Elena Craft, PhD
President & CEO
Health Effects Institute
Sher/her
Description: The Health Effects Institute (HEI) leads independent research exploring how air pollution impacts human health across diverse environments worldwide. In this talk, Dr. Elena Craft will highlight HEI’s approach to studying complex challenges like traffic-related air pollution, the health effects of wildfire smoke, and emerging questions about new pollutants. You’ll learn how rigorous science guides policy decisions, bridges data gaps, and ultimately drives real-world improvements in air quality and public health.
About the speaker: Dr. Elena Craft is President of the Health Effects Institute (HEI), an independent research organization that brings trusted, high-quality science to one of the world’s most pressing public health challenges—air pollution. She leads a global mission to provide clear, impartial research that helps decision makers in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Latin America make informed choices about air quality—improving health in communities around the world.
With a unique ability to connect science, policy, and people, Dr. Craft works with leaders in government, industry, and the environmental community to tackle emerging issues, guide innovative research, and ensure HEI’s work remains both relevant and respected.
Beyond her role at HEI, Dr. Craft serves as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center and Texas A&M University, and as a Kinder Fellow at Rice University. She holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, an M.S. in Toxicology from North Carolina State University, and a Ph.D. from Duke University. She is also a fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini.
This seminar is co-sponsored by the Duke Center on Risk.
Friday, October 17th, 2025
Field Auditorium, Room 1112, Grainger Hall (9 Circuit Drive, Durham, NC)
This seminar will also be presented live via Panopto. Click HERE for the livestream.