This Week in EPA Science

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Need a last minute Halloween costume idea? Want to stand out from the sea of flowing capes and neon spandex? Try going as a non-traditional superhero—an environmental scientist! Check out some of our researchers at work to get an idea of how they work to save the world every day.

Here is some of the latest research they’ve been working on.

• VERGE 2015 Conference
  EPA’s Dan Costa was one of three panelists along with representatives from Aclima and Google at the Verge 2015 conference, Silicon Valley’s annual meeting of entrepreneurs held in San Jose, California. Their session focused on air sensors and their utilities on mobile platforms and how the development of various sensors will someday transform the way individuals, communities and possibly government will use these new data. The session was the most well attended session of the meeting.

  Read more about the partnership in the Science Matters story Private, Government Collaboration Advances Air Sensor Technology.

• EPA Co-authored Article Selected for Society’s Annual Award
  An article written by EPA’s Elizabeth D. Hilborn and UPenn’s R. Val Beasley, published in the journal Toxins in April, has been selected as the second-place winner of the 2015 Award for Outstanding Research Article in Biosurveillance in the “Impact of Field of Biosurveillance” category by the International Society for Disease Surveillance. The article highlights the utility of using cyanobacteria-associated animal illnesses and deaths to provide early warnings of the potential for increased human health risks from harmful algal blooms.

  Read the article One Health and Cyanobacteria in Freshwater Systems: Animal Illnesses and Deaths Are Sentinel Events for Human Health Risks here.

• Embassy Science Fellow Discusses Climate Change in Australia
  EPA scientist Rachelle Duvall, currently an Embassy Science Fellow, was invited to be a guest scientist at Questacon-The National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra, Australia on October 13. She presented hands-on science activities to over 200 Questacon visitors. A guest appearance was made by former Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, who “gave it a go” and participated in the activities.

  Check out Duvall’s public seminar on climate change.

• Advancing Children’s Health for a Lifetime
  It’s Children’s Health Month and this week results and impacts of research from the Children’s Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Centers (Children’s Centers)—supported jointly by EPA and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences supported—were featured at a special Congressional briefing. This event was followed by the Children’s Centers annual meeting which included presentations and discussions that explore connections between research findings, clinical and community practice, and child protective policies.

  Learn more about the Children’s Centers here.

• World Stroke Day
  World Stroke Day, established by the World Stroke Organization, was observed worldwide on October 29^th. Studies show that air pollution can trigger heart attacks, strokes and worsen heart failure in people who are at risk for these conditions. EPA is raising awareness of heart disease and its link to air pollution and other environmental factors as a partner in the Million Hearts, a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.

  Check out EPA’s Healthy Heart Toolkit and Research.

If you have any comments or questions about what I share or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

 

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1LH88Nq

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Need a last minute Halloween costume idea? Want to stand out from the sea of flowing capes and neon spandex? Try going as a non-traditional superhero—an environmental scientist! Check out some of our researchers at work to get an idea of how they work to save the world every day.

Here is some of the latest research they’ve been working on.

• VERGE 2015 Conference
  EPA’s Dan Costa was one of three panelists along with representatives from Aclima and Google at the Verge 2015 conference, Silicon Valley’s annual meeting of entrepreneurs held in San Jose, California. Their session focused on air sensors and their utilities on mobile platforms and how the development of various sensors will someday transform the way individuals, communities and possibly government will use these new data. The session was the most well attended session of the meeting.

  Read more about the partnership in the Science Matters story Private, Government Collaboration Advances Air Sensor Technology.

• EPA Co-authored Article Selected for Society’s Annual Award
  An article written by EPA’s Elizabeth D. Hilborn and UPenn’s R. Val Beasley, published in the journal Toxins in April, has been selected as the second-place winner of the 2015 Award for Outstanding Research Article in Biosurveillance in the “Impact of Field of Biosurveillance” category by the International Society for Disease Surveillance. The article highlights the utility of using cyanobacteria-associated animal illnesses and deaths to provide early warnings of the potential for increased human health risks from harmful algal blooms.

  Read the article One Health and Cyanobacteria in Freshwater Systems: Animal Illnesses and Deaths Are Sentinel Events for Human Health Risks here.

• Embassy Science Fellow Discusses Climate Change in Australia
  EPA scientist Rachelle Duvall, currently an Embassy Science Fellow, was invited to be a guest scientist at Questacon-The National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra, Australia on October 13. She presented hands-on science activities to over 200 Questacon visitors. A guest appearance was made by former Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, who “gave it a go” and participated in the activities.

  Check out Duvall’s public seminar on climate change.

• Advancing Children’s Health for a Lifetime
  It’s Children’s Health Month and this week results and impacts of research from the Children’s Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Centers (Children’s Centers)—supported jointly by EPA and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences supported—were featured at a special Congressional briefing. This event was followed by the Children’s Centers annual meeting which included presentations and discussions that explore connections between research findings, clinical and community practice, and child protective policies.

  Learn more about the Children’s Centers here.

• World Stroke Day
  World Stroke Day, established by the World Stroke Organization, was observed worldwide on October 29^th. Studies show that air pollution can trigger heart attacks, strokes and worsen heart failure in people who are at risk for these conditions. EPA is raising awareness of heart disease and its link to air pollution and other environmental factors as a partner in the Million Hearts, a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.

  Check out EPA’s Healthy Heart Toolkit and Research.

If you have any comments or questions about what I share or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

 

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1LH88Nq