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About the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL)
What We Do
The National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) conducts systems-based, effects research needed to achieve sustainable health and wellbeing. Research encompasses both human and ecosystem health, in that they are inextricably linked.
NHEERL Strategic Goals:
- Lead innovative research and predictive modeling efforts that link environmental condition to the health and wellbeing of people and society.
- Advance research and tools for achieving sustainable and resilient watersheds and water resources.
- Advance systems-based research to predict the adverse effects of chemicals and other stressors across species and biological levels of organization through the development and quantification of adverse outcomes pathways across multiple scales.
- Use integrated research to identify and characterize modifiable factors that respond to environmental conditions, and through intervention, improve health and wellbeing.
- Translate and communicate integrated environmental and health effects science to impact decisions positively at all levels.
Organization
William H. Benson, Acting Director
- Biography
- Phone: 919-541-2508
- Email: benson.william@epa.gov
William Russo, Acting Deputy Director
- Phone: 919-541-7869
- Email: russo.bill@epa.gov
Thomas Fontaine, Acting Associate Director for Ecology
- Phone: 541-754-4603
- Email: fontaine.thomas@epa.gov
Ronald Hines, Associate Director for Health
- Phone: 919-541-5622
- Email: hines.ronald@epa.gov
The National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory includes:
- Atlantic Ecology Division Division
- Environmental Public Health Division
- Gulf Ecology Division
- Integrated Systems Toxicology Division
- Mid-Continent Ecology Division
- Research Cores Unit
- Toxicity Assessment Division
- Western Ecology Division
Atlantic Ecology Division (AED)
Location: Narragansett, Rhode Island
Acting Director: Wayne Munns
- Phone: 401-782-3017
- Email: munns.wayne@epa.gov
What We Do: AED conducts sediment and water quality research in a variety of environments ranging from freshwater to marsh and estuarine to near-shore marine environments along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Maine. AED’s mission is to develop theory and methods, and analyze data to improve understanding of and quantify environmental effects of human activity on coastal waters and watersheds. Special areas of research include:
- understanding, quantifying, and modeling cumulative effects of multiple sources of stress on coastal ecosystems,
- developing methods for assessing ecological effects of contaminated marine sediments,
- clarifying the role of biogeochemical processes in effects of multiple sources of stress,
- developing species, population, and community indicators of ecological impacts resulting from human activities, and
- integrating ecological assessments of watersheds and coastal waters.
Environmental Public Health Division (EPHD)
Location: Research Triangle Park and Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Director: Wayne Cascio
- Phone: 919-966-0617
- Email: cascio.wayne@epa.gov
What We Do: Performs epidemiological, clinical animal, and cellular toxicology research to assess the impact of environmental exposures on human health by:
- developing, validating, and utilizing biological measures (biomarkers/bioindicators) in all aspects of human health to better link exposure, dose, and health outcomes;
- conducting population-based and human clinical studies to examine a broad range of health outcomes and conditions associated with environmental exposures;
- conducting parallel human clinical, animal, and cellular toxicology studies to assess the effects of environmental exposures; and
- assessing the impact of environmental actions and decisions on public health.
Collection of human samples and information as part of the overall research portfolio will provide a foundation for collaboration with and a resource for other branches and divisions within NHEERL and ORD.
Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch
Provides expertise in the conduct of epidemiology research, including field studies that integrate environmental, clinical, and biological markers to better understand pollutant-related disease etiology and prevention, gene-environment interactions, and the impacts of risk management decisions on public health.
Clinical Studies Branch
Has primary responsibility for the assessment of clinical effects of environmental exposures on healthy and susceptible humans. The emphasis is on cardiopulmonary effects and how public health conditions can alter these responses caused by ambient air pollutants. Physiological, cellular, and molecular approaches are integrated to characterize the effects of environmental exposures, as well as to understand the mechanisms that underlie toxicity.
Cardiopulmonary and Immunology Branch
Has primary responsibility for animal toxicology studies that assess the impact of environmental pollutants on the cardiovascular, respiratory, and immune systems in healthy and compromised individuals. Research spans various life stages, including fetal health and development and the elderly, and investigates the effect of exposure on development or exacerbation of cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
Inhalation Toxicology Facilities Branch
Has a primary responsibility for providing the capability of exposing animals and cells under carefully controlled conditions, as well as the development of new exposure systems that can extend the complexity of pollutants to be studied.
Gulf Ecology Division (GED)
Location: Gulf Breeze, Florida
Acting Director: William Fisher
- Phone: 850-934-9394
- Email: fisher.william@epa.gov
What We Do: GED is responsible for research on the large-scale physical, chemical, and biological dynamics of coastal wetlands and estuaries, with emphasis on the Gulf of Mexico. Our research products provide information on the condition and functions of ecological resources, the services to society supplied by coastal ecosystems, rates and causes of ecological change and impairment, and predicted future conditions under various alternative scenarios.
Major activities of the research program focus on: (1) approaches and indicators for assessing the condition of ecosystems, including wetlands, estuaries, and coral reefs; and (2) applying a variety of landscape, population, statistical and systems models to predict relationships between stressors and changes in the structure, functions, and values of ecosystems. The Division provides research and technical support to EPA's Regional and Program offices, states, and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance.
EPA's and GED's authority to conduct environmental research is derived from the federal laws to protect public health and the environment. These laws include the Clean Air Act , Clean Water Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1981.
Integrated Systems Toxicology Division (ISTD)
Location: Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Director: Charlene McQueen
- Phone: 919-541-4950
- Email: mcqueen.charlene@epa.gov
What We Do: The Integrated Systems Toxicology Division applies a systems biology approach to describe normal biological, homeostatic processes and to identify key events that signal departure from those processes leading to adverse health outcomes. Research seeks to develop an integrated framework across health end points through the identification of toxicological pathways. This approach is accomplished by the use of computational and molecular approaches to identify "key events" for biologically based dose-response and mode-of-action-based models, the development of physiologically based pharmacokinetic models for linkage to biologically based dose-response models, and the application of genetic and epigenetic approaches for understanding differential life stage sensitivities.
Mid-Continent Ecology Division (MED)
Location: Duluth, Minnesota and Grosse Ile, Michigan
Acting Director: Dale Hoff, Ph.D
- Phone: 218-529-5386
- Email: hoff.dale@epa.gov
What We Do: The Mid-Continent Ecology Division focuses on the ecological effects of toxic chemicals, genetically modified organisms, nutrients, habitat alterations, and global climate change. Within this context, this Division is responsible for providing leadership in ecotoxicology and freshwater ecology by advancing scientifically-sound approaches for monitoring trends in ecological condition within the Great Lakes and Rivers, identifying impaired watersheds and diagnosing causes of degradation, and establishing risk-based assessments to support restoration and remediation decisions.
MED events, conference facility, and tours
Research Cores Unit (RCU)
Location: Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Director: Russell Owen
- Phone: 919-541-1141
- Email: owen.russell@epa.gov
What We Do: The Research Cores Unit conducts research to develop new methods and models for enhancing analytical detection, and assessment and analysis of data. The Unit provides support to laboratory research projects through the development and application of analytical chemistry, genomics, proteomics, biostatistical, and bioinformatic technologies. The Unit also serves as a resource to aid in the integration of technologies, data, and modeling efforts throughout the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory research program.
Toxicity Assessment Division (TAD)
Location: Research Triangle Park and Durham, North Carolina
Director: John M. Rogers
- Phone: 919-541-5177
- Email: rogers.john@epa.gov
What We Do: The Toxicity Assessment Division addresses toxicological mechanisms and responses for target organ systems using multiple strategies related to:
- chemical screening and prioritization, including assessing in vivo predictive value of in vitro tests and test methods development and interpretation;
- chemical-specific and mixtures toxicity assessment, including hazard identification and dose-response characterization;
- development and use of animal models of disease; and
- evaluation of specific assumptions and hypotheses generated by systems biology models in collaboration with the Integrated Systems Toxicology Division.
Western Ecology Division (WED)
Location: Corvallis and Newport, Oregon
Acting Director: Tony Olsen
- Phone: 541-754-4790
- Email: olsen.tony@epa.gov
What We Do: The Western Ecology Division (WED) is one of four ecological research Divisions of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory. WED's mission is to provide EPA with national scientific leadership in developing scientific tools and methodologies for assessing and predicting the condition of natural resources and their responses to natural and anthropogenic stresses. WED is uniquely qualified to address issues affecting both terrestrial and aquatic systems.
Research conducted at WED addresses scientific issues important for formulating public policies, programs, and regulations to protect and manage ecological resources, and achieve sustainable futures, especially in the context of climate change. WED scientists conduct research across a range of scientific disciplines, often working in integrated multi-disciplinary systems-thinking teams. Research at WED focuses on priority issues of four main research programs: Air, Climate, and Energy, Sustainable and Healthy Communities, Safe and Sustainable Waters Research and, Chemical Safety for Sustainability.
WED scientists elucidate the structure and function of ecological systems, analyze human and ecological interactions at various temporal and spatial scales and develop methods for quantifying the contribution of ecosystem services to human health and well being. Key scientific disciplines at WED include terrestrial and aquatic (freshwater and marine) ecology, landscape ecology, wildlife biology, plant physiology, biotechnology, toxicology, biogeochemistry, oceanography, geography, multivariate and geospatial statistics, economics, ecological risk assessment, and systems modeling.
WED scientists advance scientific understanding through experiments conducted in the laboratory and in specialized exposure chambers, field studies, modeling, and analysis of large-scale data sets. WED provides technical support to EPA’s National Program Offices, Regional Offices, States and Tribes in the form of workshops, reports, research papers, and direct consultation. WED’s ultimate objective is to provide the best available research information and analytical tools to address the most pressing environmental issues facing our Nation and the World.