19th International Conference of the Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health - Project Summary/Abstract
The Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health (PBC) has partnered with Superfund Research
Program (SRP) Investigators to develop a series of meetings on topical themes. An alternating schedule of one
day focus meetings on hot topics and full International Conferences is planned - running from 2021 to 2026. This
application is limited to the 2022 conference, but the full plan is outlined for context.
• 2021 Focus meeting, Brisbane, Australia, Environmental impacts on infectious disease. [R13 2021]
• 2022 Conference, Jeju Island, South Korea, Environmental exposures in a changing climate. [this
application]
• 2023 Focus meeting, Louisiana State University (LSU), USA, Pandemic planning – lessons from COVID-19.
• 2024 Conference, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Theme TBA.
• 2025 Focus meeting, CRI Bangkok, Thailand, Theme TBA.
• 2026 Conference, NIAID Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Theme TBA.
Focus meetings will be held within Universities (or at similar venues) over one day, with “virtual” attendance and
participation facilitated. Full conferences will be held over 3½ days and include training workshops, plenary
sessions, symposia, poster presentation sessions, and an unopposed session for student oral presentations.
The Focus meetings and Conference themes align with the NIEHS SRP mission and NIEHS Strategic Goals
2018-2023, advancing environmental health sciences, promoting translation of scientific knowledge to action,
and enhancing environmental health sciences through stewardship and support. The PBC has a long history of
working with regional universities and professional societies to maximize participation of local students, junior
faculty and trainees in line with SRP goals. All PBC Conferences have similar objectives: promotion of human
and environmental health through education and practice in toxicology, engineering and sanitation, and a focus
on priority environmental health issues in the host country. Each conference has been attended by 250-300
participants with 60% or more coming from the Asia-Pacific region and with participation of U.S.
underrepresented minorities as well as graduate students, early career researchers and mid-career researchers
from, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Central America, South America, South and South East Asia and China.
We request $50,000 from NIEHS to (i) facilitate conference organization (ii) incentivize the participation of
students, early career researchers and young professionals, with particular focus on female and
underrepresented minority participation, through competitive travel grants and registration waivers, and (iii)
facilitate attendance of local students through accommodation and registration support. The estimated total cost
of the 2022 meeting $332,000. Additional support will come from registration fees, the PBC, LSU SRP, host
institutions, local societies, and governments.
