 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
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NIEHS is leading a trans-NIH effort to create a network of community and university partnerships that seeks to identify personal and community health effects stemming from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and to enhance community resiliency to potential disasters. The five-year, $25.2 million program will support population-based and laboratory research, which will ultimately develop the scientific evidence base needed to promote health and well-being for people living along the Gulf Coast, who are at greatest risk for potential adverse physical, psychological and behavioral health effects. In addition, research will seek to develop new strategies to enhance capacity to respond to future disasters and prevent or minimize adverse health effects arising from them. Ultimately, research findings from the Deepwater Horizon Research Consortia should contribute to the evidence base needed to improve preparedness and response aimed at minimizing disaster-related health impacts. In contrast to NIEHS’ worker-focused Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study (GuLF STUDY), these studies will concentrate on the range of potential acute and long-term health effects to the general public.
As an integrated network, four institutions, including the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, Tulane University, the University of Florida, and The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, will collaborate on approaches and share results to understand better the interplay and effects of multiple stressors on human health. To ensure research activities are responsive to the needs of local communities in the Gulf Coast region, the universities will partner with more than a dozen community organizations to incorporate local concerns and more effectively communicate research findings. Through these partnerships, researchers will assess how culture, social networks, and other determinants may enhance community resiliency, pre-event preparedness, and post-event recovery.
In addition to NIEHS, many other NIH components are contributing support to the program, including the National Cancer Institute; National Center for Research Resources; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; National Institute of Nursing Research; and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research.
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 The NIEHS is leading the GuLF STUDY – a health study for oil spill workers and volunteers following the recent Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. If you are interested in joining the study or want more information call toll free at 1-855-NIH-GULF (1-855-644-4853) or visit http://nihgulfstudy.org/
GuLF Study : Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study
The GuLF STUDY is a health study specifically for people who helped clean up the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill.
- The GuLF STUDY will also include some people who took the worker safety training, but did not get to do cleanup work.
- The GuLF STUDY will help us learn if oil spills and exposure to oil crude and dispersants affect our physical and mental health.
- Over time, the GuLF STUDY will generate some important data that may help provide information on policy decisions on healthcare and health services in the region.
- The GuLF STUDY is the largest study ever conducted on possible short- and long-term health effects of oil spills.
- The GuLF STUDY will be run by scientists at the world’s top medical research organization, the National Institutes of Health.
Contact: Dale P. Sandler, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator and Chief, Epidemiology Branch
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Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans
Tulane University
University of Florida
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston