The continued, rapid rise of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and the corresponding increase in radiative forcing are expected to profoundly impact the Earth’s climate system and the communities and infrastructure that rely on it. The public health community now widely recognizes that continued climate change – through rising temperatures, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and sea level rise – is likely to have far-reaching impacts on population health and “represent an unacceptably high and potentially catastrophic risk to human health”. Dr. Wellenius' research is focused on developing the evidence needed to create healthy, resilient, and sustainable communities in the context of continued climate change. In this presentation he will share recent research from his group on the adverse health risks posed by episodes of extreme heat and the opportunities for preventing these effects in communities across the US. He will also share the goals of two recently funded grant applications in this area.