From the Dean

Welcome to the Fall 2022 edition of Health Impact.

As I write this message, Hurricane Ian has just devastated portions of Cuba and Florida, resulting in massive damage and tragic loss of life. Many of us realize that climate change is one of the forces driving storms of this magnitude, as well as a host of health, economic and societal issues.

That’s why we’ve focused the cover story in this issue on the environmental health research taking place at the University at Buffalo. You’ll see that, even though this field of inquiry is of long tenure here, our researchers are acutely aware of how their work has come more and more to address the effects of climate change. From the effects of environmental changes on maternal and child health, chronic disease and workplace health, to the very mechanisms underlying biological processes, UB researchers are working on their own and, increasingly, together to understand two things: first, how environmental issues affect health and, second, how they can generate better health outcomes through their work’s influence on policy, practice and awareness.

Although we often think in negative terms of environmental health and climate change, the good news is that the trends our experts are seeing and the results they’re achieving have real-world implications—positive implications. I invite you to find out more in "Are We Healthy If Our Environment Isn't?".

In the meantime, enjoy the changing of the seasons and the rest of the semester.