Translating the Future of Environmental Health: Burning Questions, Complex Exposures
Join the UC Davis Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC) for our 2026 Annual Retreat, bringing together researchers, community leaders, and public health practitioners to explore two of the most pressing challenges in environmental health today. This year's theme, Translating the Future of Environmental Health — Burning Questions, Complex Exposures, anchors a half day of expert panels, poster presentations and community dialogue. From wildfire smoke and data integration to the science of complex chemical exposomes, we'll examine how research is shaping policy and protecting communities across California.
October 20, 2026 | 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
UC Davis Alumni Center, 530 Alumni Lane, Davis, CA 95616
Hybrid: In-person & on Zoom
Agenda
Registration
11:00 am
Welcome & Keynote Speaker
11:15 am
- Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Director, Environmental Health Science Center
- Dr. Amanda Guyer, Associate Dean, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Panel 1 | Wildfires & The Future of Data Integration
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
- Dr. Shehnaz K. Hussain, Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine
- Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Director, Environmental Health Science Center, UC Davis School of Medicine
- Sean Raffuse, Associate Director, Software and Data, Air Quality Research Center, UC Davis
- Dr. Mike Kleeman, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UC Davis
- Dr. Caitlin Jones-Ngo, Climate and Health Scientist, Environmental Health Investigations Branch, Center for Healthy Communities, California Department of Public Health
Chair: Dr. Rebecca Schmidt, Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine
Lunch
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Poster Presentations
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Panel 2 | Complex Exposomes: Science, Community, Policy and Practice
3:00 pm - 4:45 pm
- Dr. Kris Thayer, Director, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
- Dr. Sascha Nicklisch, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Toxicology, UC Davis School of Medicine
- Dr. Scott Coffin, Staff Toxicologist, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
- Miguel Alatorre Jr., Founder & Executive Director, Unidos Network Inc.
- Dr. Barbara Cohn, Director, Child Health and Development Studies
Chair: Dr. Lily Wu, Staff Toxicologist, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Closing Remarks
4:45 pm - 5:00 pm
- Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Director, Environmental Health Science Center
Wildfires and the Future of Data Integration
Panel 1 Speakers
Complex Exposomes: Science, Community, Policy and Practice
Panel 2 Speakers
