News

New Microplastics Center Awarded $7.3M

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

A new Rochester-based research center will study the lifecycle of microplastics, including its origin as plastic waste, distribution and movement in the Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem, and human exposure and health impact. The research will also focus on how climate change could intensify the environmental and health threats posed by microplastics.

The Lake Ontario Center for Microplastics and Human Health in a Changing Environment is a collaboration between the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and supported by $7.3 million in funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Science Foundation under the federal Oceans and Human Health program. 

“The center will seek to develop a better understanding of the interactions between plastic pollution, the Great Lakes environment, and human health in both current and projected real-world conditions,” said Katrina Korfmacher, PhD, a professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and co-director of the new center. “This research will catalyze a new understanding of both environmental and human health aspects of microplastics, engage new groups in strategies to reduce the source of waste and mitigate exposure, and provide a model for similar approaches in other communities.”

Housing, Health and Environmental Justice Research Workshop

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Housing, Health and Environmental Justice Research Workshop - Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, 9 AM – 5 PM - Helen Wood Hall, School of Nursing Auditorium

Event Flyer

The University of Rochester Institute for Human Health and the Environment invites you to join a Research Workshop on Housing, Health and Environmental Justice in the Rochester Region to learn how home-based environmental exposures affect health equity. This workshop will:

• Build researchers’ and community partners’ understanding of the connections between housing environments and health
• Identify unique opportunities for healthy homes research in the Rochester region
• Foster new projects to inform solutions

Keynote Speaker

Amanda L. Reddy, M.S.
Executive Director, National Center for Healthy Housing

Irfan Rahman, PhD interviewed by Scientific American on Smoking compromises immune health even in former smokers

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

A new study found persistent effects of smoking on the adaptive immune system, but how this translates to health risks remains unclear

Irfan Rahman, PhD interviewed by NY Times on oral effects of Nicotine Pouches

Thursday, January 25, 2024

A New Wave of Nicotine Products Comes Under Scrutiny

Senator Chuck Schumer has called for a crackdown on ZYN, a trendy brand of nicotine pouches.

Read the interview