Women's Health Awareness | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
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About the Program
The Women’s Health Awareness (WHA) Community Engagement Program is an innovative environmental health research, public health practice and advocacy initiative. The Program is located within the
Office of Human Research and Community Engagement (OHRCE), Clinical Research Branch (CRB)
, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). WHA engages women across North Carolina and beyond.
The Program has the following aims:
Provide evidence-based community health interventions to promote wellness, environmental health literacy, and environmental public health.
Support the development of localized community health resiliency.
Train students, researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical and public health practitioners in community and environmental health research and practice.
WHA Mission Statement
HHS Women’s Health Ambassador
NIEHS’ Dr. Joan Packenham named an
HHS Women’s Health Ambassador
for National Women’s Health Week.
Our mission is to conduct community-engaged research and educate the community on health, well-being, and chronic disease prevention and management. We aim to build community-based health resilience by leveraging partnerships to develop research, evidence-based interventions, and health education that enhance environmental literacy. Ultimately, our goal is to empower communities to take responsibility for their health and understand the impact of the environment on their well-being.
Institutional Linkage
WHA Videos
Visit our
collection of videos
from various NIEHS Women's Health Awareness events.
The Women’s Health Awareness (WHA) Community Engagement Program, housed within the NIEHS, seeks to enhance research for populations of women across their lifespan. To learn more about how the WHA Program directly supports each of these thematic areas, please visit
Research and Projects
and
Education and Outreach
Mailing List
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mailing list
to receive timely WHA information!
Program Team
Joan P. Packenham, Ph.D.
Director, NIEHS Office of Human Research and Community Engagement (OHRCE);
DIR CRB
Tel 984-287-4413
[email protected]
Jennifer A. Profanchik
Contractor - Phlebotomist
Tel 984-287-4725
[email protected]
Craig T. Wladyka, M.P.A., CIP
Clinical Protocol Coordinator
Tel 984-287-4425
[email protected]
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Last Reviewed: April 13, 2026