Thirteen new Climate and Health Scholars bring expertise to NIH

By Samantha Ebersold

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Climate Change and Health Initiative (CCHI) named 13 researchers to the 2024-2025 cohort of Climate and Health Scholars. The Climate and Health Scholars Program, a key pillar of the NIH CCHI, is designed to strengthen capacity at NIH for conducting climate and health research through collaborative projects and knowledge sharing between academia and the federal government. The scholars will share their unique expertise with NIH researchers, program staff, and the broader NIH community through seminar presentations, workshops, and innovative research projects.

"We are thrilled to welcome this exceptional group of scholars to NIH," said Adriana Costero-Saint Denis, Ph.D., of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who serves as director of the Scholars program. "I am looking forward to seeing how the Scholars help NIH build its capability for conducting groundbreaking research on the relationship between climate and health.”

The scholars will work collaboratively with NIH staff to identify critical knowledge gaps in climate and health research and translate findings into actionable interventions for vulnerable communities.

A growing program

Now in its third year, the Climate and Health Scholars Program continues to grow in scope and size. The number of Scholars in this cohort grew to 13, nearly double the size of each of the previous two cohorts. The 2024-2025 Scholars also represent the broadest range of academic disciplines the program has seen. This year, the fields of expertise include epidemiology, social science, environmental health, biomedicine, psychiatry, and pharmacoepidemiology.

In previous years, scholars organized capacity building workshops, facilitated webinars, conducted landscape analyses, did outreach to scientific societies, and shared data resources and access strategies with their host institutes and center. This knowledge proved invaluable, increasing interest across NIH in hosting a Climate and Health Scholar. As a result, six new institutes, centers, and the NIH Office of the Director are hosting a Climate and Health Scholar for the first time this year. ?

“The NIH Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) is excited to host our first Climate and Health Scholar, Jaime Madrigano, Sc.D., who brings a wealth of experience in environmental and social determinants of health, including climate change and extreme weather, environmental pollution, and environmental justice,” said Jacqueline Lloyd, Ph.D., senior advisor for Disease Prevention and ODP Climate Health Scholar Ambassador. “We recognize that this partnership will be a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of climate-resilient public health.”

By embedding these experts across a greater number of institutes, centers, and offices, NIH is expanding the scope of its research programs, demonstrating support for the next generation of climate and health scientists, and positioning itself as a leader in addressing the far-reaching and complex consequences of a changing climate on human health.

Meet the Scholars

The visiting scholars will remain at NIH until September 2025. As part of their program requirements, each Scholar will make a publicly available presentation as part of the NIH CCHI Seminar Series.

The 2024-2025 cohort of Climate and Health Scholars includes the following.

·???????? Sue Anne Bell, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Nursing, University of Michigan School of Nursing Host:?National Institute on Aging Seminar Presentation: April 29, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Daniel Carrión, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Director of Education for Climate Change and Health, Yale School of Public Health Host:?National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Seminar Presentation: September 9, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET

·???????? José Guillermo Cede?o Laurent, Sc.D. Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, Rutgers School of Public Health Host:?National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Seminar Presentation: August 19, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Jaime Madrigano, Sc.D. Bloomberg Associate Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health? Host:?NIH Office of Disease Prevention Seminar Presentation: March 31, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Kimberley Miner, Ph.D. Climate Scientist and Program Manager, NASA Jet Propulsion Labs at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Host:?National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Seminar Presentation: May 20, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Eugene Richardson, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School Host: NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Seminar Presentation: May 30, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Jason Rohr, Ph.D. Professor of Biological Sciences and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame Host:?Fogarty International Center Seminar Presentation: March 18, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Patrick Ryan, Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics and Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati Host:?National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases? Seminar Presentation: April 23, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Soko Setoguchi, M.D., Dr.P.H. Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Rutgers University Host: National Cancer Institute Seminar Presentation: June 30, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Christopher Uejio, Ph.D. Professor of Geography and Public Health, Florida State University Host:?National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Seminar Presentation: February 24, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Leyao Wang, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst Host:?National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Seminar Presentation: June 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Joshua Wortzel, M.D. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Clinical Scientist, Institute of Living - Hartford HealthCare; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine Host:?National Institute of Mental Health Seminar Presentation: July 22, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET

·???????? Jun Wu, Ph.D. Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of California, Irvine Host:?NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Seminar Presentation: July 30, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET

More information about each individual scholar and their research interests can be found by visiting the Climate and Health Scholars webpage.?

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