Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core

Project Summary of the Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core (IHSFC) The Integrative Health Sciences Facility Core (IHSFC) promotes the strategic goals of the Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan (CEHNM) by supporting existing research projects and fostering new interdisciplinary research focusing on environmental health problems. In this competitive renewal, we propose to restructure the organization of CEHNM?s Facility Cores (FCs) to better serve Center members? needs, increase efficiency, and enhance interdisciplinary research. The IHSFC is the central operational hub of this new structure. The IHSFC serves as the port of entry to all FC services and coordinates a highly effective pipeline of science that includes other two FCs, i.e., the Exposure Assessment FC (Exposure FC) and the Study Design and Data Analytics FC (Data FC). This structure supports members throughout all the stages of their research. CEHNM members receive support with conceptual input on design and study start-up at the front end, are supported throughout with a wide array of state-of-the-art analytical, technical, and study management services, and benefit from biostatistics, bioinformatics, and conceptual support to elevate their scientific output. The IHSFC directly contributes to this pipeline its long-standing expertise in collecting, managing, and supporting cutting-edge analysis on a wide array of biological samples. Specifically, it provides consulting services for biospecimen collection (including staff training in preparation for the study); prepares custom sample collection protocols; provides low-cost supplies for collecting urine, blood, and other samples, and then supports these collections with handling, pre-processing, and aliquoting. The IHSFC also supports CEHNM?s studies through biorepository management and provides access to existing biobanks for a large number of molecular epidemiology studies of environmental exposures and neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases, and cancer. The biorepository currently houses 375,000 individual aliquots from 133 studies and provides prompt sample access and distribution. Finally, the lHSFC encompasses two laboratories that analyze biological samples: 1) the Biomarkers Lab that provides an extensive variety of analytical services that range from ELISA to library preparations for massive parallel sequencing; and 2) the Trace Metals Laboratory, which enables CEHNM members to precisely measure a broad range of metal biomarkers, including As, Pb, Se, Mn, Cd, Fe, and others, in urine, blood, hair, nail and other biological samples. Not only does the IHSFC deliver services to CEHNM members, including pro-bono or low-cost services for CEHNM pilot projects, but it also provides training for students, postdocs, fellows, junior faculty, and staff so that they can conduct the same type of work in their own labs, thus fostering career development and independence. Considerable expertise within the IHSFC is available to junior faculty, linking them to other resources around the Columbia University Medical Center campus. In addition, the IHSFC works with the Community Engagement Core to develop instructional tools for community partners and respond to community requests.