BUSPH-HSPH, Senator Markey host conference in support of new climate change and health research coordinating center
On Thursday, July 20, 2023, New England Council members, Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), hosted a conference on Capitol Hill in partnership with Senator Ed Markey’s office to present the development of its new CAFÉ Research Coordinating Center (RCC).
The initiative aims to tackle the multilateral effects of climate change on public health and safety. The CAFÉ will Convene, Accelerate, Foster, and Expand the global climate change and health community of practice. To accelerate the translation of research into practical solutions, the program will engage a diverse array of key stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental and community-based organizations, industry, foundations, and potential funders.
Conference attendees heard from frontline climate and healthcare researchers and community organizers with intimate knowledge of climate effects on the Greater Boston Area. The group recently received an NIH grant which leading investigators plan to allocate toward research and inclusive capacity-building efforts.
“The idea of this cooperative agreement is a little bit different than the traditional grant structure,” said Amruta Nori-Sarma, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health at BUSPH. “It’s more about convening and fostering the worldwide climate and health community and bringing different stakeholders together as we try to make progress toward understanding the impact that climate has on different health outcomes.”
The New England Council commends BUSPH and HSPH for this important initiative.
Read more via the Boston University website.