About
The Climate and Human Health Fellowship is offered in partnership with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of Boston, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s C-CHANGE, and the Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. The fellowship trains physicians to become leaders in climate and human health research, education, communication, and advocacy.
The intensive program includes a master’s degree in public health or public policy at Harvard; internships at outside organizations and agencies; opportunities to learn and engage in advocacy; and training to lead independent research at the intersection of climate change, human health and policy. Mentorship is provided by an interdisciplinary team of faculty from across Harvard.
Fellows participate in the academic life of the affiliated centers at Harvard University, and have the opportunity to develop expertise in one of several domains, including climate-related migration, adaptation, and health system resilience.
The fellowship program is committed to training physician leaders to pursue careers in research, advocacy, and policy making to ameliorate the impact of our changing climate on human health.
Fellowship Components
Fellowship Core
Fellows participate in core fellowship didactics, develop an area of individual focus, engage in original academic research, and receive mentorship from leaders in the field. Activities are primarily spread across Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with additional opportunities throughout the Harvard system.
The two-year fellowship includes a primary clinical appointment at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an academic appointment at Harvard Medical School, and expects candidates to complete a master’s degree at Harvard relevant to their focus area.
Harvard Graduate Degree
Fellows may complete the 45-credit Global Health MPH at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health or a Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) at the Harvard Kennedy School. Other course or degree combinations at Harvard may be considered. These opportunities are contingent on acceptance into these degree programs, which are separate from the fellowship.
Fellows who already hold degrees in public health or related fields should contact the fellowship director to discuss alternate educational opportunities and fellowship formats.
Research
Fellows work on research projects throughout their fellowship, and will be mentored by a combination of faculty from our collaborating centers relevant to their focus area. Fellows will be trained in pursuing and publishing rigorous, high quality research with significant translational potential. Our large pool of faculty mentors allows us to accommodate and support a wide range of research interests that incoming fellows may wish to pursue.
Fellows have access to a wide range of resources on and off campus, including research services through the Harvard Library system, statistical support, and GIS training opportunities. The fellow will work closely with statisticians and data scientists throughout the duration of their fellowship.
Clinical Practice
Fellows work part-time in as attending emergency physicians. Clinical shifts may be in the Emergency Department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and/or at affiliated community sites. In addition to functioning as an attending physician while in the Emergency Department, fellows may supervise residents in the BIDMC-HAEMR program and students at Harvard Medical School, depending on the site(s) at which they practice.
5. Electives: Advocacy and Field Experience
Electives are offered at government agencies, nonprofit, and local community-based organizations to provide fellows with experiential learning, immersion in the communities they are advocating for, and participation in high-level deliberations in the corridors of power. Past opportunities have included externships at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Resilient Mystic Collaborative.
Compensation
Fellows are compensated at a competitive rate, commensurate with regional GME approved fellowships.
Fees for a graduate degree at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a modest travel and research stipend are covered by the Fellowship.
Fellowship Directors
Satchit Balsari
Assistant Professor
Harvard Medical School
Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
Caleb Dresser
Assistant Fellowship Director
Instructor,
Harvard Medical school
Harvard Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment
