Cohen: University of Memphis Awarded $314K for Skin Disease Research

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) today announced the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has awarded the University of Memphis $314,274 for skin disease research.

“The University of Memphis has always been known for its great research facilities,” said Congressman Cohen. “These new federal funds will help researchers learn more about the ties between biology and environmental health hazards. The more research we do, the better our chances of combating complicated skin diseases that affect families across Memphis and the country.”

The funds will be used to study the mechanisms by which exposure to dioxin causes skin cells to change, resulting in chronic skin diseases. Dioxins are some of the most toxic chemicals known and are formed as waste byproducts when chlorine-based chemical compounds are burned with hydrocarbons during chlorine bleaching, combustion of municipal solid waste, or as part of the production of PVC plastics and pesticides. The University of Memphis is conducting research to help doctors, scientists and policymakers better understand this complex issue.

NIEHS is one of 27 research institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The mission of NIEHS is to reduce the burden of human illness and disability by understanding how the environment influences the development and progression of human disease.