Administrative Core
Stephania Cormier (Leader), Phillip Sprunger, Jennifer Irving (Research Translation Coordinator)
The LSU Superfund Research Center (LSU SRP) brings together a diverse team of biomedical researchers, environmental scientists, chemists, combustion engineers, physicists, social scientists, public health professionals, and support staff to conduct interdisciplinary research to understand the formation and environmental health impacts of Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals (EPFRs). Our Center consists of five research projects and six cores with personnel that span eighteen general areas of expertise and six research campuses. The integration of the objectives and research findings of all the Center’s components is essential. The Administrative Core (AC) provides a cohesive administrative structure to manage the diverse aspects of the Center, ensuring that our data improves public health by guiding site remediation, decision-making, and environmental policy.
The AC has four aims: (1) plan and coordinate research activities, (2) provide fiscal, resource, quality and regulatory oversight for the Center, (3) Integration of cross-disciplinary research, and (4) support effective research translation.
Plan and Coordinate Research Activities
The AC provides organizational infrastructure to facilitate the planning and coordination of the many components of the overall Center. This coordination includes regularly scheduled research seminars, monthly meetings with Project and Core Leaders, internal AC meetings, and the annual Dellinger Symposium. The Dellinger Symposium is a new AC initiative that will provide an opportunity for all Center participants (investigators, trainees, staff, etc.) to interact and share research findings with stakeholders. The first day of the Dellinger Symposium will be open to the public and will include a breakout session for community partners as well as short talks and poster presentations from all trainees. The second day will be a formal review of the Center by the External Advisory Committee.
Allocation of Resources and Regulatory Oversight
The LSU Superfund Research Center requires a cohesive administrative structure to monitor how resources are prioritized, allocated, and managed. In additional to managing financial resources, the AC also looks for opportunities to strengthen and expand environmental health research related to our Center. Finally, the AC ensures that Center research complies with all regulations related to chemical safety, data security, human subjects protections, and responsible conduct of research.
Cross-disciplinary Research
Research within the LSU SRP involves collaboration with researchers from many different disciplines. The AC fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration by holding bi-weekly team meetings, organizing and participating in global environmental conferences, and facilitating input from the Center’s External Advisory Committee.
Research Translation
Research translation (RT) is an approach for interpreting scientific information and creating messages and materials that can be readily used by a specific audience, such as lay community, educators, or health care professionals. RT activities in the LSU SRP include sharing information and collaborating with other scientists (including other Superfund Research Centers), communicating research findings to stakeholders and the general public, forming partnerships with government agencies, and technology transfer.