Elizabeth is awarded an NIEHS T32 fellowship to study nanoplastics!

Elizabeth Hale has received a prestigious T32 Pre-Doctoral Research Training Program Scholar Award from the UC Davis NIEHS training program "Advanced Training in Environmental Health Sciences" to study the health effects of airborne nanoplastics.

The NIEHS training program at UC Davis provides interdisciplinary predoctoral training in environmental health sciences, focusing on areas such as cancer, neurotoxicology, and respiratory toxicology. Trainees benefit from advanced technologies, diverse research models, and collaboration across multiple research centers, which promote a comprehensive understanding of how environmental factors impact human health. The program also emphasizes responsible research conduct, scientific communication, and exposure to emerging concepts, preparing the next generation of scientists to connect environmental exposures to disease prevention and public health.

Elizabeth's project was selected from a competitive pool of applicants and is titled: "Respiratory toxicity and tumorigenicity of inhaled pollutant adsorbed nanoplastics (PANs)." Her  project aims to understand how PANs interact with and exacerbate toxicity in the human respiratory system, particularly in relation to lung cancer in never smokers (LCINS). By optimizing the synthesis and characterization of PANs and investigating their molecular effects on lung toxicity and tumor development, she seeks to fill critical knowledge gaps and inform public health strategies to mitigate the impact of nanoplastics as emerging environmental threats.

When asked about how it felt to be a T32 Scholar, Elizabeth said: "Accomplished." When she realized I was asking because I wanted to write it somewhere official, she elaborated: "It feels like I am working with a team of other trainees with the same interests to achieve better scientific training, which makes me feel accomplished."