Dr. Gredia Huerta-Montañez Selected for CDC Committee and White House Summit
This summer, PROTECT Researcher Dr. Gredia Huerta-Montañez was invited to take part in two major federal environmental health initiatives: the CDC’s Lead Exposure Prevention Advisory Committee (LEPAC) and the first-ever White House Extreme Heat Summit.
The CDC formed the LEPAC to advise the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary and CDC Director with regards to issues like reviewing federal programs available for those exposed to lead, research areas on lead exposure in need of further exploration, and best practices for lead screening and poisoning prevention. Gredia, who has years of experience with pediatrics and lead research, was selected to join the committee in June and is serving alongside 14 other Federal and non-Federal experts who represent fields including epidemiology, toxicology, mental health, diet and nutrition, and environmental health. She will continue to be a member of the LEPAC through June 2026.
Later in the summer, Gredia was invited to participate in the first-ever White House Extreme Heat Summit in DC hosted by the Biden-Harris Administration. The Summit, which took place on September 13th in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, assembled leaders and practitioners from communities experiencing the effects of extreme heat to discuss the local and community-driven actions being taken to address the issue. Participants included White House Senior Staff, federal agency staff, healthcare professionals, emergency responders, workers exposed to extreme heat, and researchers. During the Summit, Gredia specifically took part in the Extreme Heat and Health roundtable with ten other medical doctors, nurses, public health officials, and scientists. During the roundtable, Gredia and the other participants answered questions from the NIH and CDC related to the challenges of climate action. The group also provided suggestions for how the federal government can support the work and efforts to mitigate and respond to extreme heat in ways that keep communities safe. A full readout of The Summit by the White House can be found here.
The White House Summit group on the Navy Steps. Credit: NewsSlice