The GC-CPEH has three categories of membership: Full, Associate, and Affiliate Members.

• Full Members are faculty engaged in Center activities with environmental health-relevant research programs and peer-reviewed extramural research funding.
• Associate Members are faculty engaged in Center activities with environmental health-relevant research programs but without active peer-reviewed research funding. This category of membership is designed to engage junior faculty and promote career development. By participating in the Center’s activities, it is expected that Associate Members will become Full Members.
• Affiliate Members are faculty conducting environmental health-relevant research at institutions other than the parent institutions of the P30. This category allows the GC-CPEH to engage investigators at institutions across the entire Texas Medical Center.

Full members receive priority access to the Center’s Facility Cores and are eligible for support from the Facility Core Services Utilization Program.  Senior Full members (Full/Associate Professors) may request Matching funds for up to 25% of the cost of Facility Core Services. Junior Full members (Assistant Professor/Instructor level) may request Matching funds for up to 50% of the cost of Facility Core Services.  Click here to find additional details about the Facility Core Services Utilization Program.

Becoming a Member: Nomination Process

• Individuals may self-nominate by contacting the Leader of the GC-CPEH Thematic Focus Area with which they would affiliate, or Center Administrator Dr. An-Han, who will refer the applicant to the relevant Theme Leader for development of the nomination package.
• The nomination package must include 1) a C.V., 2) a brief statement of Environmental Health Science relevant research interests, and 3) an NIH Other Support. After development of the package in consultation with the Theme Leader, the completed package and a letter of recommendation from the Theme Leader should be sent electronically to Dr. An-Han.
• Nominations are presented to the Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) of the GC-CPEH for a vote at regulatory scheduled IAC meetings.
• If approved, candidates are formally invited to join as Full, Associate or Affiliate members of the GC-CPEH.

GC-CPEH Thematic Focus Areas and Theme Leaders:

1. Early Life Genome and Epigenome Environment (GE2) Interactions led by Dr. Cheryl Walker, BCM.  Research within the GE2 Interactions Theme seeks to understand the impact of our early life environment on health and susceptibility to disease across the life course.
2. Disaster Research Response (DR2) led by Dr. Cornelis “Kees” Elferink, UTMB and Dr. Winifred Hamilton, BCM
3. Mechanisms and Interventions in Human Environmental Disease (MIHED) led by Dr. Elaine Symanski, BCM.  The goal of the MIHED Theme is to identify environmental risk factors for disease, evaluate the underlying mechanisms that explain how environmental stressors affect biological systems, and develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based interventions that mitigate environmental health risks.

Membership Renewal

Center membership will be reviewed every three years on the anniversary of the member joining the Center. Membership will be reviewed by the Executive Committee, which recommends continuation, or discontinuation (for noncontributory individuals) to the Directors, who make the final determination of membership and notifies investigators accordingly.

Evaluative criteria for continued membership:

• Demonstrated ability to contribute to the goals of the Center
• Participation in Center activities, including attendance at the Annual Center Retreat and participation in Thematic Focus Area and CEC activities
• Documented use of Facility Cores and/or application/receipt of Pilot Project awards
• Citation of the Center grant on GC-CPEH-related publications. continuation, or discontinuation (for noncontributory individuals) to the Director, who makes the final decision

The Center Director (Dr. Walker) holds ultimate authority for both appointments for new Center members and discontinuation of Center membership.

Contact Information

Dr. Heyreoun An Han, GC-CPEH Administrator
E-mail: Heyreoun.anhan@bcm.edu