UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Brownsville Collaborates on NIH-Funded Study to Investigate PFAS and Bone Health
Researchers at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Brownsville have been awarded a $965,000 grant over the next five years from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore the impacts of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on bone health in Hispanic/Latino populations.
PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” are synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial and consumer products due to their resistance to heat, water, and oil. However, their persistence in the environment and human body has raised concerns about potential health risks, including impacts on bone density and overall skeletal health.
The project, titled PFAS and Bone Health Over the Life Course in Hispanic/Latinos: Emerging Risk Factors and Underlying Mechanisms, will be led in Brownsville by Joseph McCormick, MD, professor, and James H. Steele Professor at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. Other collaborators include Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, MD, professor of epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health; Miryoung Lee, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health; Nahid Rianon, MD, MPH, professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston; and Ana Gitter, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
The school will leverage its 20+ year study of the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC), a community-based longitudinal clinical research study to analyze clinical data and bio-samples collected over time to assess the association of PFAS with changes in bone health. This effort builds on the institution’s longstanding commitment to addressing health disparities in Hispanic/Latino communities in the RGV and beyond.
The study will focus on:
- Assessing bone health across the lifespan in Hispanic/Latino individuals.
- Identifying the mechanisms through which PFAS exposure affects bone density and strength.
- Providing data to inform future interventions and policies to mitigate PFAS exposure risks.
The funding is part of a larger NIH award (R01ES036253) to the University of Southern California.