Lead pollution remains a persistent environmental and public health concern in the Twin Cities, with disproportionate impacts on children, families, and communities already facing health inequities. While major progress has been made in reducing lead exposure over time, legacy infrastructure, soil contamination, persistent air pollution, and ongoing disparities continue to place some populations at elevated risk.
In this HUP webinar, Dr. Emilie Snell-Rood will review current ecological research on lead pollution in the Twin Cities region, including environmental drivers of lead exposure, where exposure risks remain, and the social and structural factors that shape who is most impacted. The presentation will also highlight implications for public health practice, policy, and community-based prevention efforts.
This webinar will be of interest to public health professionals, environmental health practitioners, researchers, policymakers, educators, and community members concerned with environmental justice and health equity.
Presenter Bio
Emilie Snell-Rood, PhD, is a Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Her research examines how environmental pollutants, including lead, move through urban environments and affect ecosystems and wildlife, with implications for human health. She is Co-Director of the Minneapolis–St. Paul Urban Long-Term Ecological Research Program, an NSF-funded collaboration studying urban contaminants, ecological responses, and social impacts across the Twin Cities, working with interdisciplinary partners across the University and community agencies.