Dr. Robert Dubrow retires to Professor Emeritus; Dr. Kai Chen appointed co-Faculty Director of Yale Center on Climate Change and Health
It is with deep gratitude that we announce the retirement of Dr. Robert Dubrow
, founding Faculty Director of the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health and Professor of Epidemiology, who has transitioned to the esteemed titles of Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Scientist. As we honor his retirement, we also celebrate the legacy he leaves behind. Dr. Dubrow has led the center with unwavering dedication and unyielding commitment to addressing the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. In less than a decade, the center has built an impressive track record of world-class research, education, and public health practice. Beyond his professional achievements, Dr. Dubrow is an outstanding mentor and dedicated teacher to countless students and young professionals, nurturing the next generation of leaders in climate change and health. We look forward to his continued contributions in his new capacity, confident that his legacy will inspire future advancements in the fight against climate change and its effects on public health.
We are also pleased to share that Dr. Kai Chen, Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Environmental Health), has been appointed as co-Faculty Director at the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health. Dr. Chen will work alongside Dr. Dubrow and Jennifer Wang, Executive Director, in guiding the center's strategic vision, with a particular focus on the development and implementation of strategic research initiatives and the promotion of interdisciplinary research collaborations within Yale and beyond. Alongside this new role, Dr. Chen will continue as the Director of Research for the center.
MPH student Aline Maybank joins NASA DEVELOP to lead research on drought and fire risk in Vermont forests
Aline Maybank, second-year Master of Public Health student in Environmental Health Sciences with a concentration in Climate Change and Health, has been accepted into the prestigious NASA DEVELOP Program this summer for her public health internship. The DEVELOP Program, part of NASA's Applied Sciences Program, bridges the gap between NASA Earth Science information and society, using interdisciplinary teams to apply Earth observations to environmental decision-making.
"I am thrilled to apply the statistical skills and comprehensive climate knowledge I've developed during my MPH program, working alongside my incredible colleagues at NASA DEVELOP this summer."
She will be serving as the Team Lead and participating in a National Centers for Environmental Information research project that quantifies the role of drought conditions in exacerbating fire potential and risk across forested lands in Vermont. This internship work aligns closely with Aline's academic focus on the impacts of extreme climate events, such as wildfires and heatwaves, on environmental management, community health outcomes, and public health policy.
YCCCH to cohost event on sustainable health systems during Climate Week NYC 2024 with The New York Academy of Medicine
On September 26-27, 2024, the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health and The New York Academy of Medicine will host a first-of-its-kind event on sustainable health systems during Climate Week NYC 2024. Health Systems Implementing Climate Action will be held in tandem with the United Nations General Assembly, bringing together leading examples of health system climate readiness innovation. This unique event will convene business and health sector leaders to present the latest research and practice findings around low carbon, resilient health care delivery, and explore building sustainable systems through actionable and scalable solutions.
Dr. Daniel Carrión and collaborators publish study on the relationship between residential segregation and heat adaptation
Dr. Daniel Carrión
, YCCCH’s Director of Education and Assistant Professor of Epidemiology (Environmental Health), collaborated with colleagues from Element 84, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the Brown University School of Public Health on a study examining whether minoritized groups experience hotter summers compared to the area average in 13 states across the northeastern United States. Using a fine-scaled spatiotemporal air temperature model and U.S. census data, their findings reveal that Black and Latino people consistently experience more cooling degree days than non-Hispanic white people within the same county. These results suggest that residential segregation contributes to summer air temperature disparities and impacts adaptive capacity, highlighting the importance of energy poverty alleviation programs.
Access the full research publication in Environmental Research Lettershere.
Dr. Jodi Sherman publishes three papers on the intersection of health care systems and environmental sustainability
“The 2024 Europe report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: unprecedented warming demands unprecedented action”
This paper, published in The Lancet Public Health, addresses the urgent need for climate action in response to record-breaking global temperatures in 2023, which threaten to exacerbate adverse health impacts worldwide. Europe, warming at twice the global average rate, faces significant health risks and unnecessary fatalities. The latest Lancet Countdown report expands to 42 health and climate indicators, revealing delayed climate action and missed health protection opportunities in Europe. New indicators cover areas like leishmaniasis, ticks, food security, and health care emissions. The report also emphasizes inequality and justice, highlighting vulnerable groups and Europe's climate responsibility.
“Single-use vs. reusable duodenoscopes: how infection knowledge gaps are driving environmental harm and what can be done”
This Gastroenterology commentary
discusses the rising use of single-use duodenoscopes (SUDs) in response to increased reports of duodenoscope-associated infections (DAIs) after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) over the past decade. While SUDs are adopted to mitigate infection risks, their environmental and public health impacts, costs, and supply chain issues raise concerns. This article emphasizes the need for better understanding and accurate data on DAI incidence to justify the use of SUDs, and advocates for standardized DAI case definitions and a reliable data repository. Such measures would support evidence-informed evaluations of the use of SUDs versus reusable duodenoscopes. Additionally, the paper suggests implementing value-based incentive programs that link health system reimbursements to standardized DAI reporting, may advance measurement and quality improvement in managing DAIs.
“The role of payers in achieving environmentally sustainable and climate resilient health care”
This Health Affairs Forefrontarticle
emphasizes the urgent need for the health care sector to transition to a more resilient and environmentally sustainable system. Health care payers can play a role in driving health care sustainability and climate resilience through five proposed strategies: reducing low-value care, accelerating the health care sector’s transition to clean energy infrastructure, providing access to environmentally preferable health care services, supporting the transition to a circular economy, and enabling whole-person care that enhances climate resilience. The article explores the dynamics of implementing these strategies across different public and private payer systems in the U.S., highlighting benefits such as improving the value of care, mitigating climate-related risks on human health and the health care system, and increased compliance with emerging GHG emission regulations.
YCCCH and Connecticut DPH host CDC and local health partners to advance climate change response
On July 1-2, YCCCH and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) hosted colleagues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health departments (LHDs) to work on Connecticut’s public health response to climate change. As part this collaboration, funded through CDC’s Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative, YCCCH is working with DPH’s Office of Climate and Health to develop trainings for LHDs on the health impacts of climate change in Connecticut. YCCCH will also be providing technical assistance to Bridgeport Health Department and Ledge Light Health District as they launch their year-long effort, supported through pilot grants from DPH, to develop local heat and air quality preparedness and response plans.
Study links high temperatures during pregnancy to increased risk of childhood leukemia
Dr. Tormod Rogne
, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases) and YCCCH Affiliated Faculty member, in collaboration with researchers from the Yale School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, and the Center for Genetic Epidemiology at the University of Southern California, and funded by YCCCH’s Pilot Grant program, led a study on the potential association between high ambient temperatures during pregnancy and the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). According to the American Cancer Society, ALL is the most common childhood cancer and disproportionately affects Latino children in the United States. Through analyzing data from California birth records and the cancer registry from 1982-2015, the study found a significant association between increased temperatures during the eighth week of gestation and a heightened risk of ALL. The results of this study emphasize the need for further research to understand
mechanistic pathways and to develop strategies to mitigate the health impacts of rising temperatures on vulnerable populations.
Read the article and access the full publication in The Lancet Planetary Healthhere.
Jobs and Opportunities
The Lancet Commission on Sustainable Healthcare
welcomes case studies to supplement their understanding of how health systems around the world are taking action on sustainability. Case reports are welcomed from all regions around the world on adaptation, risk management, and resilience-building in community and other types of settings in the face of climate change. The objective is to help inform research and policy recommendations towards sustainable health care transformation. Submit your case study here by August 31, 2024.
Save the Sound is looking to fill a Climate & Resilience Campaigns Manager position. Learn more and apply here.
WE ACT for Environmental Justice is seeking to fill multiple roles in their New York City and Washington, DC offices. A full listing of positions and their descriptions can be found here.
UPROSE is looking to fill multiple roles, including Energy Justice Coordinator and Climate Justice Organizer, on their team. Learn more and apply here.
Events in Climate Change and Health
Urban Pulse: Climate, Health and Equity in Action
Thursday, July 11, 2024 | 8:00 a.m. EDT
Virtual
Join this session for an engaging webinar exploring the critical intersection of climate change, health, and equity in urban environments. Dr. Jeannette Ickovics, Director of YCCCH’s Program on Climate Change and Urban Health, will co-host this session, exploring how cities can leverage innovative solutions and integrative planning to build health resilience. This session is part of the Urban Pulse initiative, a partnership between the Resilient Cities Network and Yale University.
