Johns Hopkins UniversityNIEHS P30 CHARMED Core Center
CHARMED connects residents, community organizations, and Hopkins scientists to investigate how environmental exposures shape health across the greater Maryland region — and to turn those findings into action.
Our mission
Residents of the greater Maryland region — extending north from Washington, DC through Baltimore and into central Pennsylvania — face a complex range of environmental health concerns from a wide variety of pollution sources.
The mission of the CHARMED Center is to build capacity in community-engaged research aimed at understanding the mechanistic links between environmental exposures and adverse health outcomes, and to translate those findings into action that improves the health and well-being of vulnerable individuals across the region.
We provide training, career development opportunities, support, and access to environmental health experts and state-of-the-art technologies, so that lasting community–investigator partnerships can tackle the environmental concerns communities identify themselves.
How the Center is organized
Highlights
Community success
Under an October 2026 agreement with the Maryland Department of the Environment, Curtis Bay Energy will stop incinerating medical waste in South Baltimore, pending court approval.
Where we work
Facility Cores
Each core offers hands-on support to researchers and communities alike — from designing a study to measuring an exposure to sharing results back.
Turns community concerns and research ideas into high-quality studies, convenes community and scientific advisors around each project, and makes sure results get back to the people who raised the question.
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Provides exposure assessment across air, water, soil, and biological samples — sensor deployment, laboratory characterization, spatiotemporal modeling, and help interpreting the data.
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Builds authentic, lasting partnerships with communities across the region through workshops, training, symposium sessions, and shared environmental health resources.
Learn moreResearch & programs
Three groups spanning cardiorespiratory health and airborne contaminants, chemical mixtures and emerging contaminants, and community engagement.
Learn moreCompetitive awards up to $40,000 for community partnership, new directions, and early-career environmental health research.
Learn moreSalary support, mentorship, and enrichment for junior faculty building careers in community-engaged environmental health science.
Learn moreFor communities
The Center connects community organizations and residents with researchers, exposure measurement, and funding. Tell us what you're seeing and we'll help find the right people and tools.
In the field
