Community-based Research of Autoimmune Disease and Asthma: Buffalo Lupus Project
Title: Community Based Research of Autoimmune Disease and Asthma: Buffalo Lupus Project
Principal Investigator: Laurene Tumiel-Berhalter, PhD
Funding Agency: NIEHS
Period: 08/01/01 - 07/31/06
Abstract: The original PI was John Vena who left the department in 2003. Carlos Crespo became PI and later left the department in 2005. The grant was then transferred to Laurene Tumiel-Berhalter in the Department of Family Medicine.
The two research focus areas were:
- communities on the east side of Buffalo impacted by toxic waste sites with an emphasis on autoimmune diseases (Toxic Waste/Lupus Coalition Project)
- the Latino community on the west side of Buffalo with emphasis on asthma, morbidity and mortality (West Side Environmental Health Project)
The specific aims were to: design, plan and implement data collection systems to more clearly understand the prevalence of disease in the respective communities and to facilitate community empowerment to impact health policy as related to the public health implications of environmental contamination.
