Breast Cancer and the Environment: What do we know and how can we reduce exposures?
This recorded webinar will review what science tells us about the role
of environmental chemicals, including endocrine disrupting chemicals, in breast
cancer. With a focus on homes and communities, we will discuss steps people can
take to reduce exposures to breast cancer-related chemicals.
**Instructions to access the recorded webinar will be provided after you register.**
Learning
Objectives
At the conclusion of this recorded webinar,
participants will be able to:
- define genetic and environmental risk factors linked to breast cancer;
- define endocrine disrupting chemicals and describe their sources and exposure patterns; and
- identify opportunities at multiple scales to limit exposures to chemicals related to breast cancer.
Target
Audience
This presentation is appropriate for anyone
concerned with cancer and the environmental risk factors for cancer.
Instructor
Robin E. Dodson, ScD, a research scientist at Silent Spring Institute, has
over 13 years of experience of investigating
environmental exposures of chemicals linked to a range of health outcomes
including asthma, altered neurological and reproductive development, and breast
cancer. Her research focuses on exposure to consumer product chemicals and has
been used to identify exposure sources and implement effective exposure
reduction strategies in homes. Dodson also
holds appointments at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as a
Visiting Scientist and at Boston University School of Public Health
as an Adjunct Assistant Professor.
Technology Requirements
This recorded webinar is presented
through the Vimeo Internet-based platform. A computer with high-speed internet
connection and the ability to download and run this platform is required.
For more information about this course or for assistance with registration, contact marphtc@pitt.edu.
If you require an accommodation to participate in this training, contact marphtc@pitt.edu.
Creation Date
This training was recorded
February 16, 2022.
Climate Change: What's law got to do with it?
Join
us as we examine the U.S. laws and international agreements that bear on the
regulation of the heat-trapping pollutants that cause climate change, and the
role of public health impacts in shaping those regulations.
**Instructions
to access the recording will be provided after you register.**
Learning
Objectives
At the
conclusion of this recorded webinar, participants will be able to:
- describe the sections of the Clean Air Act that govern the pollutants that contribute to climate change;
- identify the international agreements that govern the regulation of such pollutants; and
- discuss political influences, both in the U.S. and globally, that bear on the likelihood of successfully addressing climate change.
Target
Audience
This recorded
webinar is appropriate for professionals, academics, and students
interest in climate change as well as climate-concerned citizens.
Instructor
James Van Nostrand, JD, LLM, MA is the Director of
the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development and a professor at West
Virginia University College of Law.
Technology
Requirements
This
recorded webinar is presented through the Vimeo Internet-based platform. A
computer with high-speed internet connection and the ability to download and
run this platform is required.
Creation Date
This training was recorded 11/18/20.
For
more information about this course or for assistance with registration, contact
marphtc@pitt.edu.
Environmental Determinants of Health
This training
will provide
participants with a
framework for understanding the major environmental factors that impact human
health. The sources of problems,
such as death due to environmental factors, air pollution and climate change, relevant legislation, and
interventions utilized for prevention and control are discussed. The
training is broken into three modules with interactive quizzing. You’ll find this engaging,
interactive training is your fast track to grasping all the factors around us
that impact everyone’s health every day.
**Instructions to access the course will be provided after you register.**
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:
- define ‘environment’ as it pertains to public health;
- describe the burden of death and disability due to environmental factors and workplace environments;
- identify the origins and effectiveness of various environmental regulations created to improve public health; and
- describe the actions that can be taken to affect the global climate.
Part 1 length: 10:05 minutes
Part 2 length: 17:10 minutes
Part 3 length: 20:02 minutes
Target
Audience
This
presentation is appropriate for public health practitioners with varying
professional experiences and diverse educational backgrounds.
Instructor
Jerry Fagliano, MPH, PhD is an Associate Clinical
Professor and the Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational
Health at Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health. Fagliano spent 30
years in public health practice at the New Jersey Department of Health. As the
senior environmental/occupational epidemiologist, he managed the Environmental
and Occupational Health Surveillance Program where he oversaw a broad portfolio
of responsibilities: surveillance of work-related diseases and injuries;
tracking of environmental exposures and related health outcomes; assessment of
public health hazards posed by hazardous sites; risk assessments of drinking
water contaminants; investigations of disease clusters; and epidemiologic
investigations related to air and water pollutants. His most recent research
publications include articles on pediatric asthma and air pollutants,
legionellosis and drinking water, perfluorinated chemicals and effect
biomarkers, and surveillance of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Level
This training is appropriate for those
who have little or no experience with the environmental determinants health.
Technology
Requirements
A computer with high-speed
internet connection is required to view this course.
Continuing Education
Credits
Continuing education credits
are not offered for this training.
Creation Date
This training was created in
October 2021.
For more information about this course, contact cphp@drexel.edu. For assistance with registration, contact marphtc@pitt.edu.
If you require an accommodation to participate in this training, contact marphtc@pitt.edu.
Exploring and Addressing Climate Change and Public Health
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This recorded webinar series the connection between climate change and public health. Exploring Climate Change and Public Health: When the Levee Breaks, provides an overview of the basics of climate science and their implications for public health. The connection between fossil fuel consumption and changes in the composition of the atmosphere are described. The resulting observable and anticipated changes in climate such as increased heat extreme weather, increases in extreme precipitation events such as droughts, flooding, and storms, loss of ice, and sea level rise, among other concerns, will all have impacts on a wide range of human systems. We will discuss the impact of these changes on many areas of public health. Addressing Climate Change and Public Health: After the Levee Breaks, provides an overview of the direct implications of climate change for public health. Anticipated changes due to ocean acidification, ecosystem change, biodiversity loss, and the incidence of infectious diseases, among other concerns, will all have impacts on a wide range of human systems that affect health. We will discuss the impact of these changes, the policies and technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the need for strategies for both mitigation and adaptation.
**Instructions to access the course will be provided after you register.*
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of Part 1, participants will be able to:
- explain the rationale, including associated evidence used to support the case for anthropogenic changes in global climate sysystems;
- describe the connections between anticipated changes in climate, human health, and public health services; and
- list two potential areas to explore for mitigation and adaptation.
- explain how climate change will impact ecosystems that are directly related to human activity;
- describe the connections between these anticipated changes and human society and how this will affect human health and our capacity to manage public health impacts; and
- list potential responses to climate change that explain where we can mitigate change and where adaptation will likely be required.
Target Audience
This course is appropriate for public health practitioners with varying professional experiences and diverse educational backgrounds.
Instructor
Robert Duval, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Health Policy, Management, and Leadership at West Virginia University. His research and teaching interests range from foreign policy, national security policy, climate change, environmental and energy policy, and health policy. Overarching these areas of interest is a strong focus on research methods for policy analysis. Duval previously served as chair of the Department of Health Policy, Management, and Leadership and has also served as the associate dean for operations for the School of Public Health. Prior to coming to West Virginia University, he was an environmental economist for the State of Florida.
Technology Requirements
This course is presented through the Vimeo Internet-based platform. A computer with high-speed internet connection and the ability to download and run this platform is required.
For more information about this course or for assistance with registration, contact marphtc@pitt.edu.
Creation Date
This training was created in May 2022.
Fracking Impacts: Community Concerns and What the Science Tells Us
The fracking industry has rapidly expanded over the past decade in southwester Pennsylvania. This extractive industry has put community safety and health at risk. We will discuss how oil and gas drilling operations have impacted our community. Many families are concerned about what impacts general
exposure to pollution from the industry will have, while others have already
experienced health effects ranging from eye irritations to cancer. We will also address the science around
health and environmental exposure when it comes to fracking, including the
large amount of research that already exists, how it explains the health impacts
we are seeing, the gaps in knowledge, and what can be done with the information
we already have.
**Instructions to access the recorded webinar will be provided after you register.**
Instructors
Heaven Sensky is a Washington County local and Organizing Director
for the Center for Coalfield Justice. She primarily serves Washington and
Greene Counties around issues of oil and gas development. Her campaigns include
advocating around the local childhood cancer crisis, advocating for harm
reduction in relation to the opioid epidemic, and the intersections of racial
and environmental justice. She is a graduate of American University with a
bachelor's degree in communications, law studies, and economics and government.
Sensky serves as a Co-Chair of the External Advisory Board for the PA
Environmental Health Study.
Laura Dagley, BSN, RN, is the Medical Advocacy Coordinator for Physicians
for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania (PSR PA). She has worked in hospital,
home health, and hospice settings, where she began to connect her patient's
health to their environment. She now works in Pittsburgh as an advocate for
health care providers, their patients, and the environments in which they live.
Her focus is educating on the research surrounding the health impacts from the
oil and gas industry, where she has reviewed research, testified as an expert
witness, organized CMEs for health care providers, and coordinated outreach
around PSR's Compendium.
Technology
Requirements
This
recorded webinar is presented through the Vimeo Internet-based platform. A
computer with high-speed internet connection and the ability to download and
run this platform is required.
For more information about
this course or for assistance with registration, contact marphtc@pitt.edu.
Creation Date
This
training was recorded June 2, 2022.
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: What are these forever chemicals and why worry?
Per-
and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have been dubbed the forever chemical
because once released into the environment, they never break down. Whether you
have heard about them or not, the likelihood is almost 100% that you have them
in your body. PFAS are used in a surprising array of industrial and consumer
products. Unfortunately, many PFAS are now known to be toxic as well as
difficult to break down. This recorded webinar provides a brief introduction to
the wild world of PFAS chemicals, in what products and settings they are used,
how people are exposed to them, and the known health effects, including links
to several types of cancer. We will also discuss current and expected policy
responses to the PFAS problem in the U.S. and on a global scale.
**Instructions
to access the recording will be provided after you register.**
Target
Audience
This presentation is appropriate for anyone
concerned about cancer.
Instructor
Dr. Carla Ng is an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of
Pittsburgh, with a secondary appointment in Environmental and Occupational
Health. Her group’s research focuses on the development of models for the fate
of legacy and emerging chemicals in organisms and ecosystems. Current areas of
active research include development of toxicokinetic models for PFAS in
organisms and simulating protein-PFAS interactions to understand PFAS fate and
toxicity. She is particularly interested in developing mechanistic models to
understand and predict the interactions between emerging chemicals, human
activity, and ecological systems.
Technology
Requirements
This
course is presented through the Vimeo Internet-based platform. A computer with
high-speed internet connection and the ability to download and run this
platform is required.
For
more information about this course or for assistance with registration, contact
marphtc@pitt.edu.
Creation Date
This
training was recorded April 7, 2022.
Public Health, Water Security, and Climate Change: A West Virginia Perspective
Climate change has emerged as one of the greatest challenges for humanity in the 21st century, with the strategic importance of clean and reliable water resources expected to intensify as warming produces more frequent and intense extreme events that disrupt day-to-day life. From a public health perspective, climate change poses a myriad of challenges, from natural disasters and water pollution, to heat waves and disease. Design specifications for the safety and health of the public—from executing emergency response and management protocols during disasters; dealing with flood protection, waste water treatment, and pollution discharge; constructing roads, culverts, bridges, and dams—all are based on last century’s climate. Without taking steps to safeguard communities by considering the effects of climate change, the vulnerability of communities is unduly increased. This recorded webinar will discuss the science of climate change; provide an overview of regional changes in climate and why it matters; and explore implications of a warming climate on community vulnerability and water security.
**Instructions to access the recording will be provided after you register.**
Learning
Objectives
At the
conclusion of this recorded webinar, participants will be able to:
- define climate change and discuss what it is, why it is happening, and what it means for public health professionals and regional water security;
- describe how climate change is affecting air temperature, precipitation, and water resources throughout the region; and
- discuss implications of climate change on community vulnerability and identify communities that have greater risks to floods, droughts, excessive heat, and water pollution.
Target
Audience
This
recorded webinar is appropriate for professionals, academics, and students
interest in climate change as well as climate-concerned citizens.
Instructor
Nicolas
Zegre, PhD
is an associate professor of forest hydrology at West Virginia University and
director of the WVU Mountain Hydrology Laboratory.
Technology
Requirements
This recorded webinar is
presented through the Vimeo Internet-based platform. A computer with high-speed
internet connection and the ability to download and run this platform is
required.
Creation Date
This training was recorded 10/29/20.
For more information about
this course or for assistance with registration, contact marphtc@pitt.edu.
If you require an accommodation to participate in this training, please email marphtc@pitt.edu as soon as possible.
Reducing Exposure to Chemicals in Food While Nourishing Your Body for Cancer Prevention
Eating
well for cancer prevention has never been more confusing. Nutrition advice for
cancer prevention can often appear conflicting. We are living in an
ever-expanding age of ‘nutritionism,’ where the emphasis is on nutrients and
components that make up our food rather than on food itself and how we consume
food. As a result, eating healthy for cancer prevention has become
unnecessarily complex. Each day we are faced with conflicting messages about
nutrition and health from the media, food and supplement industries, family,
peers, and so-called professionals. Join Crystal Pace, Registered Dietitian to
de-bunk common myths related to eating well for cancer prevention. This
recorded webinar de-bunks common myths related to eating well for cancer
prevention. Throughout this presentation we explore the benefits of consuming a
primarily plant-based diet for reducing cancer risk. You will learn more about
foods that may increase or decrease cancer risk, and how to reduce exposure to
toxic chemicals in food.
**Instructions to access the recorded webinar will be provided after you register.**
Instructor
Crystal Pace, MS, RD is a Registered Dietitian for the Anticancer Lifestyle Program. She is also a Certified Intuitive
Eating Counselor, yoga teacher, and Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach. After graduating with
her BS in nutrition from the University of New Hampshire, Pace went on to
pursue her MS in nutrition from New York University. Her specialty lies in
helping individuals learn to eat without the side of guilt and teaching others
how to properly nourish, respect, and appreciate their bodies. Pace believes in the importance of
taking g a personalized, holistic approach toward optimal health and
well-being.
Target
Audience
This
presentation is appropriate for anyone concerned about cancer.
Technology
Requirements
This recorded webinar is presented through
the Vimeo Internet-based platform. A computer with high-speed internet
connection and the ability to download and run this platform is required.
For more information about this course or for assistance with registration, contact marphtc@pitt.edu.
If you require an accommodation to participate in this webinar, contact marphtc@pitt.edu.
Creation Date
This training was recorded
March 3, 2022.
Sustainable Consumption: Exploring and Addressing Healthy Food Access
Sustainable Consumption, as a concept, explores food from farm to table to waste stream with the overarching considerations of environmental sustainability, economic viability, and social justice. This four-part series explores food security; conventional agricultural practices; and how Western food purchasing decisions can be of concern not only for the climate and environment, but for local economies and social justice.
While long-term solutions to
food insecurity will require systemic policy changes, several programs and
initiatives currently exist to connect at-risk populations to healthy foods.
Video 1, Sustainable Consumption: Exploring Healthy Food Access,
introduces the series by exploring food security, including the prevalence of
food insecurity and its ramifications.
Video 2, Addressing
Healthy Food Access, addresses actions that can be and are being taken by
health care providers, community organizations, concerned citizens, and
governmental organizations to promote healthy food access for all.
Video 3, Sustainable Consumption: Addressing Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability through Food and Agricultural Practices, describes how current food and agriculture practices in the U.S. negatively affect the climate and the environment. It focuses on the concepts and actions of sustainable agriculture and sustainable consumption by exploring alternatives to food and agricultural practices that may mitigate agriculture’s contribution to climate change and environmental degradation.
Video 4, Sustainable Consumption: Supporting a Sustainable Food System through Personal Food Purchasing Decisions, expands the definitions of a sustainable food system and sustainable consumption and explores the impact of our food purchasing decisions. With an eye towards decisions that all people can make, regardless of income, this webinar explores meat eating and alternatives; ultra-processed foods and packaging; supporting local farmers; and how to decipher eco-labels that may or may not reflect attributes of a sustainable food system.**Instructions to access the course will be provided after you register.**
Learning ObjectivesAt the conclusion of this series, participants will be able to:
- describe the attributes of a sustainable diet;
- recognize the prevalence of food insecurity and its physical and mental health ramifications;
- identify people and/or populations at risk of food insecurity;
- describe actions that are and can be taken by health care organizations and providers to address food insecurity and increase access to healthy food;
- identify community-based solutions and publicly-funded programs that promote healthy food access;
- identify changes to agricultural practices and consumption patterns that will decrease agriculture’s contribution to climate change;
- compare alternatives to conventionally raised beef for meat-eating consumers; and
- identify steps to reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods.
Target
Audience
This presentation is appropriate for social
service staff working in programs for women, children, youth, and families;
hospital and clinical-based social workers; visiting nurses; health educators;
and public health practitioners focused on human health.
Instructor
Miriam Seidel, MS, RDN,
LDN is a registered dietitian with a
master’s degree in nutrition. Her areas of expertise include sustainable food
systems, food access, and food security; nutrition; and chronic disease
prevention. As an Assistant Professor in the Falk School of Sustainability and
Environment at Chatham University, Seidel explores the environmental impact of
agriculture, the economic and health consequences of our conventional food
system, and social justice issues that arise due to poverty and systemic
racism. Recent research includes efforts to increase utilization of the WIC
Farmers' Market Nutrition Program; assessing the impact of COVID-19 on PA
farmers; and implementing diabetes prevention programs in underserved
communities. Seidel is co-chair of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council’s
Steering Committee and past member, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s
Board of Directors.
Technology
Requirements
This course is presented through the Vimeo
Internet-based platform. A computer with high-speed internet connection and the
ability to download and run this platform is required.
For more information about
this course or for assistance with registration, contact marphtc@pitt.edu.
Creation Date
This
training was created in May 2022.