Southern California Center for Children’s Environmental Health Translational Research

OVERALL: PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Near-roadway and regional air pollution, industrial releases, goods movement and growing oil and gas production in urban areas vulnerable to wildfires all threaten to increase the burden of environmental disease. In California and worldwide, these threats disproportionately affect children, especially in marginalized communities and communities of color. Air pollution has adverse effects on childhood respiratory health, obesity and metabolic outcomes, and neurodevelopment. New children’s environmental health science (CEHS) translation is needed to develop and implement effective, science-based interventions to address these unfavorable trends. The mission of the Southern California Center for Children’s Environmental Health Translational Research (SC- CCEHTR) is to leverage scientific knowledge to reduce the burden of environmentally related diseases by developing: (1) multidisciplinary CEHS translational teams building an innovative framework for multidirectional, action-oriented engagement with communities, academia and policymakers, and (2) model collaborations supporting junior investigators and communities to use emerging CEHS, leading to better decision-making. Accordingly, the theme of the SC-CCEHTR is Urbanism, Air Pollution, Children’s Health and Environmental Justice. The SC-CCEHTR will build on a foundation of a large CEHS grant base across three NIEHS Centers and of innovative multidirectional engagement with communities and decision-makers. The proposed SC- CCEHTR framework includes novel approaches to youth engagement and community science, urban design and policy solutions, and communication and public knowledge. Investigators new to CEHS from communication, policy and urban design, sociology, dramatic arts, education, network analysis and implementation science will bring fresh approaches to this framework, focused on identifying solutions to urban air pollution by “re-imagining” the design of the city to reduce air pollution exposure and improve children’s health. A Translation Core will bring the SC-CCEHTR tools to bear on the development of pilot projects to better translate CEHS into community knowledge and action. A Developmental Core responds to career development needs of junior investigators and to emerging CEHS challenges. Innovative translational and career development collaborations will be promoted with the Moving Forward Network of environmental justice communities, the International Society for Children’s Health and the Environment, other Children's Environmental Health Research Translation Centers and NIEHS P30 Core Centers, and policymakers across the country.