IHPI members receive U-M seed grants for Flint studies

Researchers from all three University of Michigan campuses, including several IHPI members, hope to answer key questions about Flint and the impact of its ongoing water crisis, as they work with Flint community partners on projects that have received initial seed funding from President Mark Schlissel.

The president was in Flint last week to meet with students, faculty and community partners on their work related to the water situation.

"I was gratified to see the wide-ranging scope of proposals we received from our talented faculty members across all three of our campuses. It is a true testament to how deeply committed the university community is to Flint's recovery from this crisis," Schlissel said. 

"The seed money is the first round of funding needed to quickly launch these projects, and we are confident that it will lead to even more robust research efforts that will assist the Flint community in the immediate and longer term."

The projects involving IHPI members are:

Effects of the Flint Water Crisis on Vulnerable Adults

A team of gerontology researchers will study the health effects of lead exposure on other vulnerable populations, such as frail older persons or younger persons with disabilities. The project will use already available, longitudinal, standardized assessment data to examine the epidemiological effects of lead exposure on persons receiving home care services in the Flint area. The Valley Area Agency on Aging from Flint is working with the researchers.

IHPI members Brant Fries, Professor of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health and Research Professor, Institute of Gerontology, Medical School; and Maria Silveira, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Medical School, are part of the team. 

The Flint Water Crisis and the Youth of Flint: What about our future?

The proposal is a joint effort by a professor in the School of Public Health and the Flint Odyssey House-Health Awareness Center. The researchers will conduct community forums with Flint youth to determine their perspectives regarding the water crisis, including implications for their future and what they believe should be done to secure their future moving forward. The researchers hope to submit a larger proposal to the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or relevant foundations in order to implement feasible ideas identified by the youth.

IHPI member Cleopatra Howard Caldwell, Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, will work with E. Hill Deloney, Director of the Flint Odyssey House – Health Awareness Center. Caldwell is also a Faculty Associate of the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Institute for Social Research and Adjunct Professor of Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.