The HERCULES Pilot Project Program works to expand and integrate exposome-related research on campus through focusing on cutting-edge technologies, interdisciplinary collaboration among environmental health science investigators at Emory, development of junior investigators through funding and mentoring and the promotion of translational research in environmental health sciences. Funds are meant to help generate new preliminary data in order to compete for NIEHS R-level grants while also building strong interdisciplinary research teams.

Current Pilot Awardee Details Past Pilot Project Recipients  Funding Information


2023-2024 Pilot Awardees

  • Mapping the Follicular Fluid Exposome for Environmental Determinants of Infertility
    • PI: Anna Knight, School of Medicine, Gynecology & Obstetrics
  • Effects of Ambient Air Pollution on the Exposome in Kids with Sickle Cell Disease (co-funded with CHARTER)
    • PI: Ben Kopp, School of Medicine, Pediatrics
  • Community-Based Particulate Matter Monitoring of Traffic and Transportation Sources in Northwest Atlanta (NPU-G)
    • PI: Jeremy Sarnat, School of Public Health, Environmental Health
  • Mechanism of Manganese Induced Pro-Inflammatory Signal Transduction in the Brain
    • Co-PIs: Avanti Gokhale and Erica Werner, School of Medicine, Cell Biology
  • Metabolome-wide Association Study on Air Pollution Exposures and Cardiovascular Diseases in the Emory Cardiovascular Biobank (MAC Study)
    • PI: Donghai Liang, School of Public Health, Environmental Health
  • Evaluating the Associations of Heavy Metals with Interstitial Lung Diseases
    • PI: Lucian Marts, School of Medicine, Pulmonary
  • Dried Blood Spot Metabolomes of Mother-Infant Dyads Reveal Novel Suites of Nutritional and Environmental Exposures
    • PI: Dana Barr, School of Public Health, Environmental Health