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Urban Health Symposium

Bridge Shadow over City

The Urban Health Symposium is one of the signature events at the Urban Health Collaborative (UHC) at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH), and it’s back for the first time since 2019! The 2025 Urban Health Symposium, "Healthy Cities for the Next Decade: A Call to Action," will take place at Drexel University in Philadelphia on September 4th-5th, 2025.

Healthy Cities for the Next Decade 

The Symposium brings together researchers, practitioners, and policy makers focused on health in cities to energize work on urban places and health, generate novel ideas for research, and stimulate debate on policy implications. This event is an opportunity to review and reflect on recent trends and developments in the field of urban health over the last decade, as well as highlight what solutions are needed to address persistent and emerging threats to urban health and health equity in the future. Sessions across the two days will explore the impact of climate change on health disparities and the innovative use of data to drive policy and community initiatives, among other discussions. 

Registration for the 2025 Urban Health Symposium is open! Registration for the symposium is FREE for all Drexel faculty, staff, and students. If joining us from out of town, discounted booking available from our group block of rooms can be found here.

  • Registration Deadline: August 25th, 2025 

Register For The Symposium

Climate Change and Urban Health: A Focus On The Future

Please also consider joining us for our free Pre-Symposium event, "Climate Change and Urban Health: A Focus on the Future," on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025.

Register For The Pre-Symposium

Submit an Abstract for The Poster Session

*The call for abstracts is now closed. If you are presenting, please email uhc@drexel.edu with any questions.*

We invited submissions for poster presentations that address the following themes or other topics related to urban health: 

  • Recent Trends and Developments in Urban Health 
    Reflect on the last decade and share innovative research findings or policy analysis. 

  • Climate Change and Urban Health 
    Insights into the current challenges and future needs regarding urban health impacts of climate change. 

  • Novel Data and Methods in Urban Health 
    Showcase your novel methodologies and how they can be applied to urban health research. 

  • Policies and Interventions for Health Equity 
    Discuss successful interventions and policy frameworks that address health disparities in urban settings.
              

    • Submission Guidelines Were:

    • Abstracts should be no more than 200 words.
    • Include a brief biography of the presenter(s) and their affiliations (no more than 100 words).
    • Indicate Preferred session or theme related to your abstract.
    • If accepted, note that the maximum size for a poster is 36 inches wide by 48 inches tall. 

    Important Dates: 

    • Abstract Submission Deadline: June 15th, 2025
    • Notification of Acceptance: June 24th, 2025 

     

    Symposium Agenda

    Thursday, September 4, 2025

    8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

    Registration, Coffee and Breakfast

    8:30 AM - 8:40 AM

    Welcome and Overview

    Ana V. Diez Roux, MD, PhD, MPH
    Director of the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative, Distinguished University Professor of Epidemiology, Drexel University

    Session 1
    8:40 AM - 10:10 am

    The Challenges of Urban Public Health Today: Reflections from Urban Health Leaders

    Moderator: Jennifer Kolker, MPH, Clinical Professor of Health Management and Policy, Urban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University

    • Palak Raval-Nelson, PhD, MPH, Health Commissioner, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
    • Raynard Washington, PhD, MPH, Director, Public Health Department, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
    • Marvia Jones, PhD, MPH, Director, Health Department, Kansas City, Missouri
    • David Margolius, MD, Director, Cleveland Department of Public Health

    10:10 AM - 10:30AM

    Break

    Session 2
    10:30 AM - 12:00 pM

    Climate Change and Urban Health: What we know and what we need to know

    Moderator: Leah Schinasi, PhD, Assistant Professor, Environmental & Occupational Health, Urban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University

    • Cathryn Tonne, ScD, Research Professor, ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health)
    • Tarik Benmarhnia, PhD, Associate Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Department, University of California San Diego
    • Daníel Rodriguez, PhD, Chancellor's Professor of City & Regional Planning, Berkeley College of Environmental Design
    • Christer Anditi, PhD, Research Consultant, UrbanBetter (South Africa) 
    • Rodrigo Perpétuo, PhD, Regional Executive Secretary, ICLEI South America

    Lunch
    12:00 PM - 1:00 pm

    (Boxed Lunch Provided)

    keynote 1
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

    Politics and Urban Health

    Mary T. Bassett, MD, MPH
    Director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights and FXB Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Former Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health

     

    Moderator: Jaquelyn (Jackie) Jahn, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, The Ubuntu Center on Racism, Global Movements, and Population Health Equity

    2:00 PM - 2:20 PM

    break

    session 3
    2:20 PM - 3:50 PM

    novel data and novel methods in urban health

    Moderator: Brisa Sánchez, Associate Dean for Research & Dornsife Endowed Professor of Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University

    • Magdalena Cerda, DrPH, Professor, Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Health 
    • Harvey Miller, PhD, Professor, Reusche Chair in Geographic Information Science, The Ohio State University
    • Steve Mooney, PhD, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, University of Washington
    • John Pamplin II, PhD, MPH, Bruce P. Dohrenwend Assistant Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

    3:50 PM - 4:00 PM

    Walk To poster session

    Poster Session & reception
    4:00 pm - 5:30

    (Refreshments & Hors d'Ouevres Provided)

    Friday, September 5, 2025

    8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

    Registration, Coffee and Breakfast

    keynote 2
    8:30 am - 9:30 am

    Equity, Structural Drivers, and Urban Health

    Michelle Morse, MD, MPH
    Acting Commissioner of Health, City of New York; Internist & Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women's Hospital

    Moderator: Jourdyn A. Lawrence, PhD, MSPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

    Session 4
    9:30 Am - 11:00 AM

    Policies & Interventions for health equity in neighborhoods

    Moderator: Mariana Lazo, MD, Phd, ScM, Research Professor, Community Heath & Prevention, Urban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University

    • Roshanak Mehdipanah, PhD, MS, Health Behavior & Health Equity, University of Michigan School of Public Health
    • Olga Lucia Sarmiento MD, PhD, MPH, Professor, Public Health, Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)
    • Lorraine T. Dean, ScD, Associate Professor, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University & Sevly Snguon, MPH, Doctoral Researcher, Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
    • Atheendar Venkataramani, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medical Ethics & Health Policy, Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of the Opportunity for Health Lab, The University of Pennsylvania

    11:00 Am - 11:20 AM

    Break

    session 5
    11:20 Am - 12:20 pM

    Closing Panel: reflecting and Looking Ahead

    Moderator: Ana V. Diez Roux, MD, PhD, MPH
    Director of the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative, Distinguished University Professor of Epidemiology, Drexel University

    • Waleska Teixeira Caiaffa, MD, PhD, MPH, Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health, Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil)
    • Jamile Tellez Lieberman, DrPH, MPH, SVP of Community Engagement, Research & Health Equity, Esperanza
    • Usama Bilal, MD, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Co-Director of the Urban Health Collaborative, Drexel University
    • Michelle Morse, MD, MPH, Acting Commissioner of Health, City of New York; Internist & Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women's Hospital

    12:20 PM - 12:30 PM

    Closing Remarks

    Usama Bilal, MD, PhD, MPH
    Co-Director of the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Drexel University

    Pre-Symposium Agenda


    Climate Change and Urban Health: A Focus on the Future

    The Urban Health Collaborative will also host a pre-symposium event to address challenges and opportunities in examining the impacts of climate change on cities worldwide. The event will feature two expert panels:

    Novel Data and Methods to Study the Impacts of Climate Change on Cities – A discussion of innovative methodologies for climate research.

    Leveraging Evidence to Support Climate Responses on Multiple Scales – A conversation on how policymakers use evidence, their needs, and ways researchers can collaborate more effectively with them.

    More details can be found below! 

     

    Register for the Pre-Symposium

    Wednesday, September 3, 2025

    8:00 AM - 8:50 AM

    Pre-Event: Welcome And Refreshments

    8:50 AM - 9:00 AM

    Introduction And Welcome

    Ana V. Diez Roux, MD, PhD, MPH
    Director of the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative, Distinguished University Professor of Epidemiology, Drexel University

    9:00 AM - 10:30 am
    Methodological Panel: Novel Data And Methods TO Study The Impacts Of Climate Change On Cities

    Moderator: Maryia Bakhtsiyarava, PhD, Assistant Research Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health, Urban Health Collaborative

    • Tarik Benmarhnia, PhD, Associate Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego  
    • Joan Casey, PhD, Associate Professor of Environmental & Occupational Health, University of Washington
    • Kai Chen, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Yale University
    • Gaige Kerr, PhD, Assistant Research Professor, Milken Institute of Public Health, George Washington University

    10:30 AM - 10:45 AM

    Coffee Break

    10:30 AM - 12:00 pM

    Policy Maker Panel: Leveraging Evidence to Support Climate Responses on Multiple Scales

    Moderator: Manuel Franco, Social and Urban Epidemiologist, Basque Climate Change Research Center (BC3)

    • Katie Anderson, MPH, Disease Control Epidemiologist, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
    • Rodrigo Perpétuo, PhD, Regional Executive Secretary, ICLEI South America
    • Raynard Washington, PhD, MPH, Director, Public Health Department, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
    • Abby Sullivan, MRM, CFM, Chief Resilience Officer, City of Philadelphia Office of Sustainability 

    12:15 PM - 12:25 PM

    Closing Remarks

    Usama Bilal, MD, PhD, MPH
    Co-Director of the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Drexel University