Health Policy Day: how all aspects of your environment impact health

Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy will host its annual Health Policy Day on May 4. The virtual seminar will address environmental justice topics and how physical, social and structural surroundings can impact our health. This year’s event is co-sponsored by the Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Health.

Baylor faculty members and community leaders will address the following issues:

•    How criminal justice relates to environmental science
•    Health effects of exposure to environmental contaminants
•    Ethics and justice of space exploration
•    Environmental impact on maternal and infant health

Two keynote speakers also will join the program. Danielle Deane-Ryan, director of equitable climate solutions at the Bezos Earth Fund, will discuss clean energy, equity and philanthropy. Cedric Taylor, visiting associate professor of environmental justice at the University of Michigan, will discuss how to communicate injustice through the powerful lens of documentary.

“We’re excited to virtually bring together experts in science, policy, philanthropy, media, medicine and public health to discuss how to ensure a healthier, more equitable future,” said Dr. Amy McGuire, Leon Jaworski Professor of Biomedical Ethics and director of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor. “This event will spotlight the breadth of societal situations that impact health and discuss tangible, practical ideas and solutions that can lower barriers to health and equality and drive better outcomes.”

“In this era of climate change and increased vulnerability to natural disasters, it is important to understand the impact of both the natural environment and exposure to man-made chemicals on our health,” said Dr. Cheryl Walker, professor of molecular and cellular biology and director of the Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Health at Baylor. “Today, environmental health research is opening new opportunities to prevent, rather than treat, disease.”

The event will be hosted on Zoom from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register and see the full event program here.