Note: This symposium is only open to staff and students from Imperial College London and partner institutions.

Environmental change poses a major challenge to human health in many parts of the world, particularly in developing countries. Global warming effects, such as sea level rise and extreme weather events, are expected to combine with the impacts of increased urbanisation, land conversion for agriculture, and water scarcity to exacerbate health outcomes.

Tackling the challenges of mitigation and adaptation requires a highly interdisciplinary approach, that brings together a diverse range of disciplines including Public Health, Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics. Although there is a breadth of research being conducted on global environmental issues and human health impacts at Imperial College London, researchers and students rarely get the opportunity to engage, network and learn from colleagues conducting research in this space.

Aim

The aim of this symposium is to foster interdisciplinary awareness and collaboration between researchers working on Health and Wellbeing on a Changing Planet at Imperial College London.

Confirmed speakers:

Panel discussion

• Professor Matthew Fisher (School of Public Health)

• Dr Audrey de Nazelle (Centre for Environmental Policy)

• Professor Mark Rehkämper (Earth Science & Engineering)

• Dr Lauren Cator (Life Sciences)

• Dr Seth Flaxman (Mathematics)

• Dr Laure de Preux (Business School)

Q & A session

• Dave Stone – Natural England

• Samuel Hinsley – The Lancet

• Dr Giovanni Leonardi – Public Health England

Timetable

The day will include a panel featuring researchers from a range of disciplines, a question/answer session with external stakeholders who are vital to the research pipeline (e.g. funding, publication and policy). It will conclude with an interactive workshop, and an evening social event.

10.00 - 10.30 Coffee and Introduction

10.30 - 11.00 Welcome and Opening Remarks

11.00 - 12.30 Health and Wellbeing on a Changing Planet Research at Imperial – (Panel session)

12:30 - 13.30 Lunch

13.30 - 15.00 Environmental change and health research pipeline (Q & A session)

15:00 - 15:30 Coffee break

15:30 - 16:30 Roadmap for research at Imperial (Workshop)

16:30 - 16:45 Closing remarks

This event is hosted by staff and students from both The Grantham Institute and the School of Public Health. It is funded by the Grantham Institute, and was devised as a part of the 'Challenge Team' activities implemented by the SSCP DTP PhD program run by the Grantham. This event is open to all students and staff at Imperial College London who wish to find out more about the breadth of research on environmental change and health impacts at Imperial. We feel that it is an excellent opportunity to engage with likeminded individuals who are working on key global environmental health issues with the aim of forging a community for collaboration.