Events
The REACH Center organizes and co-sponsors a diverse set of events throughout the year. Learn more about upcoming events open to Center members and the broader research community below.
Upcoming Events
Please check back soon for upcoming programming!
Recap: 2026 Climate and Health Research Day
On Friday, April 24th, the REACH Center, Redstone Global Center, and GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future convened the 2026 Climate and Health Research Day, an energizing afternoon that highlighted the breadth and impact of climate and health research across the three entities and partnering institutions. Centered on the theme REACHing Across Data, Disciplines, and Communities, the event showcased how researchers are leveraging diverse data, forging interdisciplinary collaborations, and partnering with communities to address some of the most pressing climate and health challenges of our time.
Metrics at a glance:
- 130+ participants from across the university and partner organizations
- 13 flash talks reporting cutting-edge research supported by the host organizations
- 25 poster presentations showcasing a wider range of relevant research
- 45 presenters, including 25 from GW, 11 from other academic institutions, and 9 from partner organizations
Research presentations illustrated our community’s strengths at the intersection of climate and health, from road pricing and housing insecurity to wildfire-related mortality, climate-sensitive infectious diseases, and climate-related mental health. A defining thread was deep community integration: projects were conducted in active partnership with organizations including Greater Greater Washington, the American Association of Kidney Patients, the DC Department of Energy and Environment, Kaiser Permanente, and others.
The event also served as a community-building moment. A facilitated research sandbox in the morning and dedicated networking time in the afternoon seeded new partnerships and cross-institutional connections. The event served not only as a reflection of current impact, but also as a launchpad for future interdisciplinary and community-centered initiatives.
Archived Events
- Apr 8, 2026 - Global Health in Context: Linking Census Data to Health Surveys using IPUMS DHS and IHGIS
This workshop introduced two free IPUMS data collections: Demographic and Health Surveys (IPUMS DHS) - harmonized individual records from DHS program surveys conducted around the world - and International Historical Geographic Information System (IPUMS IHGIS) - consistently formatted tables of population and agricultural censuses around the world. The workshop highlighted a new feature facilitating linkages between the IPUMS DHS and IHGIS databases and included a hands-on component allowing participants to download and explore linked data from IPUMS DHS and IHGIS.
- Mar 25, 2026 - Extreme Weather Research Showcase
This interdisciplinary event explored extreme weather and its impacts on people and communities. Lightning-style presentations on wildfires, emergency management, climate-related infectious disease, and ecology and health were featured, followed by a facilitated discussion focused on identifying connections across disciplines, exploring gaps in current research, and discussing opportunities to align current work with emerging federal funding priorities. This event was co-hosted with the GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future and Redstone Global Center.
- Mar 18, 2026 - Satellite Applications for Public Health
This workshop introduced air quality and weather datasets from satellite and Earth models, as well as tools used to download, analyze, and visualize these data.
- Mar 4, 2026 - Proposal Development Workshop
This workshop was a dynamic mix of networking, big-idea brainstorming, and collaborative planning. Together, investigators worked toward developing new research concepts, forming teams, and exploring ways to spark ongoing, cross-disciplinary research collaborations, leading to NIH proposals.
- Mar 4, 2026 - Data Center Workshop
The REACH Center and GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future co-hosted this workshop, featuring presentations highlighting GW and George Mason research on data centers from multiple perspectives, followed by an interactive discussion. Presentations were given by Robert Orttung (GW), Neha Gour (GMU), Payman Dehghanian (GW), and Kelvin Fong (GW).
- Jan 14, 2026 - 2026 George Mason University REACH Introductory Session
The REACH Center and GMU Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) held an introductory session hosted at GMU. This session provided an overview of REACH Center activities, updates on NIH funding opportunities, and detailed information on how REACH Core services can help researchers develop competitive climate and health proposals.
- Nov 12, 2025 - Research in Progress Symposium
The REACH Center held a symposium highlighting the groundbreaking efforts of research projects funded by the Center, pilot award recipients, and student fellows, all of whom are working to better understand and respond to some of today’s most pressing environmental and public health challenges. REACH Investigators shared new insights, emerging findings, planned work, and collaborative approaches that connect big data to health-protective solutions for climate-sensitive risk factors.
- Sep 5, 2025 - Sustainability Research Sandbox
This event brought researchers together to explore topics of interest within the realm of sustainability. Each researcher had a chance to introduce themselves to the group and identify potential partners for new projects, work with those partners to brainstorm ideas for new proposals, and share the group’s conclusions with broader participants. This was an informal and engaging way for researchers to meet colleagues, grow new project ideas, and come away with a larger network, a multidisciplinary approach, and a pathway toward external support.
This event was co-hosted with the GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future and the GW Global Food Institute.
- Apr 29, 2025 - Fostering Community Resilience in a Changing Policy Landscape
The REACH Center, GW CHI, and the Sustainability Research Institute at the GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future co-hosted an event as part of DC Climate Week. The session discussed strategies for safeguarding public health amid a rapidly shifting policy landscape. The panel was moderated by Susan Anenberg, Professor and Chair of Environmental and Occupational Health at GW. Panelists included John Balbus, Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at GW; Dennis Chestnut, Community Advocate and Board Chair of the Ward 7 Resilience Hub Community Coalition; and, Lise Van Susteren, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at GW.
- Apr 7, 2025 - Community-driven Relocation
The REACH Center and the GW Department of Environmental and Occupational Health co-hosted John Ben Soileau, Program Officer at the National Academy of Sciences and REACH Center Visiting Scholar, for a seminar on community-driven relocation. This seminar reported details from a recent study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on Community-driven Relocation.
Materials related to this event:
- Zoom recording from the event (password given upon request)
- PowerPoint Slides
- Community-driven Relocation (full report), to the right of that webpage, there are several 1-4 page briefs under "Resources at a Glance"
- The project/study landing page "Managed Retreat"
- Other publications from the study (e.g., the Workshop Proceedings)
Resources mentioned during this talk:
Based on Science ; National Academies Press (searchable database)
- Mar 21, 2025 - Data Visualization Workshop
The REACH Center and the GW Department of Environmental and Occupational Health co-hosted Dr. Xindi (Cindy) Hu, Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health, for a hands-on data visualization workshop. This 2-hour session covered fundamental design principles for effective data visualization, best practices for interactive visualizations using R Shiny, and how to leverage Shiny Assistant to accelerate the development process.
Materials related to this event:
- Presentation slides
- GitHub Repository to workshop material
- Zoom recording from the event
- Mar 5, 2025 - George Mason REACH Center Introduction
The REACH Center hosted an introductory session for the George Mason University community on the new exploratory research center. An overview of the Center's proposed activities was provided, followed by a discussion on how the new Center can help investigators develop relevant research and collaborations.
Session Recording Available (password given upon request)
- Mar 4, 2025 - Team Science Overview with Gaetano Lotrecchiano
The REACH Center and the GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future co-hosted Dr. Gaetano Lotrecchiano, Associate Professor of Clinical Research and Leadership and of Pediatrics, for an overview of the latest developments in the field of team science. This session examined what makes an effective team, with a particular focus on how best to apply these ideas to existing and future collaborations.
Session Recording Available (password given upon request)
- Feb 14, 2025 - Howard REACH Center Introduction
The REACH Center hosted an introductory session for the Howard University community on the new exploratory research center. An overview of the Center's proposed activities was provided, followed by a discussion on how the new Center can help investigators develop relevant research and collaborations.
Session Recording Available (request access)
- Jan 15, 2025 - NIH Overview
The REACH Center co-hosted an overview of NIH structure, funding mechanisms, and review policies with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the Office of Research Excellence at the GW School of Public Health. This session enabled researchers to learn more about how to prepare a competitive proposal from concept to resubmission, and how to navigate available NIH resources.
Materials related to this event:
- Slides shared by Melissa Cornish, Managing Grants Consultant
- Slides shared by Esther Erkins, Research Enhancement Officer (GW specific)
- Zoom recording from the event
Additional helpful resources related to this event:
- NIH Resources: NIH Grants Process Primer: Application to Award - Part One - Video, Part Two - Video
- Dec 9, 2024 - Fostering Collaborations between the Geosciences and Health Science Research Communities
The REACH Center co-hosted a salon-style networking event with the CAFÉ RCC and the AGU GeoHealth section at the AGU Annual Conference. Attracting around 150 attendees, this event brought together thought leaders to foster collaborations between experts in geosciences and health sciences.
- Dec 4, 2024 - Journal Club
The REACH Center and GW Alliance co-hosted Michael Svoboda, Assistant Professor of Writing at GW, for an overview of the recent literature on extreme weather and environmental pollution. Michael highlighted the trends in the ways—and places—we talk about extreme weather and environmental pollution, in peer- reviewed literature, in think tank reports, and in the popular press.
Session Recording Available (password given upon request)
- Nov 25, 2024 - Federal Investments to Accelerate Research at the Intersection of Geoscience and Health Sciences Panel
This virtual event, co-organized by the AGU GeoHealth Section, the CAFÉ RCC, the GeoCAFE Research Coordination Network, and the REACH Center, explored innovative approaches for advancing cross-disciplinary research and fostering collaborations between federal agencies.
- Nov 20, 2024 - Locked In: Water, Extreme Weather, and Your Role in the Fight
The REACH Center hosted Wendi Wilkes, previous Biden-Administration appointee at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for a peek behind the curtain of the agency's role in safeguarding water resources. In a fireside chat moderated by Dr. Alicia Cooperman, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University, the session explored the nexus between extreme weather, water access, and public health—encouraging us to consider the role we too can play in solving one of our generation’s most pressing challenges.
- Nov 19, 2024 - GW REACH Center Introduction
The REACH Center hosted an introductory session for the GW community on the new exploratory research center. An overview of the Center's proposed activities was provided, followed by a discussion on how the new Center can help investigators develop relevant research and collaborations.
Session Recording Available (password given upon request)