MaineHealth has received a five-year, $1.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support mentorship and research focused on the health impacts of the so-called “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in children and adolescents. The award will help MaineHealth expand environmental health research in Maine while supporting the development of the next generation of clinician scientists studying environmental health risks. 

The award provides time for Principal Investigator and Pediatric Endocrinologist Dr. Abby Fleisch to mentor junior investigators pursuing careers in environmental health research, a growing area of inquiry that’s particularly important in the state of Maine. 

“I am excited about this grant because it will help to build the next generation of investigators ready to advance environmental health in our state,” said Dr. Fleisch, in a MaineHealth news release. Fleisch directs the Environmental Exposures, Epidemiology & Health Lab at the MaineHealth Institute for Research. “These studies are important because Maine bears a disproportionate burden of environmental health hazards, including PFAS contamination, radon exposure, woodstove emissions and naturally occurring arsenic.” 

This grant also funds Dr. Fleisch’s research into how exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during childhood may influence obesity, diabetes risk and cardiovascular health later in life. PFAS are synthetic chemicals found in many consumer and industrial products that are linked to long-term health problems and have been detected in water and food supplies across the United States, including communities in Maine. 

“This work reflects MaineHealth’s growing leadership in environmental health research,” said Jessica Chertow, Vice President of Research at MaineHealth. “The MaineHealth Institute for Research is focused on addressing health challenges affecting Maine communities, including environmental risks.” 

The research will examine how cumulative PFAS exposure from the prenatal period through adolescence may affect body fat, cholesterol levels and risk factors for diabetes in young adulthood. It will also study whether healthy diet and physical activity may lessen some of the effects associated with PFAS exposure. 

“This project will help to improve the clinical care of children from central Maine and other communities affected by PFAS contamination,” Dr. Fleisch said. 

The project will build on several ongoing grant-supported studies led by Dr. Fleisch on the health impacts of PFAS exposure. It will leverage long-standing collaborations with large national research cohorts to create new opportunities for early-career investigators to gain experience conducting patient-oriented environmental health research.

The project is supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K24ES038632. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include MaineGeneral Health in Augusta and Waterville. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.