Ohio Healthy Homes Network Announces UC Researcher for Leadership Award

The Ohio Healthy Homes Network (OHHN), a nonprofit organization that that promotes healthy homes and lead-safe environments for Ohioans,  presented Kim Dietrich, PhD, a professor at University of Cincinnati, with the OHHN Leadership Award at its regional Spring Forum on June 9. In its first award presentation, OHHN recognized Dietrich for his outstanding leadership in the Healthy Homes field.

Kim Dietrich, PhD, professor of environmental health at the UC College of Medicine is nationally recognized for his work on the Cincinnati Lead Study, which at 36 years is the longest-running research on the impacts of lead in children and young adults. The Cincinnati Lead Study has followed 376 male and female infants born in high risk areas of Cincinnati between 1979 and 1984 and has demonstrated that:

•    Adult criminal behavior is the product of biological, social, and specific environmental chemical influences such as lead exposure in earlier life.

•    Early exposure to lead is associated with robust indicators of deficits in brain development as revealed by objective neuro-radiological studies of Cincinnati Lead Study adults; these deficits in development are most prominent in areas of the brain that are involved in executive functions, including impulse control, emotional regulation, and judgment.

•    Exposure to lead during the prenatal period and early childhood may have a long-lasting impact on the individual’s developmental trajectory into adulthood.

Dietrich is a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the United States Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Environmental Health Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Recently, he has been engaged in the ongoing national discussion revolving around the lead in water problem in Flint, Michigan, and other regions of the country.

The annual Spring Healthy Homes Forum was hosted by OHHN, along with the UC Center for Environmental Genetics, Community Outreach and Engagement Core, and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training, held at the Mayerson Academy. The forum’s theme was Reducing Lead, Mold, Asthma Triggers and Poor Indoor Air Quality in Ohio's Housing.

Five faculty from the Department of Environmental Health presented at the forum, including: Kim Dietrich, PhD; Erin Haynes, DrPh; Nicholas Newman, DO; Tiina Reponen, PhD; and Patrick Ryan, PhD. A list of presentations from the forum can be found

here

.