20 Pioneers Under 40 in Environmental Public Health

SAN FRANCISCO, September 14, 2017 (Newswire.com) - Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating people on the ways in which the environment impacts human health and well-being, will feature the work of the next generation of environmental health scientists and advocates in a new webinar series beginning on Oct. 4. 10 webinars, running monthly through June, will feature cutting-edge work in topics of relevance and concern including climate change and health, chemicals linked to adverse birth outcomes and obesity, and disparities in toxic exposures between different social and racial groups.

These 20 pioneering researchers and advocates were nominated by a committee of senior leaders and luminaries in environmental public health including Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, Dick Jackson, MD, MPH, Professor at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA, and Jeanne Conry, MD, President of The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Chosen for exceptional levels of accomplishment in work that is rigorous, dynamic, and builds critical knowledge, their work promises to drive environmental health science and advocacy in new directions that will demonstrate the many links between the environment and public health and catalyze policies and actions that will protect the health of children, families, and communities.

I believe that scientists have a responsibility to share their research as often as possible, especially when it relates to public health. These young scientists are doing exciting, innovative work that will influence how we address environmental challenges to our health in the future. Their webinars promise to be both interesting and informative.

Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program

Brooke Anderson, Ph.D.

Simona Balan, Ph.D.

Joseph Braun, Ph.D., MSPH

Courtney Carignan, Ph.D.

Joan Casey, Ph.D.

Cynthia Curl, Ph.D., MS

Kelly Ferguson, Ph.D., MPH

Nourbese Flint, MA

Vanessa Galaviz, Ph.D., MPH

Allan Just, Ph.D.

Megan Latshaw, Ph.D.

Ana Mascareñas, MPH

Ana Maria Mora, MD, Ph.D.

Amy Padula, Ph.D.

Samantha Malone Rubright, DrPH, MPH

Seth Shonkoff, PhD, MPH

Laura Vandenberg, Ph.D.

Todd Whitehead, Ph.D.

Sara Wylie, Ph.D.

Ami Zota, ScD, MS

"I believe that scientists have a responsibility to share their research as often as possible, especially when it relates to public health," said nominator Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D. "These young scientists are doing exciting, innovative work that will influence how we address environmental challenges to our health in the future. Their webinars promise to be both interesting and informative."

Each 45-minute webinar will feature the complementary work of two pioneers, and include an opportunity for participants to ask questions. The first webinar on Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. PDT / 1 p.m. EDT is Chemicals in Consumer Products: Exposure Science at the Forefront of Regulation, featuring Simona Balan, Ph.D., Senior Environmental Scientist at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, and Todd Whitehead, PhD, Career Development Investigator at The Center for Integrative Research on Childhood Leukemia and the Environment (CIRCLE) at the University of California, Berkeley. Participants may RSVP here. More information on the webinars is available on the CHE website, and interested parties may also sign up for a newsletter announcing future webinars.

"CHE is excited to shine a light on the hard work of these 20 young pioneers in environmental health. These individuals are shaping the future of environmental health." – Karen Wang, Ph.D., director, Collaborative on Health and the Environment

The Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) cultivates a learning community based on the latest, evidence-based science to share knowledge and resources and improve individual and collective health.

CHE is focused on how environmental risks can impact human health. By informing and connecting affected and interested groups, CHE hopes to build a groundswell of demand for prevention-focused behaviors and policies, as well as economic and legal structures that protect public health.

Source: Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE)