Caption: Juliane Beier, assistant professor of medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
Juliane Beier, assistant professor of medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, is among three recipients of funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) East Palestine, Ohio, Train Derailment Health Research Program to conduct research into the 2023 disaster’s effects on the health of people living nearby. Her work will focus on liver and thyroid function.
The study is part of a $10 million five-year, multi-institutional research consortium called the East Palestine Investigation Consortium (EPIC), funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. This award brings $440,513 in the first year directly to Beier, with projected funding of approximately $2.2 million over the grant period.
The other recipients are the University of Kentucky and Yale University.
On Feb. 3, 2023, a freight train carrying vinyl chloride and other chemicals derailed in East Palestine, releasing toxic substances into the air, soil, surface water and groundwater, with potential contamination of indoor air and drinking water.
Beier will conduct comprehensive liver and thyroid function assessments in approximately 725 East Palestine community members to evaluate potential impact on health related to the train derailment exposure, with specific emphasis on liver-thyroid axis interactions and their implications for long-term health outcomes. Her part of the project will leverage the University of Pittsburgh's advanced FibroScan technology and specialized liver disease expertise.
“This NIH funding enables us to continue our research into the health impacts of the East Palestine train derailment on affected communities in both Ohio and Pennsylvania,” Beier said. “The liver and thyroid biospecimen analyses we'll conduct are essential components for understanding the long-term health effects from this incident. This funding to the University of Pittsburgh allows us to provide the comprehensive liver health monitoring these communities need.”
The research consortium is led by Erin Haynes, professor in the UK College of Public Health Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health. EPIC emphasizes a community-driven approach, ensuring residents play an active role in shaping the research agenda.
Since shortly after the derailment, Haynes has worked closely with residents, local organizations and public health officials to develop a comprehensive health strategy for East Palestine. Her team, including East Palestine resident Misti Allison, has already followed residents through a two-year health tracking study. With this new funding, EPIC researchers will measure long-term changes in health markers, such as lung and immune function and mental health.
At Yale, Nicole Deziel, Michelle Bell and James Saiers will evaluate water quality impacts through state-of-the-science hydrological modeling with Ohio Valley Allies. Darryl Hood from The Ohio State University will serve as a consultant on the study.
To strengthen its community partnership, EPIC is planning a community meeting in East Palestine in November 2025 to provide updates on the research, answer questions and share next steps. The event will be open to the public and details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number OT2ES038696. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.