The Saban Research Institute Annual Symposium: Global Impact of Pollution on Maternal and Child Health Across the Life Span

On February 9, 2017, The Saban Research Institute hosted its annual symposium on the Global Impact of Pollution on Maternal and Child Health Across the Life Span.

Environmental pollution creates an increasingly urgent challenge to global health and well-being.  The impact of air, water and soil pollution arguably has its greatest impact across the life span on children, women of childbearing age, and pregnant women and their unborn children, not only because of their vulnerability during development but also because of their subsequent longevity.  Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, in collaboration with the Department of Preventative Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC), are working to improve population health locally and globally through research and education. 

Faculty organizers of the event, Bradley Peterson, MD, David Warburton, OBE, DSc, MD, MMM, FRCP, FRCS, FRCPCH, of The Saban Research Institute and Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, of the Department of Preventative Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, developed the symposium program.  Attendees had the opportunity to hear from world-renowned experts presenting on inter-related topics. 

Keynote addresses were presented by:

-Oyun Sanjaasuren, PhD, Global Water Partnership

-Juan C. Celedón, MD, DrPH, University of Pittsburgh, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

-Cheryl Lyn Walker, PhD, ATS, FAAAS, Baylor College of Medicine

-Kirk R. Smith, MPH, PhD, University of California, Berkeley

The symposium concluded with a dynamic panel discussion, led by Dr. Jonathan Samet.