Researchers at the University of Washington School of Public Health have received a five-year, $1.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate whether and how exposure to diesel exhaust causes brain damage, and if males are more susceptible. Air pollution has long been linked to pulmonary and cardiovascular disease, and more recent research suggests it may negatively affect the central nervous system. Washington researchers plan to investigate the role of diesel exhaust, which is a major component of traffic-related air pollution worldwide.