title: Integrating Health Research into Disaster Response: The New NIH Disaster Research Response Program.
abstract: The need for high quality and timely disaster research has been a topic of great discussion over the past several years. Recent high profile incidents have exposed gaps in knowledge about the health impacts of disasters or the benefits of specific interventions-such was the case with the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill and recent events associated with lead-contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan, and the evolving health crisis related to Zika virus disease. Our inability to perform timely research to inform the community about health and safety risks or address specific concerns further heightens anxiety and distrust. Since nearly all disasters, whether natural or man-made, have an environmental health component, it is critical that specialized research tools and trained researchers be readily available to evaluate complex exposures and health effects, especially for vulnerable sub-populations such as the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with socioeconomic and environmental disparities. In response, the National Institute of Environmental Health Science has initiated a Disaster Research Response Program to create new tools, protocols, networks of researchers, training exercises, and outreach involving diverse groups of stakeholders to help overcome the challenges of disaster research and to improve our ability to collect vital information to reduce the adverse health impacts and improve future preparedness.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. miller.aubrey@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Aubrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: MDB, Inc., Washington, DC 20036, USA. kyeskey@michaeldbaker.com.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yeskey
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. garantziotis@niehs.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garantziotis
authors.affiliation: National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. arneses@mail.nlm.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arnesen
authors.affiliation: Contractor, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. april.bennett@nih.gov.
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. ofallon@niehs.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Liam
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Fallon
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. thompso1@niehs.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. reinlib@niehs.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Les
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reinlib
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. masten@niehs.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masten
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. remingtonj@niehs.nih.gov.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Remington
authors.affiliation: National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. lovec@mail.nlm.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Love
authors.affiliation: Social &amp; Scientific Systems, Inc., Durham, NC 27703, USA. SRamsey@s-3.com.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramsey
authors.affiliation: Social &amp; Scientific Systems, Inc., Durham, NC 27703, USA. RRosselli@s-3.com.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosselli
authors.affiliation: MDB, Inc., Washington, DC 20036, USA. beagin@michaeldbaker.com.
authors.forename: Betsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galluzzo
authors.affiliation: MDB, Inc., Washington, DC 20036, USA. jlee@michaeldbaker.com.
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. Richard.Kwok@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. hughes3@niehs.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D004190:Disasters; D054585:National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (U.S.); D014481:United States
keywords: disaster epidemiology; disaster research; disaster risk reduction; disasters; environmental health; science preparedness; strategic science