Health Effects Institute Annual Conference 2023

Session chairs: Jana Milford, University of Colorado, USA, and Jon Samet, Colorado School of Public Health, USA

Daniel Greenbaum has led HEI’s efforts to provide decision makers with high quality, impartial, and credible science about the health effects of air pollution to inform air quality decisions in the US and across the globe. In this session, we pay tribute to Mr. Greenbaum, HEI President, who is going to retire in May 2023, after 30 years of effective leadership. We discuss Mr. Greenbaum’s contributions, also in the context of how his efforts has laid the foundation for the road ahead. 
 

Session chair: Ellen Mantus, HEI Director of Science

The Jane Warren Award is given to graduate students or postdocs at academic or research organizations in North America, whose research is related to air pollution, exposure, and health. Selection is based on the scientific merit of their research, quality of the submitted abstract, and relevance to HEI’s mission. The award is named in remembrance of Dr. Jane Warren, who joined HEI in the 1980s and led HEI’s scientific activities as Director of Science from 1999 until her retirement in 2008.

Session chairs: Melissa J. Perry, George Mason University, USA, and David A. Savitz, Brown University, USA

We will present an overview of current and forthcoming activities at HEI, including results from a recent HEI-funded study investigating links between exposure to air pollution and COVID-related health outcomes, new research underway in our health effects of air pollution and energy programs, and new initiatives related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging, and to studying Environmental Justice.

Session chairs: Frank Kelly, Imperial College School of Public Health, UK, and Christina H. Fuller, University of Georgia, USA

The health effects of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) continue to be of important public health interest. This session will discuss approaches to evaluate exposure to TRAP and associated health effects as technologies and fuels change toward low or zero tailpipe emissions, mobility transforms, and electrification makes greater inroads. The session will also explore the cumulative effects of TRAP, environmental, social, and behavioral factors on disproportionately affected communities. The session is intended to address some of the challenges and future research opportunities that emerged from findings of HEI’s recently published Special Report 23, Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Selected Health Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution.

Session chairs:  Jeffrey R. Brook, University of Toronto, Canada, and Ana M. Rule, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, USA

People are exposed to multiple environmental exposures, from different sources, and through various media in everyday life. Over time, these environmental and social stressors aggregate and accumulate, leading to cumulative impacts on individuals and communities. Some populations including people of color and lower-income communities frequently experience unequal environmental burdens and impacts. This session will explore recent advancements in community-level approaches to measuring exposure to air pollution via distributed monitoring and information tools, such as web or phone applications and wearable devices, and will discuss the opportunities and challenges of these measurement approaches in community-based studies.

Session chairs: Kalpana Balakrishnan, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, India, and Kiros T. Berhane, Columbia University, USA

Much of the current literature on health effects of air pollution comes from studies conducted in countries that experience relatively low levels of air pollution and are often well equipped with both financial and human resources. However, studies of both short- and long-term exposures and association with various morbidity and mortality outcomes are expanding across high pollution environments. There are also dynamic conversations about strengthening and expanding access to resources for researchers in resource-constrained environments, as well as the ethics of conducting research globally. The session will draw on recent studies to discuss the breadth of new and emerging evidence and the challenges and opportunities for building a broader evidence base across regions of the world.

Session chairs: Gregory Wellenius, Boston University School of Public Health, USA, and Caradee Wright, South African Medical Research Council, South Africa

Climate change and human health are intrinsically connected through the ways that people experience exposures to air pollution, heat, and built and natural environments. This session will discuss past and ongoing efforts at climate change mitigation and adaptation related to air quality and health, with a particular focus on environmental climate justice. It will explore health effects of co-exposures to air pollution and extreme heat, assessment of community-scale interventions for urban heat islands and air pollution, and planting trees as part of a planning strategy for air quality, health benefits, and urban climate resilience.