2023 Regional ISEE NAC Meeting, Corvallis, OR

Project Summary The North American Chapter (NAC) of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) was established by the ISEE Council in January 2019. Its mission is to promote and strengthen scientific research in environmental epidemiology, with a focus on the countries within North America, considering the wide range of issues that are both specific to countries in the region and to those faced by ISEE members worldwide. Specifically, NAC supports the ISEE mission by (1) promoting scientific research on environmental health, especially environmental epidemiology; (2) encouraging the collaboration of researchers between institutions within the region; (3) engaging in education, training, and career development in environmental epidemiology; (4) bridging the gap between the discoveries of research and translation into public health policy. Integral to the NAC mission, therefore, is a regional meeting where members can interact, learn from one another, and form collaborations, in addition to the annual global ISEE meeting. We are organizing the first-ever ISEE NAC regional meeting, to be held in June 2023 in Corvallis, OR. This meeting will provide the space and opportunity for the exchange of ideas and potential solutions to pressing environmental health issues in North America. Our goal is that this meeting will provide a unique forum for a cross-section of environmental epidemiologists, regulatory personnel, and public health professionals to present their work, develop new collaborations, and interact to discern solutions to emerging environmental health issues. Importantly, it will also provide training, educational, and networking for junior investigators. The theme of the conference is Environmental Justice and Climate Connections, focusing on two pressing issues in North America today: health and exposure disparities and the climate crisis. This meeting is expected to: (1) highlight ISEE NAC research related to environmental justice and climate change epidemiology; (2) bring together environmental health scientists from across the United States and Canada to move forward policy-relevant research; and (3) create networking and professional development opportunities for junior investigators in environmental epidemiology. One of our continuing goals is to increase the diversity of our membership. Therefore, we propose to use the requested funds primarily for travel awards for selected attendees, emphasizing early- career individuals and participants from historically underrepresented groups. In addition, we will also provide speaker fees to the keynote speakers (Drs. Cardenas, Garcia, González, James-Todd). The proposed funds will significantly improve accessibility to and inclusivity of the ISEE NAC conference, diversify conversations and discussed science, and enhance our ability to translate research into meaningful and equitable policy.