The lead, or core, research project, Childhood Asthma and Respiratory Health in Latino Children in the El Paso Airshed, will survey children between 5 and 17 years old from a randomly selected cohort of more than 500 households in the city. The five-year project is led by Prof Maria Amaya of UTEP’s School of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences. Prof Marianne Berwick of the UNM HSC is the co-investigator. In addition to collecting survey information and respiratory health data the project will collect household dust and yard soil samples. The project will receive information concerning air quality, indoors and outdoors, from other projects in the program.

     The Core Research Project is supported by five three-year pilot projects which examine various aspects of air quality and its impact on respiratory health. Three of the five pilot projects are led by UTEP faculty investigators, the remaining two are led by UNM-HSC researchers. All pilot projects are team efforts, involving researchers from both schools.