Yale accepting applications for online Climate Change and Health Certificate Program
The Yale Center on Climate Change and Health is now accepting applications for the thirteenth offering of its 21-week, fully online, Climate Change and Health Certificate Program for working professionals, including those working in public health, medicine and allied fields, mental health, health education, policy, environmental protection, energy, sustainability, government, advocacy, insurance, and other related fields. Participants in this program are trained to:
Explain the health impacts of climate change and the near-term benefits of mitigating greenhouse gases;
Discuss the specific climate change and health issues faced by the Caribbean, South Asia, or Sub-Saharan Africa;
Devise adaptation strategies to increase community or organizational resilience to the health consequences of climate change and improve health equity; and
Communicate effectively about climate change and health to enhance adaptive capacity, motivate positive changes in climate-related behaviors, and promote civic engagement to support systemic change.
The offering will begin on March 31, 2025. Scholarships based on merit are available to outstanding professionals working with low-income communities, or those residing in low- and lower-middle income countries. Candidates can visit the certificate website to learn more about the program and start their application here.
The scholarship deadline is Friday, March 14, 2025, and the application deadline is Friday, March 28, 2025.
YCCCH experts discuss impacts of wildfires and compound extreme events on cardiovascular health
Drs. Kai Chen, YCCCH’s Co-Faculty Director and Director of Research, and Harlan Krumholz, YCCCH Affiliated Faculty member, recently published a paper in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The article explores the cardiovascular health effects of wildfire smoke and the impact of compound events, such as drought and fire, and calls on the cardiovascular community to take action on this critical issue. Watch the accompanying YouTube video featuring Drs. Chen and Krumholz here.
Dr. Colin Carlson and colleagues offer recommendations for pandemic prevention amid global change
Dr. Colin Carlson, YCCCH Affiliated Faculty member, and colleagues published a paper in Nature Reviews Biodiversity that highlights the links between environmental change, biodiversity loss, and emerging infectious diseases. The paper emphasizes the growing risk of pandemics and zoonotic diseases, driven by anthropogenic factors such as climate change, wildlife change, land change, and agriculture. To prevent future health crises, the review calls for improved pathogen surveillance, ecosystem-based interventions, and better integration of disease ecology with public health.
Over 85 organizations sign letter to OSHA expressing support to protect workers from extreme heat
Heat-related illness is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S., and workers are particularly at risk. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed a new heat injury and prevention standard that could save lives and protect millions of workers in both indoor and outdoor settings. The Yale Center on Climate Change and Health is proud to join over 85 other health organizations in urging OSHA to finalize and implement this critical standard swiftly. Our joint letter also provides key recommendations to make the protections even stronger and more effective. Read the letter here.
Ming Cheng Yap advocates for heat pumps as solution for affordable, clean heating
In a recent Connecticut Mirror op-ed, Ming Cheng Yap, MPH candidate and Climate Change and Health concentration student at the Yale School of Public Health, highlights heat pumps as a crucial solution as Connecticut faces rising energy costs and public health risks associated with cold exposure. Heat pump systems can offer efficient, clean heating, reduced pollution, and lower bills, while also helping to address historical injustices when targeting adoption in underserved communities. However, increased state support is essential for widespread implementation.
Dr. Neha Pathak on engaging patients and the public
Last month, the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health kicked off its 2025 climate change and health seminar series with a lecture from Dr. Neha Pathak, chief physician editor at WebMD. Dr. Pathak discussed strategies for communicating climate-related health risks with patients and the media, emphasizing direct doctor-patient conversations and the power of storytelling to bridge gaps in awareness and action. Watch the full lecture on the center’s
YouTube page.
YCCCH welcomes 14 new Affiliated Faculty members
This year, the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health welcomed 14 new Affiliated Faculty members from the Schools of Public Health, Environment, Medicine, Nursing, Arts and Sciences, and Architecture. Now more than 80 strong, YCCCH Affiliated Faculty have expertise on a range of topics and disciplines related to climate change and health. The newest Affiliated Faculty are:
Amy Bei, PhD – Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases), School of Public Health
Laelia Benoit, MD, PhD – Clinical Fellow, School of Medicine
Jenna Butner, MD, MPH – Assistant Professor Adjunct of Medicine, School of Medicine; Assistant Clinical Professor, School of Nursing
Michael Cappello, MD – Department Chair and Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health
Deborah Coen, PhD – Professor of History & History of Science & Medicine, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Anna Dyson, MArch – Hines Professor of Sustainable Architectural Design, School of Architecture
Michel Gelobter, PhD – Executive Director, Yale Center for Environmental Justice; Lecturer, School of the Environment
Nathan Grubaugh, PhD – Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases), School of Public Health
Douglas Kysar, JD – Joseph M. Field ’55 Professor of Law, School of Law
Jennifer Marlon, PhD – Senior Research Scientist, Lecturer, and Director of Data Science, School of the Environment
LaRon Nelson, PhD, RN – Independence Foundation Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing
Rohini Pande, PhD – Henry J. Heinz II Professor of Economics and Director of the Economic Growth Center, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Chantal Vogels, PhD – Assistant Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases), School of Public Health
John Wargo, PhD – Tweedy-Ordway Professor of Environmental Health and Politics, School of the Environment
Study emphasizes impacts of long-term, severe drought on infant mortality in Africa
A new study published in PLOS Medicine and led by Dr. Pin Wang, formerly a postdoctoral fellow at YCCCH and now assistant professor at the University of Maryland, highlights the significant risks of drought on infant health in Africa. The research found that long-term exposure to severe drought in 34 African countries is linked to higher infant mortality rates. However, short-term droughts did not show the same impact. This study emphasizes the urgent need to protect pregnant women and young children from the effects of drought to help reduce infant mortality.
Connect with the Yale Center for Geospatial Solutions
The Yale Center for Geospatial Solutions aims to enable transformative research to solve humanity’s most pressing challenges—climate change, biodiversity loss, pandemics, migration, conflict—all of which intersect with public health and require geospatial skills. Led by two YCCCH Affiliated Faculty (Dr. Karen Seto, co-director, and Dr. Jennifer Marlon, executive director), the center invites the YCCCH community to connect with them on
Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Multiple positions – WE ACT for Environmental Justice (New York, NY and Washington D.C.)
Events in Climate Change and Health
Yale Events:
Data-Driven Urban Forestry Speaker Series: “Health Benefits of Urban Greening” with Matthew Browning
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 | 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. ET
Virtual
Urban greening enhances human health and well-being by reducing stress, encouraging physical activity, and mitigating air pollution, heat, and noise. However, green space is often unequally distributed, reinforcing social and environmental disparities. This lecture, hosted by the Hixon Center for Urban Sustainability
, will review the mechanisms linking nature to health, moderators like income and urbanicity, and measures of human-nature interactions. Drawing on new research, Dr. Matthew Browning, associate professor at Clemson University, will discuss the potential of urban greening to strengthen social cohesion and community resilience in a polarized society. He will conclude with a forward-looking agenda for integrating nature into the everyday lives of more people. Register for the event here.
2025 Yale Food Systems Symposium
Friday, March 28, 2025 | 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Kroon Hall, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511
The Yale Food Systems Symposium
is a bi-annual interdisciplinary conference about food systems and agriculture. The theme of this year's Symposium is Healing Harvest: Transforming Food Systems for Tomorrow. This prestigious, collaborative event will convene leaders and thinkers from across disciplines to explore food systems’ capacity to heal communities, economies, ecologies, and the human body. We are organizing a panel on how the work of leaders across the food system relates to human health which will discuss how food systems can improve the accessibility, affordability, and nutritional value of foods to improve human health. The symposium will also cover topics related to the impact of climate change on food production and food security. Register for the event here.
