A version of this story was originally published in the Spring 2014 UW SRP eBulletin.
A successful Northwest Children's Environmental Health Forum was held near Seattle, in December 2013. This was the third in a series of biennial conferences on children's environmental health. The focus of this educational forum was harmful environmental exposures that may occur before and during pregnancy. This year, nationally recognized speakers and scientists, including Peggy Shepard (executive director of WE-ACT for Environmental Justice), Kim Harley (lead researcher on the CHAMOS Study at the Center for Environmental Research & Children's Health University of California Berkeley) and Ted Schettler (science director of the Science and Environmental Health Network), participated on panels. Materials for the forum can be accessed here.
The event was organized by the Children's Environmental Health Working Group, a part of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment - Washington (CHE-WA), which is a chapter of the national CHE organization. The CHE mission includes strengthening science dialogue on environmental factors impacting human health. CHE-WA was established a decade ago and today its members include researchers, healthcare providers, local, state and federal agencies, community businesses, professional organizations and individuals invested in environmental health. The goals of CHE resonate with the public and have a natural tie to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) programs like the Superfund Research Program (SRP). Last fall, the Boston University-SRP organized a national conference call with CHE highlighting environmental justice work done by their program and peer SRPs. The University of Washington-SRP originally became involved with CHE-WA activities in 2005 through our partnership with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and its associated Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU).