We help our community stay informed by creating a database of relevant articles and discussing current literature on the intersections between climate and health. We also support members in initiating research projects, facilitating collaborations within our group, and connecting students to research mentors.
New Opportunity: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Summer Immersion Program
What: A 3-day education and training program for students, post-docs, and early career researchers interested in human-based in vitro, in silico, and in chemico methods, OMICS, AI and machine learning technologies to advance biomedical research, improve human health and environmental safety and risk assessment, and reduce and replace animal models. Participants will engage in hands-on training workshops, plenary lectures, technology demonstrations, networking and mentoring sessions, and hone their presentation skills at poster and flash presentation sessions.
When: May 30 – June 1, 2024
Where: Washington, D.C.
Price: FREE!
Application deadline: April 5th (rolling admissions until spots are filled). Apply here.
New Resource: CAFÉ Research Coordinating Center for the NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative
What: The CAFÉ RCC will Convene, Accelerate, Foster, and Expand the global climate change and health community of practice. To accelerate the translation of research into practical solutions, they will engage a diverse array of key stakeholders, including across government agencies, non-governmental and community-based organizations, industry, foundations, and potential funders. Their resources page features a collection of free online training modules to help undergraduate and graduate students interested in climate & health develop background knowledge and practical skills for performing research in this field.
Where: See the resources page here. CAFE RCC is a collaboration between the BU School of Public Health and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Help write a climate change and health textbook chapter:
Dr. Kevin Conrad at Ochsner Health Systems in New Orleans has a book confirmed for publication and is looking for writers for the chapters. The book is titled “Healthcare Systems and Climate Change: New Perspectives on Adapting and Overcoming Organizational Challenges.” This will be the fifth book he publishes with Springer Publishing.
Medical students, masters students, and graduate students are welcome to be writers as long as they find a faculty mentor. Each chapter will essentially be a literature review of 10-20 pages with ample sources. Please direct comments and questions to Dr. Kevin Conrad (kconrad@ochsner.org) if interested. Click here for chapters.
Climate Resources for Health Education (CRHE)
Are you interested in writing and publishing slides & cases on climate change and health?
Join the Climate Resources for Health Education (CRHE) team! We develop expert reviewed climate-health slides and cases for medical schools to use to teach students about the impact of climate change on health. Learn more about our program and sign up as a writer or expert reviewer for our program here. Attendings, fellows, residents, medical students, and non-physicians scientists are welcome!
Project Opportunities
Student Recruitment:
Open, paid LCA research associate position in our “GreenHealth Sustainability” research lab working closely with oncologists, Osama Mohamad and Katie Lichter from the University of California San Francisco, and Dr. Cassandra Thiel from New York University.
Position: Oncology Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Research Associate
Contract duration: 3-12 months (3 mo minimum, with 12+ months possible upon funding availability)
Start date: As soon as possible
Location: San Francisco, CA (remote, in-person, or hybrid).
Overview: Climate change is one of the greatest threats to global and public health today — including oncologic outcomes. Despite being on the frontlines, health care contributes an estimated 8.5% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. This has previously been quantified via LCAs; however, no LCAs have been performed within oncology. We aim to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions via a life cycle assessment for a variety of malignancy pathways.
Details: Looking for a graduate student and/or early professional with:
– Experience performing LCAs using SimaPro software.
– Prior healthcare research experience is preferred but not required.
– In depth statistical and excel skills.
– Strong work ethic is a must.
Please send CV/cover letter to katie.lichter@ucsf.edu.
Journal Club
- Upcoming Journal Clubs
- Stay tuned for our next journal club update
Research Mentors
Are you looking for research mentors to support your climate change and health related projects? Our research team can help connect you with an MS4SF mentor that shares similar interests and/or is geographically close to you.
Resources
Please refer HERE for the MS4SF-curated list of interesting journals, articles, and books featuring topics related to climate change and health. We are looking for members who are interested in reviewing the articles.
Check out the NIH Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal here for more resources!
Medical Students for a Sustainable Future 