Experts, Leaders Convene for Symposium on Heat and Health Actions

By Oliver Song, Environment Intern and Marine Gapihan, Clean Energy and Climate Intern

June 27, 2025 – On June 18, MAPC in partnership with the Center for Climate and Health at Boston University School of Public Health held Fostering Collaborations, A Symposium to Advance Equitable Health Actions. The regional symposium brought together more than 100 stakeholders across various sectors to bridge the gap between heat-health research and practice. Held at the Boston University Center for Computing and Data Sciences, the event included presentations and discussions by experts and leaders from academic, state and municipal governments, healthcare institutions, community-based organizations, foundations, and advocacy groups in the region. While the day covered many different aspects of public health and extreme heat, a key theme emerged around the need to advance whole-community approaches in addressing heat and health outcomes.

Lightning talks on a wide range of heat and health issues by government, academic, and community-based organizations ensued:

Exposure on the Move: Assessing the Health Risks of Heat and Mobility, Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
Shade as a Third Place, City of Cambridge
Uplifting Community Expertise to Inform Clinical Responses, Cambridge Health Alliance and Everett Community Growers
Heat Education Alert Tool (HEAT) Response Initiative: Addressing Extreme Heat through Public Health Agency, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
How Researchers Can Engage with Schools, Community Organizations, and Cities on Extreme Heat Resilience, Boston University, School of Public Health

A poster labeled "Group Discussion" with blue, pink, and purple sticky notes stuck to it, from the Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions

The full presentations are linked on the Symposium’s website.

A powerful panel discussion on heat resilience followed the lightening talks, moderated by Isabella Gambill with A Better City. Panelists included:

Mia Mansfield, assistant secretary for resilience, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Caleb Dresser, MD, MPH, emergency medicine physician, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Zoë Davis, senior climate resilience project manager, City of Boston Office of Climate Resilience

The panel discussion explored the challenges and opportunities associated with heat and climate resilience in Massachusetts. Their multidisciplinary approach served to identify key gaps in extreme heat knowledge and data, short-term emergency preparedness, and cross-community collaboration on approaches to community-informed solutions. The panelists emphasized the critical role of data-driven analysis and widepsread access to that data through many channels.

Four panelists are seated on the stage at the Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions

Attendees are viewing posters at Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions.

A view of the entire room at the Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions. Attendees can be seen sitting at tables with a small stage and two projector screens on the left side of the room.

MAPC Acting Executive Director Lizzi Weyant speaks at a podium at the Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions

Two people are photographed talking at the Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions with a view of the city behind them.

Two people are seated at a table talking with attendees seated at tables all around them at the Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions.

Two speakers stand at a podium at the Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions. Two larger projection screens displaying a presentation on the back wall.

A poster of MAPC's work to advance heat resilience at the Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions

Sitting from left to right: Isabella Gambill (moderator), Assistant Director of Climate, Energy, and Resilience, A Better City; Zoë Davis, Senior Climate Resilience Project Manager, City of Boston Office of Climate Resilience; Caleb Dresser, MD, MPH, Emergency Medicine Physician, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; and Mia Mansfield, Assistant Secretary for Resilience, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

Presenting a symposium lightning talk on extreme heat are: Marissa Hauptman, MD, MPH, FAAP, Medical Director, Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health; Pediatric Environmental Health Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Amanda McNeill, MPH, Environmental Analyst IV, Division of Environmental Toxicology, Hazard Assessment and Prevention, Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Emerging Themes in Advancing Heat-Health Solutions in Massachusetts

One of the key collaborative moments of the symposium was the breakout discussions that followed the presentations and panel. Attendees discussed takeaways from the presentations and panel, ideas around what could help bridge the research-to-action divide, and they identified needs for supporting local and regional efforts to advance heat resilience. The group discussions revealed several overlaps across different groups and signaled the need for future collaboration and work to increase resilience to extreme heat. Those emerging needs included:

1. Recognizing the cross-sectoral approach to climate heat resilience

Greater collaboration between the medical and planning fields is needed to address extreme heat.
The critical role of residents as “resilience experts” during extreme heat events.
Designing and planning effective heat resilience solutions should actively involve community voices for successful implementation and meet the needs of communities.
We need to build on the momentum of the Symposium to continue broad-scale collaborative work on climate heat resilience across the region and Massachusetts.

2. Strengthening Data Collaboration to Support Regional Climate Heat Resilience

The data-driven projects presented during the lighting talks were of significant interest to attendees.
However, the lack of shared local data and resources is a key challenge to identifying the most vulnerable communities and developing effective, long-lasting solutions.
Stronger collaboration in data development to better understand who is doing what in the region and to coordinate a stronger, unified response to climate heat.

3. Aligning Climate Heat Resilience with Net-Zero Goals

There was concern around the current disconnect between net-zero emissions goals and extreme heat resilience planning and design.
State and local policy and programs should consider integrating thoughtful climate mitigation strategies, such as enhancing grid resilience and implementing solar shade structures.

Beyond the Symposium

MAPC and the BU School of Public Health will continue to collaborate on advancing heat resilience in our region through partnership and focusing on action. One next step includes the drafting of a “call to action” memo that will not only summarize the main takeaways from the symposium, but translate the ideas generated into actionable steps that bridge current research efforts with what is happening on the ground in our communities. The Symposium website will continue to host updates on the project.

The Symposium would not have been possible without the thoughtful coordination and support of many partner organizations who worked to make the event a success, including sponsors: the Doris Duke Foundation; the Hariri Institute; and the Center for Climate and Health at BU School of Public Health.