Climate and Health: Action and Research for Transformational Change (CHART)

Overall – Summary Climate change is and will remain the most significant threat to global public health; the need for robust scien- tific evidence to guide maximally effective action is paramount. The most accurate, reliable, and relevant sci- ence is essential for informing evidence-based policies and interventions to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce—if possible, minimize—associated health risks. Therefore, the highest-quality scientific evidence is crucial to ensure the actions we take are appropriate, effective, and impactful in creating more re- silient communities, reducing the burden of disease, and improving overall health outcomes and well-being. To achieve these objectives, a transdisciplinary approach is necessary, leveraging expertise from multiple differ- ent fields such as epidemiology, statistics, environmental health, sociology, toxicology, data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, climate science, engineering, and medicine, among others. The integration of diverse research disciplines into a unified framework is critical to better understand the complex nature of cli- mate change and its impacts on human health. This approach necessitates transformative, transdisciplinary, and integrative science, which involves breaking down silos between different fields of research, bringing to- gether researchers with diverse backgrounds and expertise. Community engagement is also vital in developing actionable findings that can guide equitable investments, policies, and mitigation plans. Redefining current practices and taking a more inclusive approach will ensure that scientific evidence generated through research is actionable and relevant to all communities. Climate justice must be a central consideration in all research efforts to guarantee that the outcomes benefit all populations equitably. This comprehensive approach will ena- ble researchers to work collaboratively towards mitigating the effects of climate change and improving global health outcomes. To address this urgent need and build capacity in climate and health research, in line with the NIH Climate and Health Initiative, we have designed the Climate and Health: Action and Research for Transformational Change (CHART) Center. CHART’s mission and overarching aim is to launch a transforma- tive and integrative framework for climate health research, from molecules to populations, that drives evidence- based impactful solutions. Specifically, CHART will: (1) create a unified framework for integrating climate and health research efforts across Columbia University; (2) strengthen and broaden transdisciplinary and integra- tive research capabilities to shape the future of climate and health research with a strong focus on climate jus- tice; and (3) reconceptualize community engagement to optimize the impact of translation and dissemination. CHART's mission is to establish a transformative and integrative framework for evidence-based impactful solu- tions in climate health research across all levels, from molecules to populations, and shape the future for rigor- ous and transdisciplinary climate and health research. We have assembled a highly skilled and transdiscipli- nary team and designed a rigorous plan to accomplish this overarching objective.