We are excited to share that our Yerby Fellow, Dr. Renee Salas, and our Board Member, Dr. Howie Frumkin, at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public health have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine because of their commitment to rapidly advancing understanding of climate change and health.
NAM announced the names of all 100 new members in conjunction with its annual meeting on October 18.
I am deeply honored to join this esteemed organization. It is one of the greatest privileges of my career to work with the Academy to achieve our collective vision that climate action is a prescription for improved health and equity.
Renee was recognized for her work to rapidly advance the medical community’s understanding at the nexus of climate change, health, and health care through highly influential and transformative work, such as the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change (being announced on Wed. at 6:30 pm ET) and the New England Journal of Medicine.
Howard Frumkin, MD, DrPh, professor emeritus, University of Washington School of Public Health was recognized for his work on the health impacts from the environment, including those from climate change and other planetary processes, and on healthy pathways to sustainability.
Renee is also affiliated faculty at the Harvard Global Health Institute and attending physician, department of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
About the election process
Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. A diversity of talent among NAM’s membership is assured by its Articles of Organization, which stipulate that at least one-quarter of the membership is selected from fields outside the health professions — for example, from such fields as law, engineering, social sciences, and the humanities.
Established originally as the Institute of Medicine in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine addresses critical issues in health, science, medicine, and related policy and inspires positive actions across sectors. NAM works alongside the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding of STEMM. With their election, NAM members make a commitment to volunteer their service in National Academies activities.
A public directory of current NAM members is available here. More information about the NAM election criteria and process is available under the “membership” section here.
