RFG1 Research Summaries

SWEHSC had the pleasure of hosting a “What’s Brewing in Your Lab” session featuring Dr. Chris Lim and his students from the Health & Urban Modeling (HUM) Lab, who shared their impactful environmental research. A total of 9 students presented on a diverse range of topics, including air pollution, U.S. infrastructure, healthcare accessibility, and playground shade structures.

Planning for extreme heat is key to protecting Arizona communities. This year’s Southern Arizona Heat Summit built on the inaugural program with help from community members, leaders, and experts who participated in a day-long workshop at U of A.

A recent study conducted by Drs. Melissa Furlong and Paloma Beamer investigated the association between pesticide exposure during pregnancy and the risk of stillbirth. The study, which utilized data from the Arizona Pesticide Use Registry alongside birth certificate data in the state, aimed to assess the impact of various pesticide exposures on stillbirth risk.

Talk about a green thumb! In a recent study involving SWEHSC member Mónica Ramírez-Andreotta, PhD, researchers sampled date palm leaves from Ahvaz city, Iran, to test for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the environment. Plants are increasingly being used as bioindicators to detect environmental contaminants like heavy metals. Date palms are becoming a popular candidate because their unique mesh-like structure is well suited for capturing heavy metal deposits.