By Michelle Durham

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Penn Medicine has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health for a five-year study that will document the lives of those affected by asbestos exposure in Ambler and help them move forward and assist local lawmakers in making decisions about the future of a former Asbestos factory site in that community.

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Associate Professor Dr. Fran Barg says Ambler has been profoundly affected by mesothelioma.

“There was a factory that was in operation in Ambler for over 100 years and people were exposed to asbestos.”

Dr. Barg says, because there is such a lag time between exposure and illness, there are people who could still become sick. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has identified a cancer cluster in Ambler and they want to talk to residents.

“I think scientists need to understand the human side of what it’s like to live in a community like this. City planners want to understand what community members want and epidemiologists want to understand what community residents are still worried about.”

Ambler residents can contact Dr. Fran Barg directly for information about the study by emailing her at: bargf@uphs.upenn.edu.