Ohio/Pennsylvania (OH/PA) University Research Consortium

A street view of East Palestine.
By 636Buster - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=121360468

Consortium Overview

The Ohio/Pennsylvania (OH/PA) University Research Consortium is made up of about two dozen researchers from seven universities, members of the East Palestine health community, and responding agencies. The consortium is organized by researchers from Case Western Reserve University, The Ohio State University, Kent State University, and University of Pittsburgh. Members of the consortium represent a variety of academic disciplines bringing relevant expertise and research experience. Initial funding to seed this group came from the Office of Research and Technology Management at Case Western Reserve University.

Goal

As an independent group, the consortium is committed to providing accurate, data-driven information to the East Palestine community. To accomplish this, members of the consortium have evaluated data collected after the February 2023 train derailment. The consortium is focused on translating these data to improve long-term public health and environmental monitoring for the benefit of the community.  Members of the consortium carefully organized and independently evaluated data from response agencies, supporting institutes, independent researchers, and other sources to develop objective recommendations and suggest additional research if necessary.

Public Meetings

Public meetings provide an opportunity to share the consortium’s current data summaries with interested groups. Members of the consortium will discuss available data briefs and share any relevant conclusions or recommendations to shape future research. Feedback provided during these meetings will guide future efforts of the consortium.  

State of the Science Update from the OH/PA University Research Consortium

Date: Wednesday, April 10 
Time: 6-7:30 p.m., doors open at 5:45 p.m.
Location: The Way Station, Inc. 109 W. Rebecca St., East Palestine, OH, 44413
Please RSVP for the event.
Light refreshments will be provided. 

Explore the scope and limits of publicly available data collected after the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Hear what we've learned about air, plant, and water exposures.
Summarize the health issues and symptoms reported by the community following the derailment. There will also be an open discussion for Q&A.

If you have questions about this event, please contact a community partner, the Columbiana County OSU Extension Office, at 330.967.7249.

Infrastructure Support

The OH/PA University Research Consortium draws on strong infrastructure at our organizing institutions including: Office of Research and Technology ManagementMary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health, and Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio at Case Western Reserve UniversityCollege of Public Health Division of Environmental Health Sciences and College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Science at The Ohio State University; Healthy Communities Research Institute and Environmental Science and Design Research Institute at Kent State University; and Center for Healthy Environments and Communities at the University of Pittsburgh.