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Global Health Research Convening

About the 2023 Convening

Each year, the Annual Stanford Global Health Research Convening brings together students, faculty, staff, and researchers working in global and planetary health – from Stanford and beyond.

The 9th Annual Stanford Global Health Research Convening was held in-person on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM PT at the Arrillaga Alumni Center on Stanford University campus. The theme was pandemic prevention and preparedness research.

Convening Resources

See speaker slides, poster PDFs, and a video of the keynote presentation.

Access the resources here

Event Schedule

Access full details and the schedule for the day’s event at the link below.

Access the event schedule

Keynote Presenter

Dr. Tara O'Toole

Keynote Presenter

Dr. Tara O'Toole

Keynote Presenter

Dr. Tara O’Toole joined In-Q-Tel (IQT) in 2014 as Executive Vice President, and became a Senior Fellow in 2021. IQT is a non-profit organization dedicated to using venture capital practices to discover, adapt, and accelerate innovative technologies for national security missions. Dr. O’Toole leads B.Next, a division of IQT Labs, which focuses on evaluating and investing in technologies to prevent and mitigate epidemic disease, and in biotechnologies relevant to national security. B.Next is dedicated to spurring a public/private ecosystem of multidisciplinary experts from academia, industry and government which addresses issues and opportunities arising from the intersection of the life sciences, biotechnology and national security.

From 2009-13, Dr. O’Toole served in the Obama Administration as Under Secretary for Science and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this role, she was responsible for scientific and technological research and development designed to improve homeland security and national resilience.

Prior to joining DHS, O’Toole was Professor of Medicine and Public Health and the CEO and Director of the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), The Center an independent organization dedicated to understanding natural and deliberate epidemics and to preventing and improving the country’s resilience to major biological threats. She was also a founder of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Defense Studies and served as the Center’s CEO and Director from 2001-2005. O’Toole is internationally known for her work on biosecurity. Her publications in the biodefense field address management of contagious disease epidemics; biodefense research and development strategies; hospital disaster preparedness, clinical management of biological weapons agents, and laboratory biosecurity. She is co-author of two major scenarios intended to raise leaders’ awareness of bioterror threats: Dark Winter and Atlantic Storm.

She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Recording: Keynote Presentation

Sustainability

Our Commitment to Sustainability

Human health is inextricably connected to the health of our planet. Climate change and environmental degradation pose enormous threats to our mental and physical wellbeing. At the same time, the health care sector contributes significantly to carbon emissions and waste. We believe doctors and others in the medical profession can play a leadership role in modeling a more sustainable way to work and live.

For these reasons, the Stanford Global Health Research Convening strives to be as sustainable as possible. This includes offering a digital version of our printed program, providing a vegetarian, plant-forward lunch, utilizing compostable utensils, and donating leftover food.

Sustainable Healthcare

The global health care industry creates a large environmental footprint due to the supplies, water, and energy it requires, as well as the waste it produces. Thankfully, there are many ways at both the individual and system level to reduce carbon emissions and environmental impact without sacrificing quality. An online resource guide to greening health care practice and advocating for more sustainable medicine was created in partnership between the Center for Innovation in Global Health and Dr. Barbara Erny, a Global Health Faculty Fellow and leader in health care sustainability.

Sustainable Research

While academic research is essential for improving our understanding of complex issues and developing solutions to global challenges, laboratories themselves are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation. Globally, academic laboratories generate roughly 12 billion pounds of plastic waste each year, while also using 4x more water and 10x more electricity than office spaces of equal size. As scientists, we understand our responsibility of educating others on environmental awareness and action, but we must also strive to embody sustainability in our everyday work. Check out Stanford’s Cardinal Green Labs program to find resources on sustainability practices and to learn how your lab can cut back on its plastic, water, and energy demand. Look for more information and resources related to sustainability in labs at the Research Convening!

[1] Urbina, M., Watts, A. & Reardon, E. (2015). Labs should cut plastic waste too. Nature, 528 (479). https://doi.org/10.1038/528479c
[2] Kaye, C. (2020). Media Briefings 2020. #3 Efficiency & Sustainability: Igniting Innovation. https://www.agilent.com/content/dam/about/newsroom/media-room/igniting-innovation/Efficiency-Sustainability-Igniting-Innovation-Media-Briefing.pdf

Event Parking Information

Research Convening attendees, please park at Track House/Visitor’s Center Lot (L-95) for event parking. The lot is behind the Stanford Visitor’s Center located at  295 Galvez St, Stanford, CA 94305

Please note that parking is not free and CIGH will not have any reserved parking for this event. Visitor parking is available through the Parkmobile app, or the Parkmobile website via the QR code associated with the lot number.

We recommend downloading the ParkMobile app before arriving at Stanford for faster and more convenient visitor parking payments. To learn more about parking rates, visit the Visitor Parking Rates webpage.