The annual Pilot Research Project (PRP) Symposium was held on October 10-11, 2019 in the University of Cincinnati’s Kehoe Auditorium in Kettering Laboratory. The symposium highlights pilot research projects in various fields of occupational health and safety. Dr. Glenn Talaska, Department of Environmental Health Interim Chair and Professor, attended and welcomed the attendees to the 20^th symposium.

Dr. Talaska welcomes guests to the 20^th Annual PRP Symposium

The keynote speaker was Dr. Laura Punnett, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Co-Director for the Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace, and Senior Associate for the UML Center for Women and Work at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her presentation was called “Total Worker Health®: Integrating Workplace Health Protection with Workforce Well-Being.” Dr. Punnett’s research career has focused on work-related musculoskeletal disorders in relation to physical job features and organizational factors. The Keynote presentation was also live on WebEx to reach others who could not attend the symposium and a recording is available on the PRP website with the other presentations.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Laura Punnett

2018-19 PRP awardees presented their final project results. Topics included;

• Gender Differences in Nursing Job Demands and Resources
• Fragility Analysis of Steel Buildings in Fire
• Effect of Heat Stress on Immune Function in Firefighters
• Predicting Changes in Driving Safety Performance on an Individualized Level Under Naturalistic Driving Conditions
• Development of a Sensor Frame Based Gait Assessment Device For Occupational Health In Nursing
• Neuromotor Effects of Manganese Exposure in Adolescents Entering Workforce

Attendees watching presentations on day 1 of the PRP Symposium

The presentations on day one were broken up by the first poster session and poster Q&A panel with 2019-20 PRP awardees, moderated by Dr. Gordon Gillespie, PRP Deputy Director. Poster topics on the first day were;

• A Lead-Free Carbon-Based Shielding Material to Protect Healthcare Workers
• IoT based AI Application for Posture Recognition to Reduce Workplace Injuries
• Dual-Functionality Heatable Carbon Nanotube Air Filters for Healthcare Providers
• Designing Next-Generation Solid Electrolyte via a Multiscale Computational Scheme to Avoid Workplace Battery Hazard
• Neurotoxicity of Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Mixtures in Firefighting Materials

Poster presenters discuss their research during the first poster panel Q&A

After the first day concluded, there was a Networking Dinner provided by Ollie’s Trolley. Thank you to the PRP Steering Committee members for your donations! Without generous dontations, the networking dinner would not be possible.

Dinner is served after day 1 concludes

On day two, the rest of the 2018-19 PRP awardees presented on their topics;

• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Information Gathering during Urban Disaster Situations
• Educational Intervention to Mitigate the Effects of Bullying in the Student Nurse Population
• Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution, Home Dust, and the Respiratory Mycobiome

Poster presenters discuss their research during the second poster panel Q&A

The second poster session followed by another Q&A panel, again moderated by Dr. Gordon Gillespie. The topics for the second poster session consisted of;

• Heavy Metal Sensor for Construction Workers Based on 3D Graphene
• Assessing Volunteer Workers’ Exposure to Dust, Metals and Bioaerosol During Equine Assisted Activities/Therapies: An Exploratory Study
• Characterizing Fine and Ultrafine Particle Exposure Among Home Healthcare Workers
• Home Health Care Workers’ Occupational Exposure to Bioaerosols and Potential Association with Respiratory Health Issues
• Role of Firefighting-Associated Chronic Stress Factors in Immune Dysfunction in Mouse Model

Poster presenters discuss their project plans during the day 2 poster session

The second poster session included 2019-20 PRP awardees as well as one poster from a student in the Education and Research Center Targeted Research Training Program, focusing on home healthcare research.

Panelists discuss topics presented at the symposium and address audience questions

The symposium concluded with a panel discussion among experts in the field; Dr. Clint Pinion and Gary Brown from Eastern Kentucky University, Dr. Ellen Wells from Purdue University, and Dr. Cynthia Betcher from University of Cincinnati.

Dr. Diana Schwerha from Ohio University presented awards; two for people’s choice favorite poster and podium presenters and two that a panel of judges selected for best podium and poster presenters.

The award winners were:

Award for Distinguished Podium Presentation: Katherine Barlow (above), Gender Differences in Nursing Job Demands and Resources

Award for Distinguished Poster Presentation: Ola Wasel (above), Neurotoxicity of Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Mixtures in Firefighting Materials
 

People's Choice Award for Podium Presentation: Zach Wells (above), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Information Gathering during Urban Disaster Situations

People's Choice for Poster Presentation: Aditya Milind Deshpande (above), IoT based AI Application for Posture Recognition to Reduce Workplace Injuries

This year, there was an addition of an event app which allowed for online networking, access to event resources, and a photo and leader-board contest that all attendees could participate in to win prizes. The symposium gave many attendees the opportunity to interact with each other as well as learn about new research areas.

Thank you to the Ohio Valley AIHA for sponsoring the PRP Symposium this year!