Climate change, public health and local action
Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health 2025 Annual Conference
The Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health Conference will discuss research and evidence on the rapidly evolving public health policies relating to sustainable cities, health protection for climate risks, and the future of food systems. The 2025 Annual Conference will present recent research on climate and health, in discussion with key decision makers.
Key audience are public health professionals, local government, researchers, and postgraduate students. This event is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through the Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health.
Please note this event will be live-streamed via Zoom. Only in-person attendees will need to register.
Programme
- 09:30-10:00 Registration
- 10:00-10:10 Welcome & introduction to the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Environmental Change and Health
Professor Shakoor Hajat, HPRU Director, LSHTM
Professor Raquel Duarte-Davidson, HPRU Lead, UKHSA
- 10:10-10:25 Keynote #1: A healthy, well-adapted and net zero future for the UK
Gideon Amos OBE, MP for Taunton and Wellington, Vice Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Healthy Homes and Buildings
- 10:25-11:15 Session #1: Climate change, food systems, and public health
Chair: Dr Pete Falloon, Met Office Science Lead for Food Security
- How healthy and environmentally friendly are non-meat alternatives? Sarah Nájera Espinosa, LSHTM
- Food safety and climate change. Neena George, UKHSA
- Climate change impacts on UK food security. Grace Turner, LSHTM
- Extreme weather and the impact on mental health in farmers. Dan Blake, UKHSA
- 11:15-11:45 Tea/coffee break
Pumphandle Social Cafe & Courtyard
- 11:45-12:30 Session #2: Sustainable cities: addressing adaptation and mitigation
Chair: Professor Mike Davies, UCL
- Quantifying the health benefits of transport interventions in the West Midlands. Ruksana Rimi, UKHSA
- Nature-based solutions for environmental hazards; an example of urban vegetation air quality mitigation potential. Peninah Murage, LSHTM
- Barrier and facilitators to implementing urban greenspace measures: stakeholder perspectives. Ingrid Kerr, UKHSA
- 12:30-13:00 Panel discussion: environmental change and healthy place shaping
Panel
Professor Tim Taylor, Associate Professor in Environmental and Public Health Economics, University of Exeter
Dr Angela Hands, Housing Planning and Environment for Health Team, Office of Health Improvement and Disparities
Lourdes Madigasekera-Elliott, Public Health Strategic Lead: Creating Healthy Places, East Sussex County Council
- 13:00-14:00 Lunch
Pumphandle Social Cafe & Courtyard
- 14:00-14:50 Session #3: Health protection for climate risks
Chair : Dr Sari Kovats, LSHTM
- Identifying who is at risk of heat-related mortality. Ross Thompson, UKHSA/LSHTM
- Developing risk communication for heat health protection. Helena Wehling and Priyanjali Ratwatte, UKHSA
- Evidence for impacts of heat on health services for older people. Dr Luis Baptista Mieiro, LSHTM
- Adaptation in housing and care homes. Amr Hamada, UCL/Giorgos Petrou, UCL
- 14:50-15:10 Panel discussion: facilitating local action
Panel
Dr Greg Fell, President, Association of the Directors of Public Health and Director of Public Health in Sheffield
Dr Helen Adams, Senior Lecturer in Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation, King’s College London and Director the UKRI Adaptation Hub
- 15:10-15:30 Tea/coffee break
Pumphandle Social Cafe & Courtyard
- 15:30 -16:10 Session #4: Emerging themes in tracking and monitoring for climate and health
Chair: Professor Raquel Duarte-Davidson, UKHSA
- Chemical hazards and climate change. Lydia Izon-Cooper, UKHSA
- Population displacement, migration and climate change. Dr Valentina Guercio, UKHSA
- Managing emerging infectious disease risks. Alexander Vaux, UKHSA
- 16:10-16:20 Keynote #2: UKHSA strategy on climate change and health security
Professor Lea Berrang Ford, UKHSA, Head of the UKHSA Centre for Climate and Health Security
- 16:20-16:30 Close and thanks
Professor Shakoor Hajat, HPRU Director, LSHTM
Event notices
- Please note that you can join the event in person to watch the session or you can join the session remotely.
- Please note that the recording link will be listed on this page when available.
Admission
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