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Principal Investigator: Otakuye Conroy-Ben
Organization: INTER TRIBAL COUNCIL OF ARIZONA, INC.
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $119,201
Funding agency: National Institute of General Medical Sciences
PROJECT SUMMARY
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a powerful tool that can measure population health in
communities with centralized sewer treatment systems and is particularly relevant for Tribes who wish
to assess health disparities such as COVID and substance abuse. In WBE, chemical metabolites,
bacteria and viruses, and other health indicators are measured in excreted human waste products in
wastewater. The wastewater flow rate and population load into the sewershed allow for calculation of
community-level human health indicators present in water. WBE has not been documented in Tribal
communities prior to the PI’s efforts, and there are knowledge gaps related to the execution,
acceptability, and applicability of this tool to assess Tribal population health. Our specific aims are to
(1) develop a framework for conducting responsible WBE research and surveillance in Tribal
communities, which will address data sovereignty, Tribal sewer infrastructure and personnel, and
handling of environmental biospecimens; (2) assess the perceptions of using WBE by Tribal leaders,
health administrators, and community members through surveys; and (3) determine and quantify
relevant health metrics that can be measured by WBE, including infectious disease, pollutant
exposure, the gut microbiome, and substance abuse. This faculty enhancement award under ITCA’s
NARCH XI will provide directed mentorship and training to the PI from ITCA staff. This collaborative
project will develop research capacity for ITCA, partner Tribes in Arizona and the faculty member
through collection of preliminary data, leading to development of larger projects with ITCA and the
partner intertribal consortia for future WBE studies.
Terms: <Address><Administrator><Agreement><American Indian reservation><Area><Arizona><Award><Bacteria><Biological><COVID-19><CV-19><Chemicals><Collection><Communicable Diseases><Communities><Coronaviridae><Coronavirus><Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019><Data><Development><Diabetes Mellitus><Drugs><Engineering><Epidemiologic Monitoring><Epidemiologic Research><Epidemiologic Studies><Epidemiologic surveillance><Epidemiological Monitoring><Epidemiological Studies><Epidemiological surveillance><Epidemiology Research><Epidemiology Surveillance><Ethics><European><Excretory function><Exposure to><Faculty><Future><GI microbiome><Goals><Health><Health Benefit><Human><Human Resources><Hydrogen Oxide><IRB><IRBs><Immunization><Indian reservation><Infectious Disease Pathway><Infectious Diseases><Infectious Disorder><Infrastructure><Institutional Review Boards><Investigators><Investments><Knowledge><Manpower><Measures><Medication><Mentors><Mentorship><Modern Man><NARCH><Native American Research Center for Health><Perception><Pharmaceutical Preparations><Population><Protocol><Protocols documentation><Public Health><Qualitative Research><Recommendation><Research><Research Personnel><Research Resources><Researchers><Resources><Rural><Sampling><Substance abuse problem><Survey Instrument><Surveys><System><Training><Tribal group><Tribes><Universities><Virus><Waste Products><Water><Water contamination><Work><abuse of substances><biologic><career><college><collegiate><contaminated water><corona virus><coronavirus disease 2019><coronavirus disease-19><coronavirus infectious disease-19><data dissemination><developmental><diabetes><digestive tract microbiome><disparity in health><drug/agent><enteric microbiome><epidemiologic investigation><epidemiology study><ethical><excretion><experience><faculty mentor><gastrointestinal microbiome><gut microbiome><gut-associated microbiome><health assessment><health disparity><improved><indigenous community><intertribal><intestinal biome><intestinal microbiome><member><metropolitan><nation reservation><native american reservation><novel><personnel><pollutant><population health><professor><reservation community><responsible research conduct><skills><substance abuse><tool><tribal community><tribal health><tribal leader><tribal leadership><tribal member><tribal people><tribal population><tribal reservation><waste water based epidemiology><waste water epidemiology><wastewater based epidemiology><wastewater epidemiology><wasting>