The retreat gives pre- and postdoctoral trainees an opportunity to present children’s environmental health research in a supportive environment to leading researchers and each other. This year’s 11 trainees came from across the country and presented on a range of environmental health threats facing children, including endocrine disrupting chemicals, toxic metals, and climate change.
This year’s retreat focused on “Gender Equity in Academics” and featured a roundtable discussion on career development for women in academia. Keynote speakers included Dr. Rosalind Wright, Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai and Dr. Tamarra James-Todd, Assistant Professor at Harvard Chan School of Public Health. Finally, the meeting featured a workshop where the trainees received feedback on their grants.
Dr. Joseph Braun, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at Brown University and one of the retreat’s co-organizers said, “The caliber of trainees and sophistication of the science continues to increase over time and this year’s attendees were an exceptional group. I hope that the retreat provided them with opportunities to network with leading researchers in children’s environmental health, establish new peer networks, and develop their independent research.”