Kelly Ferguson in Copenhagen
On April 29, trainee Kelly Ferguson gave a talk at the 8th Copenhagen Workshop on Endocrine Disrupters. Her talk, entitled “Developmental effects of phthalates: what are the mechanisms?” introduced the PROTECT cohort and summarized preliminary findings on the relationship between maternal phthalate exposure during pregnancy and changes in hormone, inflammation, and oxidative stress levels.
Kelly Ferguson with the group from Reach Decision Makers program
This past year, Kelly has participated in the Reach the Decision Makers Fellowship, part of the UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment. As the culmination of this project, Kelly and the rest of the Detroit Reproductive Advocacy Matters (DREAM) team traveled to Washington DC to meet with key policy makers at the EPA. Following the release of the proposed NAAQS rule on ozone, the group submitted comments advocating for the inclusion of pregnant women and communities with multiple risk factors as vulnerable populations. While in DC, the group met with Janet McCabe, Acting Assistant Administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation, and with Thomas Burke, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development to discuss these comments, and push for inclusion of these populations in future risk assessment processes.