Table of Contents. Annual Review 2013

Transcription

1 Annual Review 2013

2 Annual Review 2013 Table of Contents Letter from the Director...1 The Case for the Children s Environmental Health Center...2 The History of the Children s Environmental Health Center...6 Our Model...8 The Year in Numbers...9 The Year in Review...10 The Laboratory for Molecular Environmental Chemistry...12 The Mount Sinai Pregnancy Biobank...16 The Endocrine Disruptor Research Program...17 Breast Cancer and the Environment...18 Clinical Care at the Children s Environmental Health Center...20 Training the Next Generation of Leaders...21 The CEHC in the Community...22 Mount Sinai Greening Our Children...24 Looking Forward: The Importance of Philanthropy...26 Staff, Executive Board, and Contact Information...28

3 Letter from the Director In 2013, the Children s Environmental Health Center experienced tremendous growth both in research development and leadership. Seven years ago, the Children s Environmental Health Center (CEHC) was proudly established at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Unlike other research organizations, which specialize in one disease or condition, the CEHC embarked on a comprehensive model one that examines the causes of all preventable diseases at the earliest stages of development. Since our founding, philanthropic support has allowed our Center to make groundbreaking discoveries, recruit world-class scientists, and make important policy changes. The pages ahead illustrate how the CEHC s model has been successfully employed to improve the health of our children, and they highlight some of our most prized accomplishments from the past year. Most notably, 2013 marked an important time for the future of CEHC research. While the study of children s environmental health has made substantial gains over the past 50 years, new approaches are needed to advance the field. To develop these groundbreaking techniques which exceed our current ability to measure standard environmental chemicals the CEHC recruited Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH from Harvard to direct the new Laboratory for Molecular Environmental Chemistry. Construction of the Lab began in September, and once completed in May of 2014, it will become the critical tool needed to prevent and cure childhood illnesses. We also bid farewell to David Wasserman, inaugural Chairman of the CEHC Executive Board, and we honored Rhonda Sherwood, inaugural Vice Chairman, by naming her the Founding Vice Chairman of the CEHC Executive Board and Founding Chair of the Greening Our Children Luncheon. I extend my deepest thanks to David and Rhonda for their extraordinary leadership and vision in building the CEHC. In May, we announced that Alex Bergstein would succeed David as the new Chairman of the CEHC Executive Board. Alex has been an active supporter since the very beginning, and I am excited to work with her to grow the Center. As we conclude another successful year, I would like to thank you for your generous support of the CEHC. I hope that this update demonstrates how philanthropic support sustains our Center, as we work together to discover the environmental causes of childhood disease. Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc Ethel H. Wise Professor and Chairman, Department of Preventive Medicine Director, Children s Environmental Health Center Professor of Pediatrics; Dean for Global Health Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

4 The Case for the Children s Environmental Health Center Around the world, rates of childhood disease are increasing. The physical environment in which American children live, learn, and play has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. While the most traditional contagious diseases of childhood have been conquered, new pediatric illnesses have emerged. In the United States Childhood asthma rates have nearly tripled over the past three decades. Asthma is now the leading cause of emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and school absenteeism. One of every 88 children is affected by autism spectrum disorder. Neurodevelopmental disorders dyslexia, mental retardation, and other learning disabilities now affect 10 to 15% of the four million babies born in the U.S. each year. Another 14% are affected by ADHD. Childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past 30 years, rising from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in Type II diabetes, previously unknown in children, is now becoming epidemic. Both childhood leukemia and brain cancer have increased in incidence by about 40% since Cancer has become the second leading cause of death among children under the age of Asthma Prevalence in Children Per 100 children 0 to 17 years of age Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Per 1,000 children Identified prevalence of autism spectrum disorders, Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network

5 There is a strong and growing body of evidence that links chemical exposures to increasing rates of these diseases. Since World War II, more than 80,000 new synthetic chemicals have been developed and are used today in a vast array of consumer products ranging from foods and food packaging to clothing, building materials, cleaning products, cosmetics, toys, and baby bottles. Children are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of these chemicals. Their developmental processes are easily disrupted, their ability to excrete toxic chemicals is significantly lower than adults, and their bodies are smaller and absorb more chemicals. During these unique windows of early vulnerability, which occur during the nine months of pregnancy and in early childhood, exposures to even low levels of toxic chemicals can produce harmful effects many of which do not occur until later in life. Increase in Childhood Obesity Centers for Disease Control and Prevention % 2008 Rates of Childhood Leukemia Per 100,000 children 0 to 14 years of age 20% National Cancer Institute, SEER Cancer Statistics Review

6 Childhood diseases not only take a personal toll on our families, they also place an enormous economic strain on our country. $76.6 billion In 2008, our country spent $76.6 billion on children s diseases of environmental origins including autism, asthma, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, and childhood cancer. 50% According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost half of Americans are suffering from at least one preventable chronic disease. $1.5 trillion Our country spends more per capita than any other nation on healthcare, including $1.5 trillion on chronic diseases that are known to be preventable. America s children are at risk of becoming the first generation in over a century to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents. 4

7 The U.S. still spends more on direct medical care and health insurance than it does on preventive action, despite research showing that disease prevention is one of the most cost-effective, long-term strategies to improve health. Lead poisoning...$50.9 billion Autism...$7.9 billion Intellectual disability...$5.4 billion Mercury pollution...$5.1 billion ADHD...$5 billion Asthma...$2.2 billion Childhood cancer...$95 million Total yearly cost...$76.6 billion 3.5% Childhood diseases of environmental origin represented 3.5% of all direct health care costs in the United States in While public health initiatives have made great strides in reducing the overall rates of preventable diseases, we need to focus on the causes of chronic diseases not merely deal with the consequences. 5

8 The History of the Children s Environmental Health Center Under the leadership of Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc, the Children s Environmental Health Center conducts groundbreaking research to identify the environmental causes of childhood diseases. We translate these findings into solutions that protect children s health, using research to educate families and change public policy. We have done it before 6 Early 1970s Dr. Landrigan conducts a series of landmark studies discovering that lead causes brain damage to children even when exposures are too low to cause obvious signs and symptoms. Late 1970s Lead is banned from gasoline and paint in the United States Dr. Landrigan joins the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. For over four decades, Dr. Landrigan has translated his research into real actions that have improved the health of our children Dr. Landrigan chairs a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Committee to examine the effects of pesticides on children s health The NAS report Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children is published, concluding that children are uniquely susceptible to the effects of pesticides and arguing that children are not little adults The NAS report persuades U.S. Congress to pass the Food Quality Protection Act the only federal environmental law that contains explicit provisions for the protection of children s health U.S. President William J. Clinton issues an Executive Order that recognizes that children are uniquely susceptible to environmental hazards.

9 Jeanette A. Stingone, PhD, MPH (left), the Elizabeth Mascia Scholar in Children s Environmental Health; Alex Bergstein (middle), Chairman of the Executive Board; and Sarah Evans, PhD (right), Fellow in Children s Environmental Health, translate CEHC research to the public Dr. Landrigan serves as the Senior Advisor on Children s Health to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), establishing a new Office of Children s Health Protection The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) is established at Mount Sinai to diagnose and treat children affected by environmental exposures. Early 2000s Scientific authorities report that the U.S. removal of lead from gasoline and paint has caused a 95% decline in childhood lead poisoning, increased the average IQ score by four to five points, and saved the government $200 billion each year The Mount Sinai Fellowship in Children s Environmental Health is launched to provide mentored training in environmental pediatrics The CEHC is founded at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai The CEHC is named a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre in Children s Environmental Health one of two Centres of its type in the U.S Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH is recruited from Harvard to serve as the CEHC s Deputy Director and direct the new Laboratory for Molecular Environmental Chemistry the critical component needed to prevent and cure childhood illnesses and advance the field of children s environmental health. We will do it again 7

10 Our Model The research conducted at the CEHC employs the same evidence-based framework that has guided Dr. Landrigan s past successes. The Center recruits the best and the brightest pediatricians and researchers to work in the field of environmental pediatrics giving them the tools to conduct sophisticated research and building the foundation for positive change Case Study: Banning BPA from Cash Receipt Paper in Suffolk County, New York Research Scientists both at the CEHC and other research institutions show that prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) is associated with behavioral anomalies, causing irreversible injury to the developing brain. Education Community members learn about the harmful effects of BPA at the CEHC s educational events, in the media, and through community partners in Long Island. Advocacy The CEHC testifies in December 2012 in support of a bill that would ban BPA from cash receipt paper in Suffolk County, New York. Change In an effort to keep residents safer from potentially harmful contact with BPA, the Safer Sales Slip Act is signed into law on January 3, Left to right: Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern; Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone; Karen Miller, President of the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition (HBCAC) and CEHC Executive Board Member; and Shelby Poole, HBCAC volunteer, at the signing of the Safer Sales Slip Act.

11 2013: The Year in Numbers In 2013, the CEHC s signature research initiative, pilot research projects, generated $2.2 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private foundations. An additional $4 million are scheduled to be awarded by NIH through multiyear grants over the next five years. In addition to our pilot grant recipients, CEHC faculty and fellows were supported by Funding from New Grants Funding Agency Awarded in 2013* National Institutes of Health...$4,000,000** National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute...$500,000** Conduits: Clinical and Translational Science Award... $25,000 AETNA Foundation...$13,000 American Academy of Pediatrics: Community Access to Child Health (CATCH)... $10,000 Total...$4,548,000 *Figures are rounded for presentation purposes. **Figures represent total funding awarded in 2013, but actual funding may be allocated over several years. Investing in Knowledge: Grant Dollars Generated by CEHC Pilot Projects $2,000,000 $1,500,000 $1,399,862 $1,719,862 $1,604,862 $2,192,855 $2,142,855 In 2013, the CEHC: Raised more than $890,000 in philanthropic funding, increasing its to-date total to more than $4.75 million Published more than 50 scientific, peer-reviewed articles Funded five new pilot projects Appeared in prestigious media outlets like The New York Times, ABC s Tonight Show, The Huffington Post, and Parents magazine. $1,000,000 $772,980 $500,000 $397,980 $397,980 $284,960 $ Pilot Grants Awarded NIH & Other Grants Received (Annual Direct Dollars) 9

12 2013: The Year in Review While this report cannot adequately cover all of the innovations at the CEHC, the pages ahead represent some of our most promising research, publications, and accomplishments in For example: Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH and his team led a pilot study that tested health messaging tactics surrounding fish consumption during pregnancy. Overall, the study demonstrated that nuanced public health messaging based on scientific evidence can lead to positive health changes. Perry Sheffield, MD, MPH and a team of collaborators published a paper in Environmental Health Perspectives that analyzed the impact of Hurricane Sandy on climate change and public policy. (photo, below) Cheryl Stein, PhD published a paper that found a positive relationship between perfluorinated acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and pregnancyinduced hypertension. (PFOA and PFOS are found in stain repellents, carpet cleaners, and some cookware.) Also published in Environmental Health Perspectives, Dr. Stein s study was named Paper of the Month by the Children s Environmental Health Network. Annemarie Stroustrup, MD, MPH received a competitive K23 award from the NIH, Chemical Exposures and Infant Outcomes in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which will continue research launched by CEHC pilot funds in (photo, below) 10

13 Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc and colleague Ruth A. Etzel, MD, PhD, FAAP published the first textbook in children s environmental health. This multi-author textbook, published by Oxford University Press, contains over 60 chapters. Seven of the CEHC s faculty and fellows contributed. Elizabeth Garland, MD continued her work examining the design impacts of affordable housing on children s health (photos, below). She presented at Fit City 8 at the American Institute of Architects, was interviewed on a number of local news networks, and received a large grant from Kresge, Wells Fargo, and the JPB Foundation for over $1.5 million. Perry Sheffield, MD, MPH and Cheryl Stein, PhD (top) Annemarie Stroustrup, MD, MPH and Elizabeth Garland, MD (bottom) 11

14 The Laboratory for Molecular Environmental Chemistry An Incubator for Scientific Innovation In order to prevent and cure chronic illness in children, we must accelerate the rate at which we understand the origins of these diseases. We must transcend existing approaches with new methods that allow us to understand how, when, where, and to what degree environmental chemicals enter the body. The Laboratory for Molecular Environmental Chemistry is a state-of-the-art facility that will support research to discover the environmental causes of diseases in children. Once built, the Lab will be equipped with innovative technologies that expand the scope, quality, and volume of research conducted at the CEHC. In addition to measuring standard environmental chemicals present in the human body such as metals, pesticides, and flame retardants the Lab will develop new methods that reconstruct exposures that occurred years earlier, identify how mixtures of chemicals produce toxicity, and reveal how the chemicals themselves are dispersed throughout the body s tissues. Since greater productivity translates into more knowledge, the establishment of the Lab will enable the CEHC to generate more discoveries, secure more funding, and ultimately improve the health of our children. 12 Chitra Amarasiriwardena, PhD and Manish Arora, BDS, MPH, PhD visiting the construction site for the Laboratory for Molecular Environmental Chemistry, scheduled to be completed in May of 2014

15 Currently, researchers from virtually all institutions in the United States send their study samples to a lab at the CDC in Atlanta = Processing at the CDC can take 24 months or longer. Processing at the Lab will take 14 to 21 days. Percent improvement: 1,000% 13

16 Who s Who in the Lab Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH A pediatrician and environmental epidemiologist, Dr. Wright came to Mount Sinai from Harvard in 2012 to direct the Laboratory for Molecular Environmental Chemistry. He is currently the Principal Investigator on five NIH grants which total over $11 million. His funding level represents the top.03% of researchers who apply for NIH funding. Although these grants are already awarded, much of this funding cannot be accessed until the Lab is completed. Manish Arora, BDS, MPH, PhD Trained as a dentist, Dr. Arora represents part of the transdisciplinary team that will assist Dr. Wright in the new Laboratory. Dr. Arora will direct the Exposure Biomarker Laboratory, where he will implement groundbreaking research techniques that facilitate a better understanding of the timing, dose, and duration of toxic exposures. Chitra Amarasiriwardena, PhD As an analytical chemist, Dr. Amarasiriwardena specializes in the examination of trace metals like arsenic and manganese which are present in the human body in extremely small quantities. She previously directed the trace-metal laboratory at Harvard s Channing Laboratory and will oversee analytical chemistry operations in the new Lab. Jia Chen, ScD A molecular and genetic epidemiologist, Dr. Chen s research focuses on understanding complex interactions between the environment and our genes. She has worked at Mount Sinai for fifteen years, directing her own Laboratory for Molecular Epidemiology, which will be merged with the new Lab once construction is completed. Luca Lambertini, PhD As a molecular biologist, Dr. Lambertini studies the biochemistry of the placenta in order to identify new biomarkers that lead to chronic and developmental disorders in children. He began his career at Mount Sinai in 2006, where he developed and patented a new tool to sample the human placenta and helped launched the Pregnancy Biobank. Reconstructing Past Exposures Many chemical exposures occur unbeknownst to the victim. In May, Dr. Arora published a study that highlighted the role of baby teeth in accurately measuring the dose and timing of prenatal exposures, effectively reconstructing the history of when a toxic exposure occurs. Since tooth layers grow similarly to trees, sophisticated analyses can be conducted on baby teeth to predict both the timing and dose of chemicals occurring as early as the second and third trimesters. Published in the prestigious journal Nature, Dr. Arora s paper drew precise conclusions about the dietary history that occurred over 100,000 years ago in a Neanderthal child demonstrating the extraordinary strength and accuracy of the tooth biomarker. 14 Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH

17 Construction of the Laboratory began in September and is scheduled to be completed in May of Once established, the Laboratory for Molecular Environmental Chemistry will be the first facility of its kind operated by a medical institution, and it will be the only research lab in the country to combine full environmental analytical capability with new technologies in the field of epigenetics. With this Lab located in-house, the CEHC will revolutionize how children s environmental health research is conducted reaffirming its place as an international leader in the field. Inside the Laboratory for Molecular Environmental Chemistry Location: Mount Sinai s Atran Berg Building Research Space: 4,000 Square Feet Instrument Lab: Enables our team to analyze the distribution of chemicals with the exact location of organs a vast improvement over standard methods that only determine average concentrations of the entire tissue. 2 Ultra-Clean Room: The gold standard in analytical chemistry labs, this room is equipped with technologies that reduce the risk of contamination, allowing our team to evaluate chemicals at low concentrations the key to understanding toxicity. 3 Metals Prep Lab: Ensures that samples are prepared properly for the most accurate results. 4 Molecular Lab: Enables our team to perform procedures like DNA/RNA extraction, allowing us to understand how our genes may program us for diseases later in life Lab Benches Offices Cold Room: To prevent the degradation of samples and ensure valid results, this room is fitted with equipment to maintain the temperature of 4 Celsius. This enables researchers to process delicate biological samples, such as blood, tissues, and cells, which are sensitive to higher temperatures. 15

18 16 The Mount Sinai Pregnancy Biobank Since its establishment in 2011, the Pregnancy Biobank has quickly developed into a platform for collaboration. The CEHC is now working with the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medicine, Psychiatry, Endocrinology, and Pediatrics to launch new research studies. The Mount Sinai Pregnancy Biobank is a unique, shared resource that fosters scientific investigation into the environmental causes of childhood diseases. Currently, this tissue repository is being implemented through a two phase process: 1. The first cross-sectional phase focuses on the events surrounding delivery, where samples of placental tissue and umbilical cord blood are collected. 2. The second longitudinal phase involves using these samples to support multi-year epidemiologic studies, which will examine the links between prenatal environmental exposures and childhood diseases. In 2013, the Biobank team finalized procedures for the first phase and launched its first longitudinal study, Programming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM). This study, overseen by lead investigator Rosalind J. Wright, MD, MPH, examines the impact of air pollution, maternal stress, and genetic susceptibility on risk of childhood asthma and obesity. Spotlight on Collaboration Rosalind J. Wright, MD, MPH is a developmental epidemiologist with transdisciplinary training in environmental health and stress mechanisms. She is interested in the role of both social factors and physical factors (air pollution, chemicals, dietary factors, allergens) as early life predictors of chronic disease. Dr. Wright s work was featured at the CEHC s seventh annual educational symposium, Managing Stress to Reduce Toxicity of Environmental Chemicals on December 3, 2013 where she served as the keynote speaker. Left to right: The Pregnancy Biobank team Joanne Stone, MD, Joseph Gilbert, MPH, and Luca Lambertini, PhD with a mother who will be giving birth at Mount Sinai.

19 The Endocrine Disruptor Research Program Under the leadership of Shanna H. Swan, PhD, the CEHC has built one of the strongest endocrine disruptor research programs in the country defined by national and international collaboration. The Endocrine Disruptor Research Program (EDRP) was launched in 2012 to bring new visibility to the emerging research area of endocrine disrupting chemicals. These chemicals, which can mimic and block our body s hormones, are found in many everyday products including plastic bottles, detergents, personal care products, the linings of metal food cans, cosmetics, toys, flame retardants, food, and food packaging. The Second Derald H. Ruttenberg Visiting Professorship Dodging Deception: How the Science Behind BPA is Being Misrepresented In April, the CEHC awarded Frederick vom Saal, PhD from the University of Missouri with the second Derald H. Ruttenberg Visiting Professorship in Endocrine Disruption and Children s Health. Dr. vom Saal has played an active role in the debate about the safety of BPA producing the first research to show that low level exposures to BPA could pose a threat to human health. Research Update: Phthalate Exposure Associated with Neurodevelopment At the end of 2013, a team of CEHC researchers Roni Kobrosly, PhD, Sarah Evans, PhD, and Shanna H. Swan, PhD along with collaborators from other institutions published a paper in Environmental Health Perspectives that found exposure to certain phthalates late in pregnancy was associated with behavioral problems in boys. We have a regulatory system that is focused on treating endocrine disrupting chemicals as poisons acute toxic chemicals that, at very high doses, will kill you. But hormones aren t acutely toxic. They operate at very low doses. So, in order for the regulatory system to work correctly, we need a system that has, first of all, the willingness to test these chemicals at the right doses, particularly at levels that we are exposed to. Frederick vom Saal, PhD The Second Derald H. Ruttenberg Visiting Professorship in Endocrine Disruption and Children s Health 17

20 Breast Cancer and the Environment Breast cancer is a complex disease, impacted by both genetic factors and environmental influences. The CEHC is at the forefront of this research investigating how these factors interact to increase risk of breast cancer development. The CEHC is currently one of nine research institutions funded in the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP), a joint effort supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Our team leads two large studies: Environmental and Genetic Determinants of Puberty Principal Investigator Community and Outreach Translation Mary S. Wolff, PhD Barbara Brenner, DrPH, DSW Breast Cancer Genomics in Windows of Susceptibility to Endocrine Disruptors Principal Investigators Community Partners Susan Teitelbaum, PhD and Jia Chen, ScD Karen Miller, Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition Laura Weinberg, Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition 18

21 Average Age of Breast Development African American years Asian years Caucasian years Hispanic years At a Glance: Environmental and Genetic Determinants of Puberty Study launched 2004 More than 400 girls enrolled Current ages of participants years More than 45% characterized as obese Research Update: Earlier Onset of Puberty Linked to Obesity After spending seven years following over 1,200 girls in San Francisco, Cincinnati, and New York City, BCERP collaborators found that girls with higher body mass indexes (BMI) experience earlier onset of puberty, as measured by breast development. This study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that girls most notably Caucasian ones are hitting puberty at younger ages than previously reported. Reaching Multicultural Communities: Advocates Mentoring Advocates To address racial and ethnic health disparities in breast cancer education, CEHC researchers have developed a new program that matches experienced breast cancer advocates with advocates in East Harlem. This program, which includes developing new workshops and community presentations, will extend outreach efforts currently performed in the Breast Cancer Genomics in Windows of Susceptibility to Endocrine Disruptors study. From back to front, left to right: Karen Miller, Laura Weinberg, Mary Wolff, PhD, Andrea Rothenberg, Barbara Brenner, DrPH, DSW, Lina Jandorf, MPH, and Sarah Evans meet with their community partners in East Harlem. 19

22 Clinical Care at the CEHC The CEHC provides expert clinical consultation to families affected by environmental toxins at the Mount Sinai Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU). The Mount Sinai PEHSU is a member of a national and international network of experts in children s environmental health. Located throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the PEHSUs were created to ensure that both children and their communities have access to special medical knowledge about hazardous environmental exposures. At a Glance: The Mount Sinai PEHSU Founded 1999 Serves New York, New Jersey, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico (EPA region II) More than 6,500 patients treated 116 students and medical professionals trained Advocating for a Statewide Network of Children s Environmental Health Centers Around the country, pediatricians report that they are not comfortable managing environmental aspects of disease, despite the high prevalence of these problems. In the CEHC s home state of New York, only 19.4% of pediatricians have received specific training in environmental history taking. To address this issue, the CEHC released a comprehensive report, New York State s Children and the Environment, in December. The reports provide scientific evidence to fund a network of Centers of Excellence in Children s Environmental Health in New York State. These Centers, modelled after the CEHC and the PEHSU, would provide expert diagnosis and treatment for children suffering from diseases of environmental origin. 20

23 Training the Next Generation of Leaders Each year, the CEHC selects the most accomplished pediatricians and postdoctoral students to participate in its Fellowship in Children s Environmental Health a mentored training program in epidemiological research. In 2013, the CEHC welcomed two new fellows: Jeanette A. Stingone, PhD, MPH is an epidemiologist who studies how exposure to air pollution during pregnancy can contribute to adverse birth outcomes and the development of childhood diseases. Specifically, she is interested in how a woman s diet and nutrient intake during pregnancy can modify the relationship between air pollution exposure and congenital heart defects. During her fellowship, Dr. Stingone plans to extend her research to examine other adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth and spina bifida. She is the inaugural Elizabeth Mascia Scholar in Children s Environmental Health. Lauren Zajac, MD, MPH is a pediatrician, who recently completed a residency in Social Pediatrics at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. During her fellowship, she will be investigating the role of various types of housing stress on childhood asthma outcomes. A longtime advocate of environmental health policy, Dr. Zajac is also partnering with local non-profit organizations to address improving environmental health issues in schools. Jeanette A. Stingone, PhD, MPH (left) Lauren Zajac, MD, MPH (right) 21

24 The CEHC in the Community The CEHC is deeply committed to understanding and improving the health of East Harlem our home community. In 2013, CEHC researchers led several community programs: Cyclopedia: Empowering Urban Adolescents through Bicycling Cyclopedia is a unique positive youth development program that combines physical activity with collaborative online documentation to promote health and achievement outcomes. A literal sense of place engenders a sense of belonging to that place and the empowerment to take an active role in one s community. Cappy Collins, MD, one of the CEHC s pediatricians, has worked with community partners in East Harlem since 2008 and expanded Cyclopedia to Rochester, New York in Cyclopedia alleviates toxic stress in impoverished communities, which often manifests as increasing rates of asthma, obesity, poor school achievement, and other adverse health outcomes. East Harlem children produce hundreds of photos and writings each season as they journey to all five boroughs under their own power. At A Glance: Biking in cyclists Rides organized over 6 weeks: 12 29% improvement in fitness 50% improvement in stress Funded by Citizens Committee for New York City Community partner: Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center 22 Cappy Collins, MD (second from left) with Cyclopedia riders.

25 Growing Up Healthy in East Harlem: Obesity Research in Action Growing Up Healthy (GUH) is a long-term cohort study that follows over 300 girls to understand how environmental exposures affect growth and development particularly obesity and age of puberty. In addition to chemical exposures, the CEHC team is also analyzing the spaces where East Harlem children live and play as risk factors for obesity. In 2011, Maida Galvez, MD, MPH, Co-Principal Investigator of GUH, and her team partnered with New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) to measure the characteristics of all publicly accessible open spaces in East Harlem examining what features inspire children to play. Their findings were then compared to data from the GUH study to determine how the type and amount of open space influence obesity risk. Results were completed this year and submitted for publication. Bringing Science to the Community In 2013, Barbara Brenner, DrPH, DSW and the GUH team launched a new program, in which study participants are given hands-on experience in Mount Sinai research labs. These Days of Discovery not only educate East Harlem children about science and medicine, but they also aid in study retention keeping girls engaged with the GUH study to produce the most accurate results. Where Do East Harlem s Children Play? 87% in large parks 24% in pocket parks (small parks) 16% in neighborhood parks 23

26 Mount Sinai Greening Our Children Close to $600,000 Raised at Sixth Annual Benefit Luncheon Over the past six years, the CEHC s annual benefit has raised over $2.7 million to launch new research projects and has taught guests from the tri-state area how to protect their children from environmental hazards

27 This year s event honored Jessica Alba actress, author, and founder of The Honest Company with the Mount Sinai Champion for Children Award. In her acceptance speech, she applauded the CEHC for its commitment to studying the impact of environmental chemicals on children s disease In addition to the signature Green Expo, this year s event introduced two interactive seminars, where guests learned firsthand how to make educated decisions about the products that enter their homes. 1. Honoree Jessica Alba with CEHC Director Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc 2. CEHC faculty Maida Galvez, MD, MPH; Luca Lambertini, PhD; and Jia Chen, ScD 3. Benefit Co-Chairs Rachel Weiss, Amy Clark, Jeanine Behr Getz, Anne Ogilvy, Jill Brack, Maura Mandell, Lisa Boyle, Wendy Mindel Rubinstein, and Robin Pastore 4. Men s Committee members Robert Getz, Reginald Brack, David Ogilvy, and Lloyd Mandell 5. Executive Board members David B. Murphy and Karen Miller with Dr. Landrigan 6. Dr. Landrigan with Executive Board members: Tanya L. Murphy, Suzanne B. Price, Anne Robertson, Rhonda Sherwood, Alex Bergstein (Chairman), Wendy Mindel Rubinstein, and Christopher Gavigan 7. Dr. Landrigan and Jessica Alba with CEHC faculty Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH; Rosalind J. Wright, MD, MPH; and Maida Galvez, MD, MPH 8. Rhonda Sherwood and Dr. Landrigan present the Mount Sinai Champion for Children award 9. Guests at the Green Expo 10. Annemarie Stroustrup, MD, MPH leads her seminar, Chemicals in Our Cabinets 11. Jill Brack, Tiffany Costanzo, and Toby Cone at the Expo The CEHC is excited to host its first evening fundraiser on Friday, May 16, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, Connecticut. For more information, please visit 25

28 Looking Forward The Importance of Philanthropy Philanthropy is crucial for advancing the work of the Children s Environmental Health Center. In addition to general unrestricted support, the CEHC is looking to develop and enhance several key initiatives and programs that are vital to its long-term success. Support of these current funding priorities will not only catalyze new research, but will also create a legacy for donors by connecting their philanthropy to scientific achievement within children s health. 26

29 Priority Funding Needs and Naming Opportunities Name and endow the Children s Environmental Health Center...$5 Million Name and endow the New York Children s Study...$3 Million Name and endow a Children s Environmental Health Professorship...$2 Million Name and establish the Mount Sinai Pregnancy Biobank...$1.5 Million Name and endow a Children s Environmental Health Fellowship...$1 Million & above Name and establish the Laboratory for Molecular Environmental Chemistry...$1 Million Laboratory (4)*...$100,000 each Laboratory Bench (8)...$50,000 each Name and endow a Children s Environmental Health Research Program**...$250,000 & above The Endocrine Disruptor Research Program The Autism and Learning Disabilities and Discovery and Prevention Program The Growing Up Healthy in East Harlem Program The Pilot Research Project Program Support a Children s Environmental Health Fellowship...$20,000 $80,000*** Seed a Children s Environmental Health Pilot Research Project...$20,000 $100,000 Sponsor the Annual Children s Environmental Health Symposium...$20,000 * Two of the four laboratories are currently available. ** Other research programs available based on interest. *** The cost of a fellowship is $80,000 per year. To learn more about supporting the CEHC, please contact Jacqueline Leitzes in the Mount Sinai Development Office at jacqueline.leitzes@mountsinai.org or

30 Staff Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc Director Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH Deputy Director Katherine Southwick Program Manager Jacqueline Leitzes Associate Director of Development, Children s Health Contact the CEHC Children s Environmental Health Center Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057 New York, New York T: F: E: info@cehcenter.org Executive Board Alex Bergstein Chairman Christopher Daggett Benjamin B. Edmands Christopher Gavigan Richard Fuller Karen Miller David B. Murphy Tanya L. Murphy Jonathan Piel Suzanne B. Price Anne Robertson Wendy Mindel Rubinstein Hattie Ruttenberg Rhonda Sherwood David Wasserman Mount Sinai Children s Environmental Health 28 Written and edited by Katherine Southwick; designed by Anne Garland. Printed on recycled paper. Please contact us by phone ( ) or (PhilanthropyOptOut@mountsinai.org) if you wish to have your name removed from our distribution list of fundraising materials.

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