Research

Superfund Graduate Devoted to NIH Workforce Development through AAAS Fellowship

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 29, 2015)University of Kentucky Superfund Research Program alumnus Brad Newsome recently joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy fellow.

In his role at the NIH, Newsome is working with a team of scientists and communications experts in the Office of the Director’s Scientific Workforce Diversity team to build a representative network of biomedical scientists to drive data-driven health interventions.

With interdisciplinary training in biomedical sciences, materials engineering, environmental public health and stakeholder-driven research translation, Newsome brings a distinctive set of skills to the NIH. The AAAS fellowship program fosters collaboration and conversation between policy makers and scientific and engineering professionals, communicating essential information to federal legislators and the public. Each year, the NIH selects as many as 30 fellows for the competitive program, which places them in one of the NIH’s 27 institutes and centers for a one- to two-year term.

After spending a year advocating for global health issues, including clean water initiatives in Swaziland, Africa, Newsome completed his doctorate in chemistry at UK in 2014 and started a postdoctoral fellowship within the UK Superfund Research Program (UK SRP). Part of the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences national SRP network, the UK SRP facilitates important research on the relationship between chemical hazards in the environment and population health.

During his time in the laboratory of Bernhard Hennig, Newsome investigated remediation methodologies associated with chlorinated organics and molecular techniques to understand the effects of water containing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds. High levels of PCB in water are associated with immune system deficiencies, reproductive problems and risks of cancer.

“Brad is unique because he is not only a brilliant scientist, but also a person with outstanding people skills, allowing him to easily ‘translate’ basic science issues into practical applications,” Hennig said. “Brad also has a deep understanding of a broad range of disciplines, ranging from biology and chemistry to engineering to public health.”

Newsome said health policy change occurs at the interface of a wide range of disciplines in medicine, science, engineering, and communications. His work translating complex toxicology data to influence environmental health policies and collaborating with experts across disciplines prepared him for a future career translating scientific evidence to inform and influence federal policy decision making.

“The most relevant innovation happens with diversity of thought, especially when you are looking at health disparities,” Newsome said. “The Superfund program gave me a unique vantage point, linking me to a network of people interested in furthering complex, integrated goals.”

For more information about the research in the UK SRP, click here. To view a video of Newsome discussing his work with the Superfund Research Program, click here

MEDIA CONTACT: Elizabeth Adams, elizabethadams@uky.edu