Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Public Health Issues
April 22: Reducing The Impacts of Extreme Heat on Human Health Professor Eyal Oren Extreme heat affects outdoor workers, older adults, and children and individuals at risk without stable housing. These conditions impact health, daily life and community well-being. This lecture will discuss research at the San Diego State University–Imperial Valley Prevention Research Center (SDSU–IVPRC) which examines the impacts of extreme heat and ultraviolet (UV) exposure on rural agricultural communities. It focuses on providing practical solutions, timely information and coordinated resources to protect residents during periods of high heat and UV exposure.
April 29: Removal and Degradation of PFAS in Water Professor Dongye (Don) Zhao Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used in consumer and industrial products. They are called forever chemicals because they don’t break down easily in the environment. They are strongly adsorbed onto aquifer sediments, which slows but does not prevent their migration. Dr. Zhao’s team has been researching the composition of PFAS contaminants in water and working on developing methods for their in situ degradation in soil and water.
June 4: Strengthening Preventive Health Coverage in California (Please note this is a Thursday morning class.) Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan Since the new administration started, direction and guidelines from Federal Health agencies such as the CDC and NIH have been drastically changed. As a result, some federal preventative care guidelines, including vaccination mandates, have been eliminated. California Assembly Bill AB 144 is a state law to strengthen California’s authority over preventive health coverage and expand flexibility in healthcare delivery. It was signed last September by Governor Newsom to protect California residents’ continued access to preventive care services, including immunizations.
Speaker Bio
Eyal Oren is the Director of the School of Public Health and the Prevention Research Center at San Diego State University. As a professor of Epidemiology, he has trained as an infectious disease, respiratory and social epidemiologist. He received a BA in Neurobiology and Behavior with a concentration in Cognitive Science from Cornell University and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Washington.
Dr. Dougye (Don) Zhao is Professor and Chair of Development of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at San Diego State University. His career focuses on groundwater remediation, contaminant transport, and PFAS research. He is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in developing novel stabilized nanoparticles for in situ degradation of organic pollutants in soil and water. He earned his PhD from Lehigh University.
Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan, a Public Health officer in San Diego County’s Public Health Services, trained in public health and preventive medicine. He joined San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency, where he worked for over a decade in roles including Deputy Officer in Public Health. He earned his MD from the New York University School of Medicine.