Neighborhood pollution and other environmental risks for lymphoma and myeloma
Geospatially modeled environmental risk factors for lymphoid malignancies
Researchers will use map-based pollution data linked to people's home addresses to learn whether everyday environmental exposures raise the risk of lymphoma or multiple myeloma in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11221909 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses geographic information systems (GIS) to estimate air pollution and other environmental chemical exposures at people’s home locations. Those modeled exposures will be linked to long-term health records and cancer outcomes in adult participants to look for connections to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. The team will examine low-dose, chronic, and combined pollutant exposures and consider related factors such as inflammation, autoimmune disease, obesity, and immune marker profiles. The work relies on existing cohort and address data rather than testing new drugs or procedures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 and older who can provide residential address information and agree to long-term follow-up or data sharing would be the typical candidates for this research.
Not a fit: People under 21, those without available residential history, or patients with cancers unrelated to lymphoid cells would be unlikely to participate or receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could identify environmental exposures to target with public-health actions or personal risk-reduction strategies to lower some cases of lymphoid cancers.
How similar studies have performed: Some occupational and animal studies have linked certain pollutants to lymphoid cancers, but population-level work on low-dose everyday exposures is limited and this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Birmann, Brenda M — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Birmann, Brenda M
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.