Visiting Professor Jonathan Patz: Free public lecture

The School of Public Health, Doctors for the Environment (Queensland branch) and the Australian Epidemiological Association  are excited to host climate change and health expert, Professor Jonathan Patz, for this public lecture.

Professor Patz will be introduced by the A/Head of School, Associate Professor Sheleigh Lawler, and thanks will be delivered by Doctors for the Environment Queensland representative, Dr David King.

Title: Solving the climate crisis offers potentially the largest health opportunity of our lifetime

The cause of the climate crisis - burning fossil fuels - is also at the root cause of poor air quality, cities designed more for cars than for people, and unsustainable food sources. An economy less dependent of fossils, therefore, could greatly reduce disease burden, especially from non-communicable diseases. Join public health academics and medical doctors working for a health-supportive climate for an evening lecture to provide climate information, hope for beneficial solutions, and an active discussion of the largest health opportunity of our lifetime!

Invitees: A public lecture open to all interested

Cost: Free but registration is essential

Light refreshments will be provided in the Boardroom on Level 3 (room 315) after the event and attendees are encouraged to stay on for conversation with the speaker and host organisations. We generously recognise the contribution of the host organisations for the catering.

Hosts: This event is co-hosted by the School of Public Health at The University of Queensland, Doctors for the Environment (Queensland branch) and the Australian Epidemiological Association.

Our guest speaker

Professor Jonathan Patz, M.D., MPH, (@jonathanpatz) was inaugural director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before stepping down in May 2022 to concentrate fully on his work in climate and health. He is the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor and the John P. Holton Chair of Health and the Environment, with appointments in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Department of Population Health Sciences.

For 15 years, Professor Patz served as a lead author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (or IPCC) - the organization that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. He has co-­chaired the health expert panel of the U.S. National Assessment on Climate Change, a report mandated by the U.S. Congress. He is also an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Professor Patz established the ‘Climate Solutions for Health Lab’ at the University of Wisconsin and is committed to connecting colleagues from across campus and communities around the world to improve health for all. He continually strives to integrate his research into teaching for students and communication to policy makers and the general public. Professor Patz has written more than 200 scientific papers, with more than 100 peer-reviewed, a textbook addressing the health effects of global environmental change and co‐edited the five­‐volume Encyclopedia of Environmental Health (2011). He most recently co-edited “Climate Change and Public Health” (2024, Oxford University Press, 2nd edition).