A lover of nature, an accomplished public heath physician, a person of faith, a father, grandfather, gardener and woodworker, Dr Hospedales founded EarthMedic/Nurse to mobilise health professionals to urgently address the climate and health crisis. He chairs the Defeat-NCD partnership executive committee, addressing NCDs in low-resource countries. He was inaugural Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), leading the Agency to become a recognized player on the global health field, weathering several public health emergencies, developing an innovative Tourism and Health Partnership, and raising the alarm on the climate and health crisis. He was coordinator NCD prevention and control in PAHO/WHO. He is a graduate of UWI and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health, and an accredited partnership broker with the Partnering Institute of the UK. He has published more than 100 papers and reports

Mike Brubaker has been working on environmental health in the north for over twenty years, with a concentration on achieving safe, healthy, sustainable communities. Born in Juneau Alaska, Mike earned a BS in Biology from St. Lawrence University and a MS in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco. He spent ten years as Community Services Director at the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, a regional tribal non-profit health consortium serving the Unangan people in Southwestern Alaska. For the past 12 years, he has worked for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium where he directs statewide environmental health services. Mike founded the Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network and is the managing editor of a weekly e-journal, The Northern Climate Observer. He is associate faculty at Alaska Pacific University. Mike lives in Anchorage with his wife and four children

James R. Whitehead has been the leader and CEO of multiple global and U.S. organizations, with a driving force to enlarge and amplify their ability to benefit humanity overall in a sustainable fashion – especially at the intersection of human, societal, and planetary health.

Jim’s commitment to the critical connection among human and animal life, the sustainability of vibrant cities and societies, and overall planetary health is reflected in many endeavors – such as playing a leadership role in ecoAmerica’s Climate for Health, organizing United Nations briefings and side- events on the effects of climate change on health, and creating a program called ActivEarth.

Based in Indianapolis, IN, USA, Jim is CEO of a large portfolio of medical and health-based organizations, including the International Society for Sports Psychiatry.

Jim previously served in the public sector in Washington, DC as Director of an HHS national health institute. Before that, he was the historically successful and long-term CEO of the American College of Sports Medicine.

During his distinguished career, former Minister of Health and Sports (2009-2013) Richard W. M. Visser D.C., Ph.D. has focused on the pandemic of childhood obesity among various populations, working in consultation with other international experts. He studied the problem and implemented solutions from many perspectives: as a clinical researcher, academic and educator, activist and politician, entrepreneur, concerned citizen. His work has made vital contributions to a greater understanding of the biological, sociological, and psychological factors surrounding childhood obesity and it’s complicating factors. Today Dr. Visser continues his innovative approach to healthcare by converging the exponential technological developments going on right now with never before seen global connectivity. In so doing empower Nations, by sourcing their most valuable health assets and magnifying their presence through virtual-hospital platforms, creating never before seen access to quality care, and digitizing disease management. His new book “The Aruba project: One Happy Island to One Heavy Island to One Healthy Island” is currently available at amazon.com

Caroline Allen is a critical thinker and researcher with a deep concern about social equity in health and the development of evidence-based action on climate change.  She came to the Caribbean to take up a job at the University of the West Indies in Barbados in the 1990s and has lived and raised her family in the region for most of the period since.  She has published in areas as diverse as HIV, gender-based violence, vector-borne diseases, non-communicable diseases and ageing.  At the core of her work is analysis of social and environmental determinants of health in developing country contexts, and she has applied this in her employment and consultancies for regional and international agencies.  The tragic impact of the 2017 hurricanes, Irma and Maria, on Caribbean Small Island Developing States inspired a major interest in climate change. She was lead consultant for the following reports, which represent seminal work in bringing together evidence on climate change and health in SIDS:

Caribbean Public Health Agency. State of Public Health in the Caribbean Report 2017-2018 Climate and Health: Averting and Responding to an Unfolding Health Crisis. Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: CARPHA; 2018

Allen CF, West RMD, Beagley J and McGushin, Climate and Health in SIDS: report to The Lancet Countdown. London: The Lancet Countdown, University College London; 2021.

World Health Organization and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Antigua and Barbuda Health and Climate Change Country Profile: Small Island Developing States Initiative. World Health Organization; 2020.

World Health Organization and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Dominica Health and Climate Change Country Profile: Small Island Developing States Initiative. World Health Organization; 2020.

Dr Chris Newman is a general practitioner from the UK. Due to growing concerns about the state of climate change at the start of 2019 he began to make a podcast about it, called ‘The Green Pill’. This was sidelined after 7 episodes as when Extinction Rebellion burst onto the scene a few months later in London, he felt his energy would be better used in their support. Soon after he cofounded Doctors for Extinction Rebellion, which has been covered in all the major UK newspapers and received formal support from editor of the Lancet, Dr Richard Horton, and WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He also helped set up Health Declares Emergency in 2020 and Football for Future in 2021.

Andrew Agard is a dual-citizen of Trinidad & Tobago and Ghana who is determined to become a truly global citizen. He holds a B.A. in Engineering Science from Trinity College, Hartford. He is driven towards contributing to the global effort to find and implement solutions to some of the most pressing issues of our time including climate change, health and poverty. Andrew believes in the effectiveness of social entrepreneurship, data-informed decision making and human ingenuity. He is committed to working with NGOs and assuming his niche in society as an ambitious young adult. Andrew’s hobbies include art, writing, hiking and reading. His newer interests include martial arts and woodwork. Andrew aspires to develop as a well-rounded and holistic individual.

Colene Hoyte is a Human Resource and Executive Support Coordinator at Caribbean Fisheries Training and Development Institute. She has an MBA with a concentration in International Finance from Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business. She is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Hope for Stroke TT, a social enterprise designed to improve the quality of life of stroke survivors and their caregiver by facilitating access to stroke rehabilitation and social support services. She is also passionate about global public health, health systems strengthening and reducing health inequalities. She has a BSc. in Biology and Environmental and Natural Resource Management from The University of the West Indies, which enables her to adopt an inter-disciplinary approach to tackling the issues of climate change and non-communicable diseases. Her publications include journal articles on stroke-related services in Trinidad and Tobago, food safety and quality considerations for products of an aquaculture origin, and contributions to the ‘Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago’.

Mary Hospedales graduated from Loyola University, New Orleans with a Bachelor’s degree in English Writing, and minors in both Biology and French. Since graduating, she has worked with the Editorial Board of the Caribbean Medical Journal, for the Communications Department of the Caribbean Public Health Agency, and most recently for the French Ministry of National Education. She is proficient in French and continues to study other languages. Mary is passionate about issues of environment, human rights, sustainable development and culture, and currently works with two nongovernmental organizations – EarthMedic and the Institute for Small Islands – to help some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Natascha is a public international lawyer with expertise in global governance, environmental law, human rights law, international criminal law and international humanitarian law. She has extensive experience in diplomacy and civil society organisations. Besides being a senior associate for law and policy at EarthMedic, Natascha is a British Red Cross Research Fellow at the Lauterpacht Centre at the University of Cambridge. She is also involved in Cambridge Governance Labs and Wolfson College Sustainability and Conservation Hub.

She worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Zimbabwe and Algeria and with the German Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. Natascha holds an LL.M. from the University of Cambridge and law degrees from Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris and the University of Cologne. She also holds diplomas in political science from Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf.

At EarthMedic, Natascha leads projects on law and policy and takes pride in being a mentor to her interns.

Dr. Richard Ramsawak is Head of the Center of Strategy and Competitiveness – Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business, UWI. He has significant experience coordinating the development and implementation of national level strategic plans and competitiveness initiatives domestically and internationally. He has participated as a Facilitator for the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), sponsored the Caribbean Growth Forum and acted as lead consultant for the Competitive Analysis of the South West and 4C Growth Poles of Trinidad and Tobago, a project commissioned by the Economic Development Board of the Ministry of Planning and Development.

Dr. Ramsawak is a Fulbright Scholar and completed his PhD in Economics at Clark University, Worcester MA, USA. He also holds an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA), as well as a Master of Sciences in Economics (Distinction) from the University of the West Indies. Additionally, he has completed various specialized private development programs in areas such as export diversification, sustainable enterprise development, and cluster development offered by the World Bank, ITC/ILO Summer Academy on Enterprise Development, UNIDO and the Harvard Business School. He has contributed at expert meetings at the United Nations and at various international business and trade promotion events.

Dr. Ramsawak is an Affiliate Member of the “Microeconomics of Competitiveness Network” of the Institute of Competitiveness, Harvard Business School, the American Economic Association (AEA), and past member of The Competitiveness Institute (TCI), as well as past Secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Economics Association.

A first-year medical student at Tulane University School of Medicine. She earned her Master’s in Public Health in Maternal and Child Health at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. While at UNC, she completed a pathway 2 lactation consultant program through the Mary Rose Tully Training Initiative (MRTTI) at the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute (CGBI). She also trained and volunteered as a birth doula with the UNC Birth Partners Program. Ms. Amponsah’s research interests include

Gary is a research psychologist, who has worked in a variety of public health research and intervention projects since 2008. He is particularly adept at managing relationships among stakeholders at all levels. Having led projects, managed teams, designed clinic flows, data collection tools and other processes positions him to offer a unique set of skills in a UX role. Projects of which he is proud include: jointly conceptualizing and developing a platform for indexing global research project metadata to promote collaborative research; leading on standardizing core outcome metrics for 33 mental health projects across 45 countries; leading on the development of the GACD Hypertension Programme Report – a report detailing the efforts, outcomes and impact of a global, 15-project research programme over 5 years, and more.

Nyoni Winchester originates from Tobago and holds the position Veterinary Scientist in the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) since July 2017. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of the West Indies in July 2015. Nyoni’s participation in the New Zealand/Caribbean Regional Small Ruminant Capacity Building Activity, in Jamaica 2016, prompted her interest in Livestock Reproduction, which inspired further academic training and the completion of a Masters in Veterinary Studies (MVS) from Massey University, New Zealand in July 2019.

Nyoni serves diligently as a veterinary consultant for farmers and other groups. She is passionate about Agricultural development and Regional food security and hopes to address this through the improvement of livestock production throughout the region. 

Nyoni enjoys the diverse cultural experiences when travelling and she is also an avid hiker, which has led her to better appreciate the environment and recognise the need for its protection. This keen interest encouraged her to complete an online course, ‘The Health Effects in Climate Change’ offered by HarvardX, which has increased her awareness and willingness to advocate for a healthier planet.

As an animal health professional and nature enthusiast, Nyoni believes in EarthMedic’s goals. She is eager to highlight the applications of veterinary medicine to combat the impact of climate change and the environmental degradation which affects our health and the wellbeing of future generations.

Sharon Lindo has been working in the development space for twenty years.  She has worked across national, regional and international spaces in foreign affairs, foreign trade, climate change and sustainable development.  Sharon has championed the rights and well-being of SIDS persons as the Policy Advisor at the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre and most recently as Lead Negotiator for Sustainable Development with the Alliance of Small Island States.  Sharon has a Masters of Science in Development Economics and Policy and Master of Laws in International Law.  Sharon has special interest in climate change, hunger, conflict and population displacement/migration.