The University of Louisville Superfund Research Center

The Center focuses on the effects of volatile organic chemical (VOC) exposure on cardiometabolic disease (CMD) as it relates etiologically to cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity and fatty liver disease (FLD).  Within this context, the Center supports trans-disciplinary research in chemistry, toxicology, epidemiology, exposure science, and translational medicine to determine how chemical exposures contribute to the incidence, prevalence and severity of CMD.  The Center is the premier repository of experience, expertise, research and training in environmental CMD. It facilitates the development of advanced techniques for the detection, assessment and evaluation of the cardiometabolic effects of VOCs, test remediation strategies and generates new understanding of how exposure to these chemicals contributes to the development of CMD. Center investigators examine how the conditions of T2D, obesity, and CMD influence susceptibility to VOC toxicity. As a whole, the Center contributes to the development of new scientific concepts, research infrastructure, training and community outreach programs consistent with the goals of the Superfund Program.  The Superfund team shares data with stakeholders and disseminates findings to raise community awareness of the health effects of hazardous chemicals. The thematic focus of the Center on the cardiometabolic effects of VOCs facilitates the sharing of both resources and expertise, promotes the development of synergistic research projects, and provides new knowledge of the understudied and underappreciated health effects of these hazardous chemicals. In our community and beyond, the emerging epidemics of diabetes and obesity have become the most pressing of public health concerns. Therefore, elucidating how hazardous chemical exposures contribute to these conditions and the mechanisms by which they enhance susceptibility to chemical toxicity is likely to have a significant impact on both the assessment of environmental toxicity and the development of appropriate remediation strategies.