Fearless champion for cleaner air Dr. George Thurston NYU Grossman School of Medicine (S05E02)

We Can Be podcast - The Heinz Endowments

Dr. George Thurston, internationally respected scientist, professor and pioneer in the study and communication of the effects of air pollution’s impact on human health joins the “We Can Be” family.

”Science is a way to bridge a lot of our societal division and distrust,” he tells Chris DeCardy, Heinz Endowments president and “We Can Be” host. “People trust science, and we have a responsibility to speak out when we can help.”

In 1987, Dr. Thurston published the first research that showed the association between fine particulate matter and human mortality. He was also a brave voice that spoke up in the aftermath of the 9/11 catastrophe in New York City when statements by municipal officials about air safety did not match the results of research that he and his team were undertaking.

More recently, Dr. Thurston led a groundbreaking, Endowments-funded study focusing on the myriad of health benefits Pittsburgh-region communities experienced after the closing of the Shenango Coke Works on Neville Island. The study has garnered international attention.

He is a professor in the departments of environmental medicine and population health at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, as well an expert at communicating the scientific complexities of environmental challenges in ways that are more easily understood.

Whether testifying before Congress about the human health improvements that go hand-in-hand with climate change mitigation, or being featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, U.S. News & World Report and on major television news networks, Dr. Thurston is a warrior for cleaner air.

Dive into the fascinating, brilliant and inspiring career of Dr. George Thurston in this episode of “We Can Be.”

“We Can Be” is hosted by Heinz Endowments President Chris DeCardy, and produced by the Endowments & Treehouse Media's Josh Franzos and Tim Murray. Theme music by Josh Slifkin. Guest inquiries: Scott Roller at [e-mail].