Categories: From the Director, Meet the Scientist Blog Series, National Center for Environmental Health
April 26th, 2012 3:02 pm ET -
Dr. Christopher J. Portier, PhD
Dr. Portier meets with Lt. Cory Kokko
My “Meet the Scientist” series brings you conversations with NCEH/ATSDR scientists that aim to give you a sense of the talented people who are working to keep you safe and secure from those things in the environment that threaten our nation’s health.
What does someone who enjoys singing, has a biopsychology background, and is a former zookeeper become? An Environmental Health Specialist! Well, at least that’s the path taken by my most recent “Meet the Scientist” interviewee, Lt. Cory Kokko, with the United States Public Health Service (USPHS).
Post a Comment -
Read more
Categories: Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, From the Director, National Center for Environmental Health
April 9th, 2012 4:37 pm ET -
Dr. Christopher J. Portier, PhD
April 22 marks the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, begun in 1970 and celebrated around the world. Earth Day reminds us of our personal and collective responsibility to preserve and protect our environment.
Scientists and public health professionals at CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) focus on the ways to improve our environment and save lives. Every year, we initiate our celebration by observing National Environmental Education Week during the week leading up to Earth Day.
4 Comments -
Read more
Categories: From the Director, Meet the Scientist Blog Series, National Center for Environmental Health
April 2nd, 2012 11:18 am ET -
Dr. Portier meets with Dr. Pfeiffer
My “Meet the Scientist” series brings you conversations with NCEH/ATSDR scientists that aim to give you a sense of the talented people who are working to keep you safe and secure from those things in the environment that threaten our nation’s health.
By now, most of us have heard about the importance of folate in our diets. Folate belongs to the group of water-soluble B vitamins that occur naturally in food. Leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and turnip greens), fruits (such as citrus fruits and juices), and dried beans and peas are all natural sources of folate. Folate is also important for the neural tube development of the fetus during pregnancy. I sat down to talk with Dr. Christine Pfeiffer, the lead nutritionist who continues to conduct folate research in the Division of Laboratory Sciences.
2 Comments -
Read more
Categories: From the Director, Meet the Scientist Blog Series, National Center for Environmental Health
March 27th, 2012 1:50 pm ET -
Dr. Christopher J. Portier, PhD
Dr. Vesper showing Dr. Portier how some of the lab equipment works
The “Meet the Scientist” series brings you conversations with NCEH/ATSDR scientists that aim to give you a sense of the talented people who are working to keep you safe and secure from those things in the environment that threaten our nation’s health. This time around, we’re focusing on Dr. Hubert Vesper, from the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)’s Division of Laboratory Sciences (DLS).
Background on Dr. Hubert Vesper
Post a Comment -
Read more
Categories: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), From the Director, Meet the Scientist Blog Series, National Center for Environmental Health
March 8th, 2012 3:08 pm ET -
Dr. Christopher J. Portier, PhD
Amy Wolkin and Dr. Portier pose for a photograph.
For three decades, scientists at CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have been keeping America safe from hazards in our environment. For example, scientists at ATSDR have worked in more than 900 communities across the nation to assess and explain the health risks involved in exposures to hazardous substances and educate community members so they can keep their families safe.
NCEH’s scientists produce cutting-edge work, such as laboratory methods and asthma and lead poisoning prevention programs. This year, I’ll be bringing you conversations with NCEH/ATSDR scientists that aim to give you a sense of the talented people who are working to keep you safe and secure from those things in the environment that threaten our nation’s health.
2 Comments -
Read more
Categories: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Health Consultations, Sharing Our Stories
February 15th, 2012 11:54 am ET -
Dr. Christopher J. Portier, PhD
High Densitity Polyethylene Cap to eliminate ambient reseases of gases
“The stench was so bad that when I would bake a turkey in my kitchen, the only thing you could smell was the dump,” said Roger Pound. Now, thanks to an Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) intervention, Mr. Pound can once again smell the mouth-watering aromas coming from his kitchen.
Mr. Pound lives a few yards away from the “dump,” the 400-acre A&L Salvage Landfill in Lisbon, Ohio, which began operations in 2001. A&L had not been operating long before neighbors expressed concerns typical of landfill facilities−dust, noise, and appearance. More serious complaints included improper handling of solid waste and a strong rotten egg smell usually associated with hydrogen sulfide.
Post a Comment -
Read more
Categories: Emergency Preparedness, National Center for Environmental Health, Sharing Our Stories, Tornadoes
January 18th, 2012 2:11 pm ET -
Dr. Christopher J. Portier, PhD
An Aarons Rental Store on McFarland Blvd in Tuscaloosa - 'Ground Zero'
On April 27, 2011, Director Tim Hatch began his day at the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) thinking, “My schedule is finally clear.” It wasn’t long before he realized he should “never, ever say that.”
On that day, disaster struck. Tornadoes ripped through the state, causing death and destruction in Tuscaloosa, Cullman, and Birmingham as well as some rural communities in northwest Alabama. From 1:00 to 11:00 PM, Hatch was in the ADPH Emergency Operations Center in Montgomery, tracking the tornadoes and responding to the disaster. Hatch and staff members in health departments across the state were prepared to respond to the problems caused by the tornadoes in part because of the Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response (EHTER) course developed by CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health.
6 Comments -
Read more
Categories: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Toxic Substances
December 13th, 2011 9:42 am ET -
Dr. Christopher J. Portier, PhD
ATSDR’s Toxic Substances Portal where the Toxicological Profiles – or ToxProfiles™ – are offered
For communities, physicians, scientists and environmental health professionals, ATSDR’s Toxicological Profiles are an important source of information about toxic chemicals and health effects.
Robin Shapiro has been an academic librarian at Portland Community College in Oregon since 1997. She enjoys helping students learn how to use resources such as ATSDR’s Toxic Substances Portal where the Toxicological Profiles – or ToxProfiles™ – are offered.
“The Toxic Substances Portal allows students to quickly gain an understanding of the effects of a wide range of substances,” Shapiro says. “It’s reliable, which is essential for health information sources.”
ATSDR’s ToxProfiles™ provide detailed information about possible health effects from exposure to hazardous substances found at National Priorities List sites. Federal agency employees and doctors use the ToxProfiles™ to make decisions about cleaning up sites, respond to emergencies and treat patients exposed to chemicals.
Post a Comment -
Read more
Categories: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), From the Director
November 18th, 2011 8:51 am ET -
Dr. Christopher J. Portier, PhD
Vampire Nutrition - You Are What You Eat!
If “you are what you eat,” then a healthy human should make for a healthy vampire.
With a hot new vampire movie just around the corner, you might find yourself overcome with hunger pangs. If you’re a vampire that’s been feeding on less than healthy human blood, perhaps it’s time to “re-vamp” your diet.
2 Comments -
Read more
Categories: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), From the Director
October 19th, 2011 1:39 pm ET -
Dr. Christopher J. Portier, PhD
Photo Credit: Dr. Chris Portier
Security
After an arduous 24-hour journey, I arrived in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India on August 21, 2011 at 10 pm to discuss ongoing and planned collaborations with multiple Indian government agencies on environmental health issues. The ride from the airport to the hotel was only a few kilometers, but we went down back alleys and when we got to the hotel, there was serious security with a search of the car and x-ray machines.
Technology for Improving Medical Records Access
Monday morning saw us leaving rather early and driving through impressive morning traffic to visit Dr. Rohini Chowgule, Director of the Indian Institute of Environmental Medicine and a Professor of Internal Medicine. We met at the British era Willingdon Club, right in the heart of the city. The drive took us along the Arabian Sea and we had spectacular rainy views of the high rises that make up Mumbai. The discussions centered on ongoing collaborations regarding women and children’s health.
2 Comments -
Read more
