Quote iconIn California wildfire smoke and chemical exposures during pregnancy have become routine for millions of people. Our work asks, what does this mean for maternal and child health, and what we can do about it?
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Research
Wildfires, air pollution, chemicals, and toxins significantly affect the health of pregnant individuals and infants. Our team of care providers and researchers at UCSF are working to understand and mitigate these effects. Get to know some of our discoveries in environmental health.
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Policy Reform
The work being done at the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment has transformed how we understand the impact of chemical exposures and pollutants on pregnancy. They have pioneered research on how environmental pollutants affect pregnancy, child development, and lifelong disease. This work has shaped national and global policies to protect public health including, authoring the first international study to link air pollution and pre-term birth, publishing the first U.S. study to document multiple toxic chemicals in pregnant women and newborns.
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On March 11th, Dr. Amy Padula spoke at the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition's 23rd Annual Clean Air Action Day rally at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
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Advocacy
......driving scientific discovery and policy change that safeguard reproductive and developmental health.
Our Programs
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Established in 2007 and based at a top-ranked medical center with world-class expertise in women’s health, reproduction, and child development, UCSF PRHE is the nation’s leading research and public policy center devoted to creating a healthier environment. Our research spans the biological, population, and health sciences with a vibrant research translation program to bring the science to clinicians and decision-makers, and contributes to improving health equity and environmental justice. Our mission is to create a healthier environment for human reproduction and development through advancing scientific inquiry, clinical care and health policies that prevent exposures to harmful chemicals in our environment.
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dedicated to transforming health and improving the lives of women and girls through research, clinical care, training, leadership development and community engagement.
Reach the Decisionmakers (Reach) is a dynamic program that increases the capacity of participants to understand and use the best environmental health science to promote science-based health standards and policy in California. Participants develop the tools and skills to effectively engage key offices and staff members within California Agencies and contribute to immediate and lasting changes in environmental health policy.
Department Leaders
In The News
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A woman pushes a baby in San Francisco as wildfires burn across California and Oregon in September 2020. (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The Risks of Wildfire Smoke Exposure During Pregnancy Are Becoming Clearer
Researchers at UCSF are sounding the alarm about a growing problem.
Partners & Collaborators
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The UCSF Environmental Research and Translation for Health (EaRTH) Center is transforming the approach to studying harmful environmental pollutants that undermine health and human development and contribute to chronic disease.
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The new Center to Advance Toxicology and Chemical Hazard Assessment (CATCHA) was created to develop and advance new science strategies for chemical hazard identification and risk assessment.
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We launched the Science Action Network for Health and the Environment to help prevent toxic chemical exposures and improve public health. Our 200+ members use their expertise to ensure that U.S. policy protects health, the environment, and future generations
