NIH NICMH National Children’s Study (NCS); CWRU Center
2008 - 2013; Dr. Dearborn, PI
The purpose of this congressionally mandated study is to better understand the combined role of environmental and genetics as related to human health and development. The focus was to establish and follow a long-term cohort of children from pre-conception to 21 years old regarding multiple environmental and genetic factors. During the five years of the activities of the CWRU NCS Study Center, fertile and pregnant women in 15 different population segments of Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties were recruited door-to-door.
Remote Monitoring of Residential Air Quality
Remote Monitoring of Residential Air Quality established and field-tested new technology for the continuous monitoring of eight parameters of residential air quality: temperature, humidity, CO, CO2, NO2, total Volatile Organic Compounds, and two sizes of particulates.
Remote Monitoring of Residential Air Quality Project Team:
Dorr Dearborn, PhD, MD, Mary Ann Swetland Professor
Kenneth A. Loparo, PhD, Dept Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, School of Engineering
Stuart Greenberg, Environmental Health Watch
Marcia Nishioca, Battelle Memorial Institute
Intwine Connect LLC
Integrated Core for Genomics and Proteomics
Integrated Core for Genomics and Proteomics developed the processing and analytical methods for parallel genomic and proteomic analysis of human umbilical cords. Methodology included macromolecule isolation, total and micro-RNA expression, DNA methylation, genotyping, and diverse proteomic analyses. High throughput methods used included microarrays, deep sequence and mass spectrometry approaches.
Integrated Core for Genomics and Proteomics Project Team:
Dorr Dearborn, PhD, MD, Mary Ann Swetland Professor
John J. Pink, PhD, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Martina L. Veigl, PhD, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
W. David Sedwick, PhD, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Thomas LaFramboise, PhD, Dept of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine
Drew Adams, PhD, Dept of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine
Mark Chance, PhD, Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics, School of Medicine
Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Healthy Homes & Lead Hazard Control
HUD -- Residential Air Quality in COPD
2014 – 2018; Dr. Dearborn, PI
Residential Air Quality in COPD was a pilot study of the air quality of COPD patient homes using new continuous remote monitoring technology in parallel with daily clinical parameters via telemedicine. This study was a collaborative with pulmonologists at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In these compromised COPD patients, we found carbon monoxide toxicity to be a major problem for some of them.
HUD -- Warm and Healthy Homes; Collaboration with Environmental Health Watch
2012 – 2014; Dr. Dearborn, Co-invest
Warm and Healthy Homes provided Healthy Homes interventions and weatherization in homes of patients with respiratory disorders and trained physicians about environmental hazards in their patients’ homes.
HUD -- Remote Monitoring of Home Air Quality for Comparison of Energy Star and Deep Energy Retrofits; Collaboration with Environmental Health Watch
Study time period: 2010 – 2013; Dr. Dearborn, Co-invest
Remote Monitoring of Home Air Quality for Comparison of Energy Star and Deep Energy Retrofits project focused on two aspects of green and healthy housing: 1) comparison of two green renovation standards in terms of cost, energy use, environmental quality, and health outcomes; 2) feasibility of a new remote monitoring technology to evaluate environmental quality for research purposes.
Green Rehabilitation of Elder Apartment Treatments: The GREAT Study (Mankato, MN)
2010 – 2013; Project of the National Center for Healthy Housing; Dr. Dearborn, consultant
The GREAT Study conducted the nation’s first study of the health outcomes among older Americans following apartment building rehabilitation using green healthy housing methods.
HUD -- Healthy Homes Initiative-II; Cleveland & Cuyahoga County Health Departments
2009 – 2012; Dr. Dearborn, Co-invest
The project conducted Healthy Homes interventions and weatherization in the homes of children suffering from or at-risk of developing asthma or other respiratory conditions.
HUD -- Case Healthy Homes and Patients Program
2006 – 2008 & 2009 – 2011; Sequential HUD funding; Dr. Dearborn, PI
Homes in low-income urban areas are often hazardous for the health and safety of their occupants, especially for infants and the elderly. Making physicians aware of these conditions is a key component in improving the medical care of these populations.
Case Healthy Homes and Patients Program instituted a home inspection and environmental intervention program within the residency training of Family Medicine residents at University Hospitals Medical Center (UHMC). Each resident physician accompanied an Environmental Health Watch (EHW) home environment specialist on an inspection of one of their infant/elderly patient’s homes. They participated in devising an action plan including interventions by the family and by EHW, whereupon the physician monitored recommended behavior changes (e.g. smoking outside) at subsequent clinic visits. This well-received program was extended into the first year of training of the Pediatric residents and the Pulmonary Fellows Training Program at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital and further into the geriatric training programs, both also at UHMC.
The strategy was a multi-faceted, integrated housing and behavioral intervention in the homes of pregnant women/infants, young asthmatics and the elderly to address multiple housing-related illnesses and accidental injuries. The following child and geriatric health and injury hazards in the home were addressed: lead hazards– dust, soil, deteriorated paint; asthma trigger sources– tobacco smoke, mold, roaches, rodents, dust mites, pets; pesticides– spray pesticides; carbon monoxide and other combustion by-products - furnace, water heater, stove, space heater; accidental injury– fires, falls, burns, electric shock, poisoning; sleep-related infant deaths - child’s sleeping environment; excess moisture – related to multiple hazards – mold, pests, paint failure; fall hazards for the elderly - poor lighting, clutter, trip hazards, missing/broken handrails repair.
This project successfully achieved its two primary objectives: 1) it provided home health and injury hazard assessments and housing interventions in 190 homes of pregnant, infant, asthmatic and geriatric individuals living in high-risk housing in low-income neighborhoods of Cleveland and its first-ring suburbs, and 2) it provided 50 residents and an additional 20 health professionals with the opportunity to learn about housing-related health hazards by participating in assessments of their patients’ homes. In addition, the value of home assessments and interventions for childhood asthmatics was demonstrated with a decrease in morbidity as reflected in a >50% decrease in the hospitalization rate. The third objective was “to develop a sustainable model of home interventions that can be adopted by existing infant and elderly home visit programs in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.” The project team worked with partner organizations, e.g. Greater Cleveland Asthma/COPD Coalition, to convey lessons-learned and explored their transferability to other home visit programs.
HUD -- Urban Moisture and Mold Program: Continuation Project
2007 – 2010; Dr. Dearborn, PI
The project re-evaluated previously remediated house and health outcomes; to analyze previously collected blood samples for the Stachybotrys exposure biomarker and to analyze previously collected house dust for the Stachybotrys trichothecene mycotoxins.
NIH NIEHS 1 R21 -- Biomarkers for Exposure to Stachybotrys
2006 – 2009; Dr. Dearborn, PI
The study completed worked on the development of quantitative biomarkers for exposure to Stachybotrys using mass spectrometry.
HUD -- Healthy Homes Evaluation Study
2006 – 2007; Dr. P. Breysse, PI, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Dearborn, Co-invest
A consortium led by the National Center for Healthy Housing made up of investigators from Columbia University, Case Western Reserve University, Johns Hopkins University, Seattle-King County, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center, and Harvard School of Public Health led the purpose of combining previous databases toward standardizing the approach to residential asthma triggers.
EPA -- Risk Assessment for Exposure of Children to Toxic Mold
1999 – 2007; Dr. Dearborn, PI
The project evaluated the home environment of children using a new molecular biology technique (QPCR) in quantitative mold identification and to investigate potential neurotoxicity of extensive mold exposure.
NIH NIEHS RO1 -- Stachybotrys Induced Hemorrhage in the Developing Lung
1999 – 2005; Dr. Dearborn, PI
The aim of this project was to establish an infant rat model of pulmonary stachybotryomycotoxicosis and investigated the age-dependent pathophysiology along with markers of exposure.
HUD -- Cuyahoga County Urban Mold and Moisture Program
1999 – 2003; Dr. Dearborn, CWRU Project Director
The project evaluated the impact of mold and moisture in the home environment on infant and childhood health. We demonstrated that addressing mold and moisture in the homes of asthmatic children significantly improved their health. [Kercsmar, CM. Dearborn, DG, Schluchter, M, Xue, L, Kirchner, HL, Sobelewski, J, Greenberg, S, Vesper, SJ, Allan, TM, Reduction in Asthma Morbidity in Children as a Result of Home Remediation Aimed at Moisture Sources, Environ Hlth Perspect, 2006, 114:1574-1580.]