[Judy Pino] 
In the last 50 years, 
we've changed ecosystems 
to an unprecedented degree. 
At the same time, infectious 
diseases appear to be emerging 
and re-emerging at 
a faster rate. 
And one common feature is that 
they are associated with 
changes to the 
environment. 
Hello, and welcome 
to Green Scene, 
EPA's series of environmental 
podcasts that you can take 
with you. 
I'm Judy Pino with the 
Office of Multimedia. 
If we can better understand 
how environmental factors 
and people's behaviors 
contribute to emerging 
diseases, then we may just be 
able to make better decisions 
to reduce and perhaps prevent 
emerging diseases like 
Lyme disease and 
West Nile Virus.
EPA has now developed a new 
interdisciplinary research 
program to better understand 
the scientific factors 
linking human stressors, 
changes in biodiversity, 
and disease transmission. 
And to talk to us about this
very interesting research is
Dr. Montira Pongsiri, 
environmental health 
scientist with EPA's Office 
of the Science Advisor.
Thanks, Doctor, 
for being with us.
[Dr. Montira Pongsiri] 
It's a pleasure 
to be here. 
Thank you for
having me.
[Judy Pino] 
Let's begin with biodiversity, 
just to explain to our viewers 
exactly what it is and 
why it is so important. 
[Dr. Montira Pongsiri] 
So, biodiversity is the variety 
of life that we see on Earth, 
the animals, and the plants, 
fungi, and microorganisms.
We can also think of 
biodiversity as the 
variety of ecosystems on 
the landscape in mountains, 
in lakes, in wetlands, 
and in rivers. 
And we know that EPA recognizes 
that healthy ecosystems are 
important for human health 
and well-being. 
And we know that conserving 
biodiversity is an important 
factor in sustaining healthy 
ecosystems  and the important 
critical services they provide 
to us that we depend on. 
[Judy Pino] 
Now what happens when there are 
changes in this biodiversity, 
and how are these changes 
affecting human health 
and how are we at EPA responding 
to this phenomenon?  
[Dr. Montira Pongsiri] 
So Judy, as you mentioned in 
your introduction, we know 
that the loss of biodiversity is 
accelerating at a higher rate 
in the last 50 years, and at the 
same time, we know that diseases 
have been emerging 
and re-emerging. 
So, we're wondering if 
there is a connection. 
What are the underlying 
mechanisms of the submergence, 
and do changes in biodiversity 
play a role?
And EPA has a responsibility to 
undertake exploratory research 
on emerging scientific issues. 
And we think that by studying 
how biodiversity change is 
connected to emerging disease, 
that can change our view of 
how we manage ecosystems 
and manage biodiversity 
and services that ecosystems 
provide to us. 
[Judy Pino] 
Now, EPA doesn't normally work 
on infectious diseases, 
but tell me a little bit about 
how infectious diseases are 
related to the environment and 
why we  are involved now?
[Dr. Montira Pongsiri] 
Well, some diseases, like West 
Nile and Lyme disease that you 
mentioned, but also malaria, 
have very complicated life 
cycles, much of which occur 
outside of the human host,  
so which makes them 
particularly sensitive 
to environmental conditions. 
And we as humans also 
inadvertently and 
intentionally do make changes to 
the environment, which affects 
some of these complicated 
disease life cycles, 
and in turn can affect 
our risk of disease. 
[Judy Pino] 
Okay, so now let's talk about 
this revolutionary research 
program you guys 
are working on. 
[Dr. Montira Pongsiri] 
So EPA is an active member of 
what's called the Group on 
Earth Observations, which 
is trying to develop 
what's called the Global Earth 
Observation System of Systems,
also known 
as GEOS. 
And this is an effort to 
coordinate environmental 
monitoring worldwide, 
to better understand 
environmental conditions. 
So we at EPA have contributed 
to this effort, 
this interdisciplinary research 
initiative to study the linkages 
between social stressors 
such as climate change, 
and deforestation, changes in 
biodiversity, and infectious 
disease transmission
to humans. 
And we think by understanding 
better how environmental 
factors and our behaviors can 
contribute to some of these 
emerging diseases, that we may 
be able to make better decisions 
to reduce and perhaps 
prevent disease.
[Judy Pino] 
Okay, let's talk about the 
main activities under this 
new exploratory 
research program.
[Dr. Montira Pongsiri] 
So, this exploratory program 
is innovative in terms of its 
interdisciplinary approach, 
involving ecologists, 
biologists, public health 
specialists, earth scientists, 
and social 
scientists.
But it also involves the end 
user, who we call the end user.
These are the final 
beneficiaries of 
information, people who will 
actually use the scientific 
knowledge in the end to inform 
decisions on regulations, 
on environmental management, 
on pest management, 
so we think that by including 
this end user as part of the 
research design process 
from the very beginning, 
it can help to better and more 
quickly translate new scientific 
knowledge into better decisions 
to help meet EPA's mission to 
protect both environment 
and health.
[Judy Pino] 
Now, EPA is working with 
U.S. federal partners and 
international organizations 
to advance this work.
But do you find that there are 
very few funding institutions 
internationally interested in 
this interdisciplinary research.
Why is that?
[Dr. Montira Pongsiri] 
That's right. 
We were surprised to find that 
internationally, there's very 
little funding opportunity 
available for 
interdisciplinary research and 
even fewer on a problem focusing 
on biodiversity 
in health. 
So this was our niche to meet 
what we thought was a research  
demand and to be able to 
understand better how 
disease emergence happens so 
that we can better understand 
root causes and better reduce 
and perhaps prevent disease.
[Judy Pino] 
What are some of your partners, 
and when do you expect
preliminary results? 
[Dr. Montira Pongsiri] 
Well, we, in co-sponsorship 
with Yale Center for 
Eco-epidemiology, 
the Smithsonian Institution, 
and the World Conservation  
Union, in 2006, we kicked 
off this research initiative 
by bringing together a 
multi-disciplinary group of 
researchers, practitioners  
and decision-makers to do public 
outreach, to really make the 
connections between biodiversity 
and human health apparent, to 
build more support for further 
research, and to really 
encourage interdisciplinary 
collaborations.  
So, what we're doing now, 
we think meets, like I said, 
a research demand, but we 
think also looks at root 
causes of disease.  
Looking at -- taking of 
the wider picture of human 
environment and society, 
to provide one new and 
innovative way forward.  
[Judy Pino] 
And when will you expect 
the results? 
[Dr. Montira Pongsiri] 
So, we expect preliminary 
results within a year for 
some of the pilot projects, 
and then within three to 
four years for some of the 
longer term research projects.
And we're working continuously 
with the end users and decision 
makers to make sure that the 
science policy bridge is gapped.
[Judy Pino] 
Thank you, Doctor, for all 
this wonderful information.
We look forward 
to the results.
[Dr. Montira Pongsiri] 
Thank you 
very much. 
[Judy Pino] 
And for more information on 
this topic, please visit 
www.epa.gov/ncer/biodiversity.
See you next time 
on Green Scene.