# Near-Peer Mentoring in Environmental Health:  Chemical Exposures and Disease Risk

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST · 2021 · $107,397

## Abstract

Project Summary
The overarching goal of this R25 application is to provide training to diverse high school and undergraduate
students who will work with supportive faculty mentors to understand how environmental chemical
exposures contribute to non-communicable diseases, and how hazard and/or exposure mitigation can
improve health. Program faculty come from a diverse range of disciplines: toxicology, endocrinology, cell and
molecular biology, veterinary and animal sciences, chemistry, epidemiology, chemical engineering, civil and
environmental engineering, and science communication. We will focus on recruiting women and individuals
from underrepresented groups to participate in this summer program, which includes three aims:
1) To involve high school age young women in introductory summer research experiences and recruit those
with an interest in participating in research projects or science communication projects. By partnering with the
local Girls Inc. organization, we will offer week-long introductory training programs for 9th grade girls from
diverse but underserved communities in Western MA. With 24-26 girls participating every year, we will use this
program to recruit 10th and 11th grade girls to participate in Aims 2 and 3.
2) To create a learning community focused on understanding how environmental chemical exposures
contribute to non-communicable diseases and develop scientific strategies to create solutions to these
challenging problems. High school and undergraduate students will work with UMass faculty to understand
how environmental chemical exposures contribute to non-communicable diseases, and how hazards and/or
exposures can be mitigated. Research will focus on one of these areas:
 • molecular and cellular models of diseases relevant to environmental chemical exposures;
 • characterizing chemical exposures and their association with human diseases;
 • understanding the effects of environmental chemicals on conditions such as cancer and metabolic
diseases;
 • creating solutions for exposures to hazardous environmental chemicals including use of green chemistry
 principles to avoid hazards entirely and pollution remediation when exposures cannot be avoided.
3) To train diverse participants in methods to communicate complex environmental health concepts in the
context of our learning community and in broader communities. High school and undergraduate students will
work to create science communication tools, aimed at educating a lay audience about one or more topic
addressed in the laboratories in Aim 2. Communication tools could include static or animated infographics,
informational videos, podcasts, or other social media tools.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10073514
- **Project number:** 5R25ES031498-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
- **Principal Investigator:** Laura N. Vandenberg
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $107,397
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-01-01 → 2024-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10073514

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10073514, Near-Peer Mentoring in Environmental Health:  Chemical Exposures and Disease Risk (5R25ES031498-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10073514. Licensed CC0.

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