NIEHS doctor to discuss impact of climate change on children's health

May 3 2010

John Balbus, MD, MPH, Senior Advisor for Public Health at the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), will discuss the significant public health threats and opportunities presented by climate change and how children around the world may be affected. Dr. Balbus will present the keynote lecture, "Putting a Human Face On Climate Change: A Public Health Perspective," at 5 p.m. PT, Saturday, May 1, at the 2010 Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) opening general session at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre in British Columbia, Canada.

"Research is telling us that the health of our planet and the health of people, especially our children, are tied together," said Dr. Balbus. "While the long-term health threats from future climate change could be severe, the immediate health benefits could be substantial if we take effective actions to reduce the extent of climate change. Efforts to reduce climate pollution for example, will also help provide healthier air for our children to breathe."

Board-certified in internal medicine and occupational medicine, Dr. Balbus received his AB degree in Biochemistry from Harvard University, his MD from the University of Pennsylvania, and his MPH from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Dr. Balbus founded the Center for Risk Science and Public Health at the George Washington University School of Public Health. There he practiced clinical occupational and environmental medicine as an associate professor. Prior to joining NIEHS, Dr. Balbus was the chief health scientist for the non-profit organization Environmental Defense Fund.

In addition to the EPA Science Advisory Board, Dr. Balbus has served as a member of the National Research Council's Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research and Medicine, and the EPA Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics