Seminar Title: “Health and Marginalization of Indigenous populations: The Toxic Legacy of the Ramapough Nation Continues”
https://uconn-cmr.webex.com/meet/jem02027
Monday, April 4, 2022 from 12:15 – 1:15 via WebEx
Dr. Zelikoff, a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in the Dept. of Environmental Medicine, has 30 years of experience in environmental health and toxicology and serves as the NYU P30 Community Engagement Director for over 16 years. In this capacity, she has engaged with environmentally-impacted groups, including Tribal Nations and marginalized communities throughout the NYC metropolitan area to: raise education, awareness and understanding; build community capacity; and disseminate environmental health knowledge. Her sustained relationship with the Ramapough Lenape Nation (NJ), who have been the target of industrial dumping for two decades, are prime examples of partnerships for empowerment. Through these partnerships, policy changes have been made and local governing bodies have taken action. Her 9-yr partnership with the Ramapough Lenape tribe who reside on a Superfund site led to exposure assessment studies examining metal concentrations in soil, plants, water and fish tissue. These studies revealed elevated levels of lead and arsenic, as well as PFOS in soil collected from resident’s backyards, church property and Ramapough recreational areas. She also serves as the Chair for the Dept. of Environmental Medicine’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. From a research perspective, one of her major contributions and pioneering findings to the field of toxicology and environmental health are associated with the short and long-term public health implications associated with early life exposure to tobacco/nicotine “smoking” and smokeless products, as well as particulate air pollution in animal models. My laboratory was one of the first to identify neurological changes in offspring following early life exposure demonstrating the risks associated with maternal “vaping.”
Dr. Zelikoff has published more than 150 papers and book chapters in the area of environmental health, toxicology and community engagement and has served as a full member of two NIEHS study sections and continues to be an active NIH ad hoc reviewer. She is currently a member of the National Academy of Science Panels on the Chemistry and Health Effects of Wildland Urban Interface fires. She is also a very active member of the SOT and serves as the current President of the Inhalation and Respiratory Specialty Section and Senior Councilor of Women in Toxicology.
For more information, contact: Jose Manautou at jose.manautou@uconn.edu