Monthly Updates - May 2012

NEWS AND EVENTS

New Managing Director joins the center. Tracy Swinburn joined the center as its new Managing Director in May. Tracy has a background as an economic analyst, and will be working closely on building up the center's strategic partnerships with stakeholders, as well as developing and contributing directly to center activities. [Click for further details]

RSC Blog. The Risk Science Center blog has undergone a significant redesign. Now called Risk Sense, the blog will increasingly become the go-to place associated with the center for information and isight into contemporary risk issues. Please bookmark us and let others know about the blog - and let us know if you would be interested in contributing guest posts. Website: risk sense.org

New Graduate Certificate in Risk Science and Human Health. This fall the Risk Science Center will be offering School of Public Health Graduate Students a new Certificate in Risk Science and Human Health. This will be eventually offered to graduate students across the University of Michigan, and there are discussions about eventually offering it as an executive Certificate program. [Click for further details]

Center Director takes over as Interim Chair of Environmental Health Sciences. Risk Science Center Director Andrew Maynard is taking on the additional responsibility of Chair of the Environmental Health Sciences department for the next year. This will further forge links between the Risk Science Center and the EHS department. [Click here for further details]

RECENT ACTIVITIES

Risk Science Center Annual Meeting. The Risk Science Center Annual Meeting was held on May 30 at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. After an overview of the center's vision and focus from Director Andrew Maynard, seven faculty gave short, engaging presentations on their current activities and interests - these were extremely well received. In the afternoon, participants engaged in a lively discussion of emerging risk issues that the center might address, and effective ways of engaging with stakeholders.

Risk Science Unplugged. Due to technical difficulties the Risk Science Unplugged presents Just Unplug and Drive to be held May 18 2012 was not webcast. Our sincere apologies to anyone hoping to tune into what was a compelling discussion on road safety. We are taking measures to prevent similar problems occurring in the future.

Diana Bowman participated in the 13th Annual Michigan Road Scholars Tour. The Office of the Vice President for Government Relations initiated Road Scholars to increase knowledge and understanding between the university and the people and communities of Michigan; to demonstrate the many ways U-M is connected to the entire state; to cultivate an awareness among faculty of the state's distinctive geographic, economic, cultural and political attributes; and to encourage public service and research that ameliorate problems and advance solutions.

Diana Bowman Co-organized the "Charting the Future of Wellness: Understanding the Future of an Ascendant Population Health Intervention" Workshop, Ann Arbor, MI

Diana Bowman co-authored a chaper in the book " Nanotechnology in the food, beverage and nutraceutical industries"

PUBLICATIONS

Braun JM, Hoffman E, Schwartz J, Sanchez B, Schnaas L, Mercado-Garcia A, Solano-Gonzalez M, Bellinger DC, Lanphear BP, Hu H, Tellez-Rojo MM, Wright RO, Hernandez-Avila M., "Assessing windows of susceptibility to lead-induced cognitive deficits in Mexican children.", Neurotoxicology. 2012 May 10. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:22579785 [link]

Méndez D, Alshanqeety O, Warner KE., "The potential impact of smoking control policies on future global smoking trends.",
Tob Control. 2012 May 9. [Epub ahead of print], PMID:22535364 [link]

Brott DA, Richardson RJ, Louden CS., "Evidence for the Nitric Oxide Pathway as a Potential Mode of Action in Fenoldopam-Induced Vascular Injury.", Toxicol Pathol. 2012 May 1. [Epub ahead of print], PMID:22549976 [link]

Witteman HO, Zikmund-Fisher BJ. "The defining characteristics of Web 2.0 and their potential influence in the online vaccination debate." Vaccine 2012;30(25):3734-3740. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.12.039 [link]
Balasubramanian P, Sirivelu MP, Weiss KA, Wagner JG, Harkema JR, Morishita M, Mohankumar PS, Mohankumar SM., "Differential effects of inhalation exposure to PM(2.5) on hypothalamic monoamines and corticotrophin releasing hormone in lean and obese rats.",
Neurotoxicology. 2012 Mar 7. [Epub ahead of print], PMID:22426024 [link]

PRESENTATIONS

Brian Zikmund-Fisher gave a keynote speech at this year's Donaghue Foundation Conference: Evaluating Risk: How perception shapes our health.
Farmington, CT, May 3

Diana Bowman presented at the 2nd Annual Collaborative Conference Addressing the Developments and Advancements of Nanotechnology and Nanomanufacturing in New England and the United States: "Destination Nano: Concept to Commercialization".
Boston, MA, May 15-16

RSC IN THE MEDIA

Interview with Andrew Maynard
Sciencewise

What's in your makeup? Burden of keeping cosmetics safe left up to manufacturers
Detroit Free Press

Cancelled project spurs debate over geoengineering patents
Nature

Michigan Road Scholars roll out on 13th annual tour
Record Update

THE RISK SCIENCE BLOG

Pink Slime and Cochineal Bugs: The "Ick" Factor

Nanoparticles, cosmetics and sunscreens - again!

Radiation as Currency: A Better Metaphor for Understanding Risks?

Flame retardants in furniture foam - weighing the evidence

New Managing Director joins the UM Risk Science Center

Cancer prevention in a pill: Science vs. Marketing

Carbon nanoparticles could be ubiquitous to many foods

Frightful Or Functional? A New Era for Tattoos (Part One)

Communicating about communicating science at the National Academies
Web 2.0 Means Public Health Can Join the Online Vaccination Discussions... or Risk Being Ignored

Does science literacy increase polarization in risk perception?

Andrew Maynard taking over as Interim Chair of the UM Environmental Health Sciences department


Risk Science Center updates are emailed on the last Thursday of each month.
Follow the Center on Twitter at @umrsc, and on the web at umriskcenter.org and umrscblogs.org.