Baltimore, MD
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The plenary session will be available to the public via livestream.
All agenda items subject to change.
September 30, 2025
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Main Plenary Session
Opening Remarks
Michael R. Bloomberg, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries
Welcome Remarks
Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Director, Bloomberg American Health Initiative
Michelle Spencer, Deputy Director, Bloomberg American Health Initiative
Remarks
Dr. Keshia Pollack Porter, Dean, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Remarks
Ron Daniels, President, Johns Hopkins University
CROSS CUTTING THEMES: Evidence, Equity, Policy
In Conversation: Advancing Health in Baltimore City
Dr. Michelle Taylor, Commissioner of Health, Baltimore City Health Department
Michelle Spencer, Deputy Director, Bloomberg American Health Initiative
Interview
Dr. Kelly Henning, Public Health Program Lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies
Richard Hughes IV, Professorial Lecturer in Law, The George Washington University Law School and Partner, Epstein Becker Green
In Conversation: Protecting Public Health
Yolanda Jacobs, President, American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2883
Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Director, Bloomberg American Health Initiative
ADDICTION AND OVERDOSE
Fellow Spotlight
Shelina Cantrelle Davis, Bloomberg Fellow, Louisiana Public Health Institute
Keynote: Bridging the Divide: A Public Health Approach to Drug Policy
Michael Botticelli, Former Director (Obama Administration), White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
Panel: Beyond the Settlement
Moderator:
Aneri Pattani, Bloomberg Fellow, KFF Health News
Panelists:
Sara Whaley, Executive Director of Overdose Response, City of Baltimore
J.R. Westberg, Bloomberg Fellow, Opioid Response Coordinator, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office
Nidhi Sachdeva, Director of Strategic Health and Opioid Initiatives, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners
Panel: Expanding Access to Harm Reduction on Tribal Lands
Moderator:
Aneri Pattani, Bloomberg Fellow, KFF Health News
Panelists:
Cathy Chavers, Former Bois Forte Tribal Chair
The Honorable Philomena Kebec, Bloomberg Fellow, Economic Development Coordinator, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Chief Judge, Sokaogon Chippewa Community Tribal Court
ADOLESCENT HEALTH
Fellow Spotlight
Lillian Bocquin, Bloomberg Fellow, Honestly: Sexual Health Collective for Youth
Keynote: The Science of Adolescent Development
Lisa Lawson, President and CEO, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Panel: Restorative Practices in Schools: Implications for Youth Mental Health
Moderator:
Jo Napolitano, Senior Reporter, The 74
Panelists:
Benjamin Brooks, Senator, State of Maryland, 10th Legislative District of Baltimore County
Alonzo T. Washington, Senator, State of Maryland, 22nd Legislative District of Prince George's County
Dr. Tamar Mendelson, Bloomberg Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dr. Sarah Murray, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
In Conversation: Educational Justice and Mental Health for Immigrant Youth
Wendy Cervantes, Director, Immigration and Immigrant Families, Center for Law and Social Policy
Dr. Kiara Alvarez, Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Spotlight: Bloomberg Fellow Waymakers
Cody Ingle, Bloomberg Fellow, Lost&Found
Oronde Cruger, Bloomberg Fellow, Speak About It
Panel: Recess in Schools: A Lack of State Policies
Moderator:
Jo Napolitano, Senior Reporter, The 74
Panelists:
Dr. Erin Hager, Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Nikil Saval, Senator, State of Pennsylvania, 1st Senatorial District of Pennsylvania
Lysa Ratliff, Chief Executive Officer, KABOOM!
VIOLENCE
Fellow Spotlight
Jay Franzone, Bloomberg Fellow, Everytown for Gun Safety
Keynote: Gaining Ground to Advance Safety
Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director, Moms Demand Action
Interview: Bridging the Gap: Data, Leadership, and Safer Communities
Moderator:
Jennifer Mascia, Senior News Writer, The Trace
Panelists:
Brandon M. Scott, Mayor, City of Baltimore
Randall L. Woodfin, Mayor, City of Birmingham
Spotlight: Bloomberg Fellow Waymaker
Dr. Maria Coss, Bloomberg Fellow, Puerto Rico Department of Health
In Conversation: Protecting Women, Saving Lives
Dr. Michele Decker, Bloomberg Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dr. Charvonne Holliday Nworu, Founder and Principal Consultant, Rooted Health Strategies
Dr. Tiara Willie, Bloomberg Associate Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
PROGRAM BREAK
Panel: AI in Public Health: Balancing Innovation, Equity, and Ethics
Moderator:
Dr. Elizabeth Stuart, Bloomberg Professor of American Health, Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Panelists:
Dr. Kadija Ferryman, Faculty, Berman Institute of Bioethics and Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dr. Irene Dankwa-Mullan, Chief Health Officer, Marti Health and Board Member, Hurone-AI
Keynote: Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society
Dr. Arline T. Geronimus, Professor, Health Behavior & Health Equity, University of Michigan; Member, National Academy of Medicine
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
Fellow Spotlight
David Harvey, Bloomberg Fellow, Indian Health Service
Keynote
Dr. Samuel S. Myers, Director, Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health
Panel: Heat and Climate Change
Moderator:
Zahra Hirji, Climate Reporter, Bloomberg News
Panelists:
Dr. Bharat Jayram Venkat, Director, UCLA Heat Lab
Dr. Ben Zaitchik, Morton K. Blaustein Chair and Professor, Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
Interview: Urban Sprawl in the U.S.
Zahra Hirji, Climate Reporter, Bloomberg Green
Dr. Shima Hamidi, Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Spotlight: Bloomberg Fellow Waymaker
Dr. Chad Kingsley, District Health Officer, Northern Nevada Public Health
Interview: Community Power, Policy Impact
Joanne Kenen, Journalist-in-Residence, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Contributing Writer, POLITICO Magazine
Dr. Matthew S. Tejada, Senior Vice President of Environmental Health, Natural Resources Defense Council
FOOD SYSTEMS FOR HEALTH
Fellow Spotlight
Jay Cutler, Bloomberg Fellow, Michigan Fitness Foundation
Panel: Feeding the Future: The Importance of School Lunch Programs
Moderator:
Matti Gellman, Food Reporter, The Baltimore Banner
Panelists:
Crystal FitzSimons, President, Food Research & Action Center
Ali Wohlgemuth, Bloomberg Fellow, Bay Area Community Resources
Dr. Erica Pan, Director and State Public Health Officer, California Department of Public Health
In Conversation: Community Engaged Development of Nutrition Curriculum
Dr. Tara Maudrie, Assistant Professor, University of Michigan
Dr. Donald Warne, Co-Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health
Spotlight: Bloomberg Fellow Waymaker
Cody Bloomfield, Bloomberg Fellow, Hunger Solutions New York
Panel: Food is Medicine
Moderator:
Dr. Yeeli Mui, Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Panelists:
Dr. Steven Chen, Chief Medical Officer, Alameda County Recipe4Health
Erika Hanson, Clinical Instructor, Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, Harvard Law School
Jordan Smith, Bloomberg Fellow, Hawai’i Good Food Alliance
CLOSING
Closing Remarks
Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Director, Bloomberg American Health Initiative
Michelle Spencer, Deputy Director, Bloomberg American Health Initiative