“Reports & Events” is a monthly tip sheet for the news media that highlights selected meetings of interest and reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Selected Events in June 2020

All facilities of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are closed.  All gatherings have been converted to virtual meetings.  Click on each event title below to access meeting details, an agenda, and registration information, or contact the Office of News and Public Information (e-mail news@nas.edu). Reporters should register for all meetings.  More events can be found at https://www.nationalacademies.org/events.

How Much Will COVID-19 Affect Travel Behavior?
June 1
This webinar will examine behavioral changes and attitude shifts regarding travel in the United States. Presenters will discuss the results of a recently completed University of Illinois at Chicago survey and an ongoing national survey focused on social dynamics, attitudes, and the travel behaviors of American households before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patient Perspectives on High-Quality Primary Care
June 2
Representatives of several patient groups — including AARP, Family Voices, and the Migrant Clinicians Network — will discuss what primary care means to the patients they serve and how to strengthen primary care services. This workshop will inform a follow-up consensus study to the 1996 report Primary Care: America’s Health in a New Era.

Traffic Trends and Safety in a COVID-19 World
June 2
This webinar will explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on traffic crashes and overall highway safety conditions. The presenters will discuss lessons learned from the changes in traffic and safety conditions, and identify how to leverage these changes to improve traffic safety in the future.

Facing an Active 2020 Hurricane Season: Impacts of the Loop Current
June 2
The U.S. could be bracing for more than eight hurricanes and 17 named storms for the 2020 season. This webinar will explore how the Loop Current — a warm ocean current that travels through the Gulf of Mexico — can intensify hurricanes in Gulf communities. Panelists will also discuss current research initiatives to better predict the current’s behavior and track its measurements in real time.

Exploring Themes in Disaster Human Services: Children and Youth in Disasters
June 2 and 3
This workshop will explore the impact of natural disasters on children and youth, specifically how the human and social networks that serve them adapt and coordinate before, during, and after a disaster. This workshop is part of an ongoing series on themes in disaster human services.

Identifying Innovative Technologies to Advance Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
June 2-4
This workshop will focus on technical and regulatory barriers to innovation in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Leaders in the field will share their views on challenges associated with continuous, integrated, portable, and distributed manufacturing, and other innovative technologies.

Primary Care for People with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
June 3
Substance use and behavioral health disorders are chronic conditions that require ongoing treatment, not isolated care. Approaches that integrate care for these conditions into primary care have shown effectiveness — but they remain the exception. Webinar panelists will discuss evidence on why integration works, present promising models from around the country, and examine the policy barriers to widespread implementation. This is the first in a series of three webinars.

Innovative Hospital-Based Palliative Care Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic
June 5
Palliative care improves comfort and quality of life for people with serious illness. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, hard-hit cities like New York City and Boston have had to act quickly to develop telehealth services, while continuing in-person supports for the most vulnerable patients. Leaders from Mount Sinai and Brigham and Women’s Hospital will share key principles and lessons learned from deploying rapid hospital-based responses to addressing palliative care needs during the pandemic.

Integrating the Science of Aging and Environmental Health Research
June 9 and 10
Evidence shows that exposure to environmental pollutants can exacerbate age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. However, questions remain about how environmental stressors alter the biological processes that underlie aging and longevity. This virtual workshop will explore emerging research at the intersection between aging, longevity, environmental exposures, and human health.

Transportation Experiences and Next Steps in the COVID-19 Pandemic
June 16
This webinar will discuss how planning, preparedness, and response can mitigate exposure and viral spread of communicable diseases among transportation customers and employees. Presenters will discuss their experiences on the ground.

Tackling Child Poverty in the Wake of COVID-19
June 18
The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened conditions for millions of children and families. This webinar will feature a discussion with Jeff Madrick, director of the Bernard L. Schwartz Rediscovering Government Initiative, and Greg Duncan, Christine James-Brown, and Dolores Acevedo-Garcia — three members of the National Academies committee that authored A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty — on policies and programs that can significantly reduce child poverty in the United States. 

Advancing the Understanding of How Chemical Exposures Impact Brain Health and Disease
June 25
It is largely unknown how the estimated 85,000 chemicals in our environment impact brain health and disease. This workshop will bring together experts and stakeholders in neuroscience and environmental health science to explore the current knowledge landscape and future opportunities for research.

Integrating Systems and Sectors Toward Obesity Solutions
June 30
This webinar will examine the importance of systems thinking to address obesity and improve population health and well-being. Panelists will explain how structural racism, neighborhood design, and policies have contributed to obesity. They will also examine opportunities to undo these structural forces, and present examples from the field.

Reports Scheduled for Release in June
Release dates for the following consensus reports and proceedings from the Academies depend on successful completion of the review process and publishing schedules. Reporters who would like to be notified when a report is due for release should contact the Office of News and Public Information (e-mail news@nas.edu) and ask to be placed on the contact list.

Clinical Utility of Treating Patients with Compounded Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
In recent years, more patients have turned to non-FDA-approved compounded drugs for the treatment of hormone-related health concerns, such as the relief of menopause symptoms. This report will review whether the available evidence of safety and effectiveness supports the use of these “bioidentical” products; and identify the patient populations that might need to use them in lieu of an FDA-approved product.

ALSO OF INTEREST

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Explore the National Academies’ latest news and resources related to COVID-19, as well as consensus studies and workshop proceedings on the subject of pandemic infectious disease. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR REPORTERS

• The National Academies’ Newsroom  
• Highlights from Latest PNAS Articles | PNAS in the News | Register to receive embargoed material from the PNAS News Office
• Reports and other National Academies publications
• Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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