“Climate change is a growing health crisis,” says Scott Weichenthal (BSc’03, MSc’05, PhD’08), an associate director of the McGill Centre for Climate Change and Health, launched in November 2024. “I’m excited that the Centre gives researchers at McGill from many different disciplines, students, policymakers and citizens a single place to address all our questions about the known and still unknown health effects of climate change.”
Weichenthal’s innovative research on increased cancer risks from wildfire pollutants illustrates how more frequent and severe climate-related events—such as the wildfires that ravaged Jasper, Alberta, last July and Quebec in summer 2023—are having an accelerated and underrecognized impact on human health. In an influential population-level study, which tracked the health of about two million Canadians over 20 years, his team found that people living near regions prone to wildfires had a higher incidence of brain tumours and lung cancer. “We know very little about the long-term health effects of climate-related events, but our study showed that living in close proximity to wildfires may increase certain cancer risks,” explains Weichenthal, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health.
Call to action
The McGill Centre for Climate Change and Health is more than a hub for research—it’s a catalyst for collective and individual action. In the April 2025 issue of Nature Reviews Cancer, Weichenthal published a passionate, evidence-based call to action in his commentary, “We cannot ignore the cancer risks of wildfires.” In it, he warns of cancer risk from repeated wildfire exposures in regions now affected annually and points to practical, science-based interventions—such as indoor air filtration—as accessible tools to reduce harmful exposures.
Connecting science and real-world decisions is central to the Centre’s mission. “Environmental policies and programs are rarely evaluated for their health impacts,” says Jill Baumgartner, PhD, the inaugural director of the new Centre as well as a professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health. Her team recently led a landmark study showing that a policy replacing coal stoves with electric heaters reduced heart attacks and blood pressure, but noting that researchers usually lack the data or policy access needed to conduct these studies. “The Centre helps bridge these gaps by connecting researchers and decision-makers,” says Baumgartner. “We’re building a collaborative space where community needs shape our research, and our science drives policy and real-world change.”
This summer, the Centre’s first undergraduate policy intern will partner with public health organizations in Quebec to assess the feasibility of early warning systems for heatwaves, which were successful in reducing heat risks in other places. It’s just one way the Centre is equipping the next generation of health leaders to respond to climate challenges with evidence-based solutions.
Vibrant hub for research, training and community-based solutions
Since November, the Centre has recruited more than 15 new members and over 100 affiliates from across campus and the city of Montreal. “We established the Centre to meet the growing demand from students and faculty for more collaborative research and training offerings on climate change and health,” says Baumgartner. “What inspires me the most is the firehose of interest from researchers, industry, policymakers and community organizations who are all saying the same thing: Let’s get to work!”
The Centre kicked off with a popular lecture and seminar series—Building Climate Resilience: Public Health Solutions for a Changing Environment—that featured leading experts from engineering, economics and public health addressing diverse climate-related health issues. “We feel the sense of urgency and desire to engage,” says Weichenthal. “Our seminars are standing room only, and our events have brought together hundreds of participants from McGill, local public health agencies, community groups, and foundations.”
On May 12, the Centre hosted its first conference on climate change and health titled From Extreme Events to Emerging Threats: Translating Climate and Health Research into Actionable Solutions. More than 20 experts and professionals in climate, environment and health from across Canada discussed topics such as safeguarding health against heatwaves and wildfires, and climate change impacts on mental health, aeroallergens, and vector-borne diseases.
“The need for interdisciplinary work on climate, environment and health has never been more critical,” stresses Dr. Lesley Fellows (MDCM’96, DPhil, FRCPC), Vice-President (Health Affairs) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
“Climate change has the potential to undermine decades of improvements in health all around the world. Such a threat can only be countered by working together across disciplines and perspectives. By promoting collaborative research and new educational opportunities, and engaging with communities, the Centre is set to make its mark far beyond the walls of this institution and will help to shape a healthier, more resilient future.”
In a world where wildfires, extreme heatwaves, ice storms, flooding, hurricanes and droughts are becoming more frequent and intense, there is an urgent need to future-proof our health and healthcare systems to adapt and thrive. “McGill is well positioned to become a leader and change maker in the climate-health crisis,” says Baumgartner. “We’re building a community that knows climate change as a health issue—and is ready to roll up their sleeves and work on practical, evidence-based solutions that protect health and better equip our health system for what’s ahead.”