Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in our food system, the
environmental and human health impacts of animal waste and
the pathogens found in oysters are among the topics being
researched by this year's pre-doctoral fellows at the
Center for a
Livable Future at the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Fellowship recipients are Jay Graham, Keeve Nachman, Sharon
Nappier and Lance Price.
Now in their third year, the awards are given to Johns
Hopkins pre-doctoral students committed to the discovery
and application of knowledge about the environmental,
economic, social and health effects of industrial animal
production and practices in the United States or abroad.
The grants, in amounts up to $50,000, can be used for
tuition and research expenses.
Jay P. Graham, a third-year student in
Environmental Health Sciences, is examining the
environmental impact of the disposal of animal waste from
concentrated animal feeding operations. His research
interests began with a concern about disposal of human
waste, but he shifted his studies to industrial animal
waste management because of what he views as a lack of
public policies governing this public health issue.
Sharon P. Nappier, a second-year student in
Environmental Health Sciences, is comparing how oysters
from the Chesapeake Bay and non-native oysters rid
themselves of pathogens. She hopes her research will help
policy-makers understand the potential human health impact
of the introduction of non-native species of oysters to the
bay, which is under consideration in Maryland. Her broader
interest is in the sources of these pathogens — human and
industrial animal waste — and their impact on the
environment and public health.
Keeve E. Nachman, a second-year CLF Fellow, is
a fourth-year student in Health Policy and Management. His
doctoral work concentrates on how exposure to arsenic used
in the industrial production of poultry affects the
environment and the public's health. Nachman plans to use
his knowledge of environmental health policy and risk
assessment to analyze arsenic concentrations in raw poultry
house waste, pelletized waste sold as fertilizer, ash left
from incineration of waste and soils amended with waste.
Lance B. Price is in his third year of studies
in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, as well
as a third-year CLF Fellow. His doctoral work focuses on
antibiotic resistance related to food-animal production
practices. His studies compared the presence of
antibiotic-resistant bacteria on various retail poultry
products. Price also studies the exposure risks of poultry
workers and their families to antibiotic-resistant
bacteria, and he has tracked the source of
antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans and in consumer
products.
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