By Erin Wickey

The 2024 John P. Wyatt, M.D., Environment and Health Symposium was held Thursday, April 4 on the University of Kentucky campus at the J. David Rosenberg College of Law Grand Courtroom. The Wyatt symposium honors the legacy of Dr. John P. Wyatt and his pioneering environmental clinical research on air pollution and lung pathology.

Universities and agencies from across the state gathered to present research and practice focused on the environment and its impact on health in Kentucky. Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton signed a proclamation recognizing April as John P. Wyatt, M.D., Environment and Health Awareness Month.

“Lexington is a regional hub for both health care and agriculture in the Commonwealth thanks to the many pioneering leaders like Dr. John P. Wyatt,” said Mayor Linda Gorton. “Today, we are committed to educating a new generation of leaders, raising awareness about environmental public health issues, and ensuring a healthy environment for many years to come.”

“I am thrilled that Mayor Gorton has declared April as Environment and Health month,” said symposium organizer Erin Haynes, Dr.P.H., the Kurt W. Deuschle Professor of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health and director of the UK Center for the Environment. “This is momentous as it acknowledges the alignment of the ongoing commitment of the Wyatt family in sponsoring the symposium and celebrating the significant contributions of those who positively impact the public’s health through environmental research and advocacy.”

The annual symposium is made possible by the generous support of the John P. Wyatt family and most notably a gift from his son, Philip Wyatt. Dr. John P. Wyatt was one of the first physicians who connected air pollution with lung disease and was the director of the UK Tobacco and Health Research Institute from 1974 until 1980. 

Arthur Frank, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair emeritus in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, presented the keynote. Frank taught for 11 years at UK and started the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health.

Learn more about this year’s symposium here.