Sabine Jamal, M.D., MPH, serves as the Manager of Workforce Development within the Cornell Health Impacts Core in the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health at Cornell University. A UK National Health Service-trained emergency medicine physician, Dr. Jamal is experienced in public health consultancy, advocacy, research, and education. Her areas of expertise include education, curriculum design, and workforce development, with a strong focus on public health emergencies and emergency preparedness. Dr. Jamal’s approach to public health issues is evidence based and solutions focused, emphasizing health equity throughout all her projects.
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Beyond the Fire Line
Wildfire Smoke and the Hidden Impacts on Health
Monday, June 15, 2026, 2pm
EDT
Event Overview
Join us for the next Public Health Keynote, where we will address wildfire smoke as an escalating public health threat impacting communities far beyond regions historically affected by wildfires. Host Dr. Sabine Jamal will lead a dynamic discussion with Dr. Alistair Hayden, Dr. Corinna Noel, and Dr. Olivia Sanderfoot.
This session will explore why wildfire smoke exposure is on the rise, examine emerging data on its effects on both human and wildlife health, and consider how populations with little prior exposure are experiencing its impacts. Panelists will also address the mental health consequences and highlight how ecosystem indicators, such as bird populations, can help reveal broader environmental risks.
This session will explore why wildfire smoke exposure is on the rise, examine emerging data on its effects on both human and wildlife health, and consider how populations with little prior exposure are experiencing its impacts. Panelists will also address the mental health consequences and highlight how ecosystem indicators, such as bird populations, can help reveal broader environmental risks.
What You'll Learn
- Insight into the drivers of increasing wildfire smoke exposure and expanding geographic impact
- The key health impacts of wildfire smoke, including mental health and risks to new populations
- How ecosystem indicators signal broader environmental and health risks
- Practical actions to reduce risk and improve preparedness at individual and community levels
Speakers
Sabine Jamal, M.D., MPH
Manager of Workforce Development, Cornell Health Impacts Core
Cornell University
Alistair Hayden
Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Public and Ecosystem Health
Cornell University
Alistair Hayden, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Cornell University’s Department of Public and Ecosystem Health and a volunteer firefighter. He formerly served as a Division Chief at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Dr. Hayden supports practitioners in protecting the public from extreme temperatures and wildfire smoke through research, policy, and communications.
Olivia Sanderfoot
Ornithologist and Global Change Ecologist
Center for Engagement in Science and Nature, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Dr. Olivia Sanderfoot is an ornithologist and global change ecologist in the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. In her research, Dr. Sanderfoot links data and tools from quantitative ecology and atmospheric science to investigate how air pollution impacts the health and behavior of birds. Her current projects leverage participatory science to examine how wildfire smoke shapes species distributions and discover what constitutes smoke refugia for birds. Dr. Sanderfoot is especially interested in identifying conservation actions to safeguard birds during periods of hazardous air quality.
Dr. Sanderfoot recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. She is the founder and director of Project Phoenix, a community science initiative to monitor bird responses to wildfire smoke in the western United States.
Corinna Noel
Assistant Professor of Practice
Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University
Corinna Noel, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Practice within the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health at Cornell University. Her research and practice focus on enhancing surveillance efforts as well as generating evidence and developing tools to allow public health stakeholders to engage in data-driven decision making with the goal of implementing targeted, evidence-based interventions and policies.
Dr. Noel has a background in statistics, epidemiology, and public health research, as well as several years of experience working with community partners to improve real-time data surveillance and program evaluation efforts. Her research and practice focus on two critical public health issues: the continued overdose crisis, particularly in rural New York State, and increasing exposure to wildfire smoke, both in New York State and nationwide.
Sabine Jamal, M.D., MPH
Manager of Workforce Development, Cornell Health Impacts Core
Cornell University
Sabine Jamal, M.D., MPH, serves as the Manager of Workforce Development within the Cornell Health Impacts Core in the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health at Cornell University. A UK National Health Service-trained emergency medicine physician, Dr. Jamal is experienced in public health consultancy, advocacy, research, and education. Her areas of expertise include education, curriculum design, and workforce development, with a strong focus on public health emergencies and emergency preparedness. Dr. Jamal’s approach to public health issues is evidence based and solutions focused, emphasizing health equity throughout all her projects.
Alistair Hayden
Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Public and Ecosystem Health
Cornell University
Alistair Hayden, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Cornell University’s Department of Public and Ecosystem Health and a volunteer firefighter. He formerly served as a Division Chief at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Dr. Hayden supports practitioners in protecting the public from extreme temperatures and wildfire smoke through research, policy, and communications.
Olivia Sanderfoot
Ornithologist and Global Change Ecologist
Center for Engagement in Science and Nature, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Dr. Olivia Sanderfoot is an ornithologist and global change ecologist in the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. In her research, Dr. Sanderfoot links data and tools from quantitative ecology and atmospheric science to investigate how air pollution impacts the health and behavior of birds. Her current projects leverage participatory science to examine how wildfire smoke shapes species distributions and discover what constitutes smoke refugia for birds. Dr. Sanderfoot is especially interested in identifying conservation actions to safeguard birds during periods of hazardous air quality.
Dr. Sanderfoot recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. She is the founder and director of Project Phoenix, a community science initiative to monitor bird responses to wildfire smoke in the western United States.
Corinna Noel
Assistant Professor of Practice
Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University
Corinna Noel, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Practice within the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health at Cornell University. Her research and practice focus on enhancing surveillance efforts as well as generating evidence and developing tools to allow public health stakeholders to engage in data-driven decision making with the goal of implementing targeted, evidence-based interventions and policies.
Dr. Noel has a background in statistics, epidemiology, and public health research, as well as several years of experience working with community partners to improve real-time data surveillance and program evaluation efforts. Her research and practice focus on two critical public health issues: the continued overdose crisis, particularly in rural New York State, and increasing exposure to wildfire smoke, both in New York State and nationwide.
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