Dr. Jason West

Dr. Jason West

As climate change continues to emerge as a public health concern worldwide, researchers in the UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility (CEHS) are connecting the associated increases in air pollution with cardiopulmonary disease. Jason West, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health and member of the Center’s climate change research group, shared his current research in this area at the spring 2015 CEHS stakeholder advisory board (SAB) meeting. Dr. West summarized the various public health implications of climate change, with emphasis on the co-benefits of reducing greenhouse emissions for improved air quality and human health. His group calculated that the health benefits achieved by taking action to slow climate change exceed projected costs of these actions.

The science presentation was followed by a discussion about how this information could be effectively shared with NC residents, including a discussion about potential target audiences for outreach efforts, such as policymakers and residents of vulnerable communities. Kathleen Gray, director of the CEHS Community Outreach and Engagement Core, commented on the need to continue a dialogue between researchers and stakeholders, “It’s so valuable for Center researchers to hear from our stakeholders about the environmental health issues they are dealing with in NC communities as well as their strategies for addressing those issues. These conversations help us to more effectively connect with the public health workforce across the state and others in our local communities who may be in a position to use CEHS science to improve community health.”

“I was happy to share our research with people who address environmental health locally and daily,” said West. “Their comments helped me better understand how to make our research useful.”

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