Research Interest Groups

CIEHS brings together a spectrum of researchers across all University of Louisville campuses to investigate environmental contributions to human health and disease. The CIEHS investigators are broadly grouped into three Research Interest Groups (RIGs) focused on Mechanistic & Translational Toxicology, including cardiometabolic/renal disease; Precision Environmental Health and Exposome, including environmental exposures and cancer; and Environmental Epidemiology and Population Health, including neurodevelopmental toxicology, and pulmonary disease. These RIGs promote collaborations both within each RIG and across RIGs and with the community (latter mediated by the Translational Research Support Core and Community Engagement Core). The interactions in the RIGs between healthcare providers (physicians and nurses), basic scientists and engineers fosters transdisciplinary research.

Understanding the relationship between toxicant exposure (i.e., pollution) and human disease from the bench (molecular and cellular mechanisms using in vitro and in vivo models) to the clinic (patient studies, therapies, epidemiology, societal contributions) informs development of remediation strategies and interventions to improve the health of our local community, as well as impact global efforts to prevent toxicant-induced pathologies.

To achieve these goals, CIEHS formed three disease-focused RIGs. The RIGs serve as focal points for gathering together basic scientists, clinicians, population scientists, and community engagement into interdisciplinary hubs for collaboration.

The three Research Interest Groups are as follows.

Mechanistic and Translational Toxicology Research Interest Group

MTT stems from the investigation for the mechanisms underlying the biological responses in molecular, cellular, and multi-organ or whole body levels to environmental exposome, including acute and chronic stresses in whole life or life stage, which include biological (such as virus, bacteria and fungi), physical (radiation, temperature and mechanical), life-style, and social challenges. 

Click here for the Mechanistic and Translational Toxicology Interest Group Members 

Precision Environmental Health Research Interest Group

The overall goal for the Precision Environmental Health and Exposome RIG is to integrate data from work on community exposures in air, water, soil, plants, birds, worms, and other species with human exposures.

Click here for the Precision Environmental Health Research Interest Group Members 

Environmental Epidemiology and Population Health Research Interest Group

Many human health issues show differences associated with zip code and locales which affects both developing organs and mature bodies. These differential impacts in health outcomes and life expectancy are often associated with various exposures to industrial pollution or negative effects of severe weather events. Disparate health outcomes are associated with geography which also dictates a multitude of social domain factors. The level of pollution and impacts of severe weather show clear geographic dependence.  The overall goal of the EEPH RIG is to study and integrate the impacts of these factors to gain an understanding of differential health outcomes in the development and function of the human body. The RIG will specifically emphasize both health effects and intervention on populations in high risk areas and those with genetic susceptibilities to chronic disease.

Click here for the Environmental Epidemiology and Population Health RIG Members