Message from the Director
Dr. Rebecca Fry
Director, Institute for Environmental Health Solutions
We are working to transform our vision into reality.
Our mission is “to optimize the health of the most vulnerable populations in North Carolina and beyond and provide innovative solutions to promote health.”
- We launched the following research health divisions: cancer survivor’s health, metabolic health, perinatal health, and respiratory health. We also launched the Community Engagement Division, the Training & Mentorship Division, and the Technology & Entrepreneurship Division.
- Each Division is headed by leaders at UNC that span the Gillings School of Global Public Health, the School of Nursing, the Institute for the Environment and the School of Medicine. These leaders include: Drs. Kathleen Gray, Ilona Jaspers, Tracy Manuck, Hazel Nichols, Hudson Santos, Mirek Styblo and William Vizuete.
- Our researchers have brought in over $65 million in research funding to UNC-Chapel Hill through the NIH (NICHD, NIEHS) and other grant funding agencies (DoD). Of this total, more than $35 million of which was through IEHS collaborations!
- We have launched a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This will enable researchers to easily collaborate with, and students to be mentored by, an array of environmental health experts.
- We launched our Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), training six students at UNC-Chapel Hill. This training base will serve as our next generation of talented environmental scientists and serves as a novel research networking and discovery center.
Our goal at the Institute is to put solutions directly into the hands of individuals and communities of North Carolina and beyond. These solutions range from cellular-based strategies to community-based approaches. We aim to impact the lives of real people, using research-based solutions.
