Evidence is growing on the adverse neurodevelopmental effects of exposure to combustion-related air pollution.
Dr. Marc Weisskopf will first discuss relevant biology relating to brain development and potential effects of air pollution on this process. He will then talk about the associations of peri-pregnancy air pollution with risk of autism in the child, highlighting epidemiological methods biases which limit causal inference.
Following this talk, Dr. Devon Payne-Sturges will present policy recommendations put forth by Project TENDR (Targeting Environmental Neurodevelopmental Risks), a unique collaboration of leading scientists, health professionals, and children’s and environmental advocates. These recommendations would maintain and strengthen federal environmental health protections, advance state and local actions, and support scientific research to inform policy.
Together, these speakers will present a cohesive overview of where the science stands on air pollution and child neurodevelopment, as well as policy actions important for improving neurodevelopment which have the notable co-benefit of climate change mitigation.
