Climate change is the
biggest global health threat
of the 21st century
The University of Pittsburgh Office of Sustainability in the Health Sciences seeks to develop sustainable health care practices by decarbonizing our own operations, training eco-literate future healthcare leaders, and researching sustainable solutions that improve human and planetary health.
Announcements
Congratulations to Lee-Kai Sun and the team of School of Medicine students who presented their poster titled “Planetary Health Profress at UPSOM: A Three-Year Review Using the Planetary Health Report Card” at Pitt’s Med Ed Day on September 12th!
Congratulations to Isabela Angelelli for winning Outstanding Innovator for Northeast Recycling Council’s 9th Annual Environmental Leadership Awards! Read more here.
Learn more about our office below!
Events
One Health Day
Join us on Friday, November 14th as we explore the critical role of sustainability in advancing global health.
Activities include:
· A plenary talk by Dr. Ann-Christine Duhaime, senior pediatric neurosurgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Nicholas T. Zervas Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School, titled The Brain, Climate Change, and the Future We Choose.
· Student poster and research competitions
· Announcement of the Sustainable Healthcare Challenge winners
We provide a healthy body, healthy planet lunch and model zero waste practices. Everyone is invited.
To ensure we have enough food, please RSVP HERE.
Planetary Health Journal Club
Journal Articles:
- The impact of climate change and biodiversity loss on the health of children: An ethical perspective
- Impact of prior and projected climate change on US Lyme disease incidence
Presenter: Puja Dutta, School of Medicine, Physician Scientist Training Program
Topic: Climate Change as a Social Determinant of Health
Journal Article: Modern Diets and the Health of Our Planet: An Investigation into the Environmental Impacts of Food Choices
Presenter: Jenny Snyder, Student in Dietitian Nutritionist Program
Journal Article: The environmental impact of data-driven precision medicine initiatives
Presenter: Becky King, Health Informatics Graduate Student
Journal Article: Microalgae, a current option for the bioremediation of pharmaceuticals & Minimizing the environmental impact of unused pharmaceuticals: Review focused on prevention
Presenter: Ainsley Lederer, PhD Student, School of Pharmacy
Jounral Article: Waste audits in healthcare: A systematic review and description of best practices
Presenter: Abhimanyu Nangunoori, B.S. Economics and Biological Sciences
Journal Article: Reducing plastic in the operating theatre: Towards a more cicrular economy for medical products and packaging
Presenter: Nathalia Cano, PhD candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Journal Article: Health Care Pollution and Public Health Damage in the United States: An Update
Presenter: Monet Weldon, Medical Student
Journal Article: The 2023 report of Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: the imperative for a health-centered response in a world facing irreversible harms
Presenter: Divya Natesan, Medical Student
Every other month, faculty, staff, students, and community members meet to critically evaluate articles that address topics around climate change and health. This is an excellent event to network and explore research specific to sustainable health care.
Research
Student Sustainability in Healthcare Competitions
Despite its mission to improve human health, the healthcare industry contributes to environmental harm, adversely affecting our patients and communities. In the United States, 8.5% of greenhouse gas emissions are generated by our medical system, and the industry is the second leading contributor to landfill waste. Student collaboration and innovation is key to the future of sustainable healthcare. Which is why we are inviting health science students to participate in research and education in the healthcare sustainability movement.
We encourage all health science students to submit for one of our three sustainability in healthcare research competitions:
- Student Research Presentation & Poster Competition
- Student Education Poster Competition
- Student Research Competition
Learn more here.
Education
The Planetary Health Report Card is a metric-based tool for evaluating and improving planetary health content in health professional schools. Students from Pitt’s Schools of Dental Medicine, Medicine, and Pharmacy completed report cards for their schools during the last reporting cycle (2024-25).
Pitt’s Clinical Partner
A world-renowned health care provider and insurer, UPMC combines clinical and research excellence to deliver high-quality care for patients from Western Pennsylvania and across the globe. The Schools of the Health Sciences work closely with UPMC to ensure that health care delivery, biomedical research, and education are equally robust and continuously evolving.
Our Partners
