The purpose of the proposed career development proposal is to provide the principal investigator with environmental health training to support the development of scientific independence through two main mechanisms. First, the principle investigator will participate in didactic course work to remediate in concepts central to the field of environmental health. Courses include basic preparation in domestic and global environmental health, toxicology, water quality and regulation, occupational health, and industrial hygiene. The principal investigator will also spend significant time in preparation related to responsible conduct of human subjects research. Second, this project proposes to nest new but complimentary research aims into an ongoing study focusing on children's environmental health. Specifically, this research seeks to understand relationships between environmental risk reduction (ERR) actions, ERR self-efficacy, ERR knowledge, and risk perceptions for environmental exposures of high indoor moisture and methylmercury among a sample of low income rural women of childbearing age in Montana and Washington. To ensure success in the principal investigator's development and proposed research aims, two senior environmental scientists have been selected to provide mentorship. Mentoring activities will take place at the University of Washington and Montana State University and include continuous planning for the principal investigator's career development, collaborative work related to research aims, preparation of manuscripts and presentations for dissemination, networking across Montana and the United States, and planning for future research funding. This career development proposal is significant in two ways. First, the development and research processes outlined will prepare the principal investigator for an independent career in environmental health nursing research. As translational research is becoming increasingly important to prevent environmentally attributable disease, nursing as a profession and an important public health stakeholder, must have a cadre of scientists engaged in examining environmental/health interactions. Second, data generated from this proposal will inform interventions targeting low income rural populations with environmental risk reduction education to prevent or abate environmental exposures in the home.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter