Committee on January 27 in support of a bill that would provide colorectal cancer screening for the uninsured.
Click here to read the full article
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Tim Church
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Carrie Rigdon
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Carrie Rigdon to Work on MDA's Rapid Response Team (February 11, 2009) -- EnHS Postdoctoral Associate Carrie Rigdon has accepted a position with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Food Protection Rapid Response Team. The Rapid Response Team was developed under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to enhance surveillance and improve response to food related emergencies and events.
Her new role at the organization will include helping to develop Standard Operating Procedures for event response and incorporating Incident Command System (ICS) structure into food-borne illness and food contamination event investigations.
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Randall Singer Selected as a Resident Fellow for the Institute on the Environment (February 5, 2009) -- Professor Randall Singer has been chosen by the Institute on the Environment to join its "world-class research, education and outreach mission" as a resident research fellow.
He will begin his three-year fellowship appointment with the Institute starting in June 2009.
Click here to read the full press release
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Randall Singer
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Craig Hedberg
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Craig Hedberg Quoted in Recent Salmonella News (February 5, 2009) -- EnHS Professor and food-borne disease expert Craig Hedberg was quoted in two recent articles about Salmonella:
The US Food and Drug Administration's criminal investigation of Peanut Corp. of America, a company that has been linked with a Salmonella outbreak involving more than 500 cases nationwide. (CIDRAP - view article)
A report on how University of Minnesota researchers are using genetically engineered Salmonella to treat certain forms of cancer. (MN Daily - view article)
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Retirement Celebration for AnaMaria Demendez (January 28, 2009)-- A party was held on Tuesday, January 27 to mark AnaMaria Demendez's retirement as Executive Administrative Assistant with Environmental Health Sciences’ Health Studies Group.
AnaMaria says she looks forward to having more time to do volunteer work and travel. Post-retirement, she plans to use her bilingual skills to do video voice-over work in Spanish, as well as to serve as a volunteer interpreter in the public school system.
The Division would like to thank AnaMaria for her 29 years of dedicated service, and wishes her the best of luck in all her future endeavors!
Click here view photos from the event
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AnaMaria Demendez
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Collie Graddick (l) and Paul M. Liemandt (r)
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MCOHS Seminar: Pesticide Regulation and Community
Outreach in MN (January 27, 2009) -- On January 26, 2009, Paul M. Liemandt and Collie Graddick, representatives from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, presented on topics relating to pesticide regulation.
Liemandt and Graddick's discussion included state and federal pesticide laws, responsibilities of various programs, inter-relationships between agencies, and outreach efforts with multiple and diverse community organizations.
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Deborah Swackhamer - Scientist on the Spot (January 20, 2009)-- Deborah Swackhamer has been selected as a Scientist on the Spot by the Science Museum of Minnesota. Swackhamer will answer questions posted to the Web for the museum’s Science Buzz page. (From SPH News)
Click here to visit the the Science Museum of Minnesota's "Scientist on the Spot"
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Deborah Swackhamer
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Gurumurthy Ramachandran, Pete Raynor
and Jooyeon Hwang
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Researchers Conduct Walk-Throughs at Iron Range Sites (January 16, 2009) -- On January 12-13, 2009, Ph.D. student Jooyeon Hwang and faculty members Gurumurthy Ramachandran and Pete Raynor from the Division of Environmental Health Sciences visited Cliffs Natural Resources' United Taconite mine in Eveleth, MN and processing facility in nearby Forbes, MN to conduct a walk-through survey of particle levels and engineering controls at the sites.
Read more...
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Leptospirosis Seminar (January 7, 2009)-- Dr. Paul Brown, a lecturer in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, delivered the presentation "Leptospirosis: An Emerging Public Health Problem" on January 7, 2009.
In his talk, Brown gave a historical overview of Leptospirosis in Jamaica, as well as its associated public health issues, and discussed a current joint project between the University of Minnesota and the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica.
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Paul Allwood (l)
and Paul Brown (r)
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Bruce Alexander
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Spring House Worker Health Study (January 5, 2009) -- Bruce Alexander was recently quoted in an article by the Northwest Herald about the Spring House Worker Health Study.
Alexander is leading a team of U of MN researchers who are investigating whether there are any elevated causes of death at the Spring House Technical Center, a chemical research facility located north of Philadelphia, PA. At least 15 cases of brain cancer have been reported among former employees at the facility since the 1970s.
Click here to read the article (nwhearald.com)
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Deborah Swackhamer a Guest on MPR’s "Voices on the Environment" (January 5, 2009)--EnHS Professor Deborah Swackhamer was a featured guest on Minnesota Public Radio’s "Voices on the Environment" this past December.
During the interview, Swackhamer discusses how the new Obama administration might address environmental policy and administration, the recently passed Minnesota Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment, and the Minnesota Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan, which Swackhamer sees as a good roadmap for implementing the changes outlined in the clean water amendment.
Listen to Swackhamer on MPR’s "Voices on the Environment"
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Deborah Swackhamer
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Michael Osterholm
Nicholas Kelly
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The Nation's Coal Supply and Pandemic Preparedness. (January 5, 2009) -- A new report by the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) discusses the need to protect the nation’s electric power grid in the event of a pandemic.
The report, “Pandemic Influenza, Electricity, and the Coal Supply Chain,” written by CIDRAP Director Dr. Michael Osterholm and Nicholas Kelley, a CIDRAP research assistant and EnHS doctoral student, explains that “an effective overall and public health response depends largely on the availability of electricity. Preventing disruptions in the coal supply chain is paramount, and such an effort will certainly require a financial investment. But the consequence of failing to prepare may be catastrophic. We believe the nation must reduce the risk that a pandemic poses to the generation of electricity and the collateral damage to society that will occur without electricity.”
Click here to read the report (registration req’d)
Listen to Kelley on SPH’s Public Health Moment
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Minnesota Taconite Workers Lung Health Partnership Meeting (January 5, 2009) -- EnHS Professors Jeffrey Mandel and Ian Greaves provided updates regarding the ongoing Iron Range mesothelioma study at a meeting held in Mt. Iron, MN on December 18, 2008.
Mandel and Greaves were also quoted about the study in several news sources, including an Associated Press article that appeared on the Star Tribune website.
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Jeff Mandel (l) and
Ian Greaves (r)
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