In this two-part podcast series, we take a look at how innovative partnerships and community engagement approaches are helping to build capacity and empower communities in India to take active roles in addressing their environmental and health concerns. We will also hear about how NIEHS as formed partnerships in India, with the goal of addressing these challenges and improving public health.

Like many developing countries, India faces many adverse impacts from climate change and poor air quality, which present significant challenges for public health. For example, poor air quality is known to be linked with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Changes in climate can influence temperature, precipitation patterns, and air quality, which can increase the incidence of vector-borne diseases, heat stress, and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as increase food insecurity through impacts on agriculture.

Part 2: NIEHS Perspective

John Balbus, M.D., directs the NIEHS – World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Environmental Health Sciences, and co-chairs working groups on Climate Change and Human Health at NIH and the U.S. Global Change Research Program. His background combines clinical medicine with expertise in epidemiology, toxicology, and risk sciences, particularly related to climate change and public health.

Balbus has served as a lead author on health for the past two U.S. National Climate Assessments, and is co-author of the HHS guide document “Primary Protection: Enhancing Health Care Resilience for a Changing Climate.” In addition, he has authored studies and lectures on global climate change and health, transportation-related air pollution, the toxic effects of chemicals, and regulatory approaches to protecting susceptible subpopulations.

Srikanth Nadadur, Ph.D., is a Program Director for the Nanotechnology Environmental Health and Safety and air pollution cardiopulmonary health and Trans-NIH research program on Countermeasures against chemical threat agents at the division of extramural research and training, NIEHS. Nadadur has more than 25 years of research experience in molecular biology and toxicology.

Nadadur served as the first NIEHS U.S. Embassy Science Fellow in India. The fellowship included working with interagency colleagues to promote health systems and preparedness in India regarding urban air quality. Through this fellowship, Nadadur helped establish a community of air quality and health researchers in India with leading researchers in the U.S.

Other Episodes in the Same Series

• Local Perspective (Part I)