NEWS & EVENTS

Stanford’s Environmental Arsenic Exposure and the Human Gut Microbiome Project, supported by NIH Grant No. 1R21ES023387 and the Stanford Microbiome Consortium Seed Grant, focused on the causes and effects of chronic arsenic ingestion due to groundwater contamination in communities in South Asia. Chronic ingestion can cause arsenicosis, which can cause cancer or intellectual development delays. The project researchers, Dr. Stephanie Bachas-Daunert , and Stanford faculty Dr. David Relman and Dr. Craig Criddle, hypothesized that the microbiome contributed to the observed differences in susceptibility to arsenic ingestion.

By using the EquityTool, the team was able to identify links between socioeconomic status and arsenic exposure at the population’s primary water source, determining that socioeconomic status was lower for the groups chronically exposed to arsenic in their primary tube well water than for the group not exposed through their primary water. This highlights an additional challenge for a population already vulnerable due to chronic arsenic exposure through water, and provides further impetus for prioritization of these groups for public health interventions and water replacement programs.

Metrics for Management is pleased to highlight and support the valuable contribution of this research to development knowledge in low- and middle-income countries through the Gwatkin Prize awards. The project will receive a financial award of $5,000.

Learn more about the Gwatkin Prize, including full details on applying for the 2022 Prize. Applications will open May 1, 2022; it’s never too early to review the detailed eligibility criteria and identify the project you’d like to submit.

Learn more about Stanford’s Environmental Arsenic Exposure and the Human Gut Microbiome Project.