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October 25 & 26, 2025

Exploring the Nexus of Climate, Health, and Environment

Venue: Marsa Malaz Kempinski Hotel, Doha-Qatar

Schedule

Welcome & Sign In
Opening Remarks
Speakers:
Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi
Dr. Nasrin Mesaeli
Climate Change, Environmental Pollution and Health: Challenges of the 21st Century (Keynote Talk)
  • Describe the global health impacts of climate change and pollution.
  • Analyze how environmental stressors contribute to disease patterns.
  • Evaluate strategies to address environmental challenges in clinical care.
Speaker:
Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan
Environment and Exposure: Unpacking Health Impacts in the MENA Region
  • Identify key environmental exposures prevalent in the MENA region.
  • Interpret regional data linking exposures to health outcomes.
  • Design context-specific interventions to reduce environmental risks.
Speaker:
Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi
Short Break
Healthy Horizons: Pioneering Sustainable Cities for Thriving Communities
  • Explain the relationship between urban design and health.
  • Assess the role of sustainability in promoting community well-being.
  • Design policy recommendations for healthier urban environments.
Speaker:
Dr. Hanadi Al-Thani
Panel Discussion: Regional Research Priorities for Climate, Environment, and Health
  • Identify key climate and health challenges in the region.
  • Outline regional research priorities.
  • Identify and use opportunities for collaboration and capacity building.
Speakers:
Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi
Dr. Hanadi Al-Thani
Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan
Lunch Break
Silent Intruders: Unmasking the Impact of Noise on Human Health
  • Define the physiologic and psychological effects of noise exposure.
  • Analyze mechanisms linking noise to chronic disease.
  • Formulate noise mitigation approaches for urban health planning.
Speaker:
Dr. Omar Hahad
Ambient Temperature and Health: A Song of Ice and Fire
  • Describe health risks associated with heat and cold extremes.
  • Model the temporal and spatial patterns of temperature-related Evaluate adaptive interventions for vulnerable populations.
Speaker:
Dr. Barrak AlAhmad
Health and the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water: Global and Regional Insights
  • Illustrate connections among food, energy, water, and health.
  • Evaluate current resource management approaches.
  • Design integrated strategies for sustainable health systems.
Speaker:
Dr. Bassel Daher
Closing Day Remarks
Speakers:
Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi
Dr. Nasrin Mesaeli
Sign In
Unraveling the Threads: The Intersection of Cancer and Environmental Toxins
  • Identify environmental carcinogens with emerging relevance.
  • Explain biologic pathways linking toxins to cancer development.
  • Evaluate opportunities for early detection and prevention research.
Speaker:
Dr. Dietrich Büsselberg
Climate Change and Children’s Health: A Public Health Perspective
  • Explain the pathways through which climate change impacts neonatal, infant, and child health.
  • Discuss the unique vulnerabilities of children to climate change.
  • Identify ways health systems can improve child health outcomes by protecting planetary health.
Speaker:
Dr. Amit Abraham
Healthcare and Environmental Harm: Rethinking Primum Non Nocere
  • Calculate the environmental footprint of healthcare systems.
  • Analyze the ethical tension between care delivery and environmental harm.
  • Formulate evidence-based strategies to reduce healthcare’s environmental impact.
Speaker:
Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi
Impacts of Dust on Air Quality and Human Health in Urbanized Arid Regions
  • Classify dust pollution patterns in arid urban regions.
  • Assess the health consequences of particulate exposure.
  • Develop region-specific strategies for surveillance or mitigation.
Speaker:
Dr. M. Rami Alfarra
Lunch and Poster Session
Interventional Trials in Air Pollution: Advancing the Evidence for Health Impact
  • Summarize findings from recent interventional studies on air quality.
  • Compare outcomes across pollution-reduction efforts.
  • Design research-informed interventions for cardiopulmonary health.
Speaker:
Dr. Jonathan Newman
Mind, Matter, and the Heart: Neurobiologic Pathways Linking Environment to Cardiovascular Health
  • Describe brain-heart pathways influenced by environmental stressors.
  • Interpret neuroimaging findings related to pollution and stress.
  • Apply neurobiologic insights to guide prevention strategies.
Speaker:
Dr. Shady Abohashem
Climate, Environment, and the Brain: Unraveling the Neurological Consequences of Environmental Change
  • Outline neurological outcomes associated with climate change.
  • Evaluate evidence on cognitive and developmental effects.
  • Predict long-term brain health impacts from environmental exposures.
Speaker:
Dr. Ali Saad
Qatar’s Research Priorities in Climate and Health
  • Outline Qatar’s current research priorities in the intersection of climate and health.
  • Analyze how these priorities align with national strategies such as Qatar National Vision 2030 and regional health needs.
  • Design potential collaborative research projects that address identified gaps and leverage Qatar's institutional strengths.
Speaker:
Dr. Sara Abdulla
Local Efforts to Address Climate Change: The GeoHealth Hub
  • Summarize community-based approaches to climate adaptation.
  • Distinguish between local and global GeoHealth priorities.
  • Construct a collaborative framework for regional climate-health initiatives.
Speaker:
Dr. Wael Al-Delaimy
Closing Remarks & Awards
Speakers:
Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi
Dr. Nasrin Mesaeli