2026 Wyatt Symposium to explore air pollution and health science
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 16, 2026) — The 2026 John P. Wyatt, M.D. Environment and Health Symposium is 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, in Gatton Student Centers Ballrooms B/C on the University of Kentucky campus.
Hosted by the UK Center for the Environment, the annual Wyatt Symposium celebrates the enduring contributions of John P. Wyatt, M.D., a pioneer in environmental and clinical research, particularly in air pollution and lung pathology.
“The generous gift from the Wyatt family provides an opportunity for universities across Kentucky to share their environment and health research that is conducted for the benefit of those living in the Commonwealth,” said Erin Haynes, Dr.P.H., the Kurt W. Deuschle Professor of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health in the UK College of Public Health and director of the UK Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences.
The symposium begins by highlighting the next generation of researchers with three-minute lightning talks. Fifteen students from across the Commonwealth will be selected to showcase the impact of their research on the environment and human health, with a panel of judges awarding cash prizes to top presenters.
Following the lightning talks, a complimentary networking luncheon will be provided at 11:15 a.m. for all in-person attendees, and awards will be presented to 2026 John P. Wyatt, M.D. Awardees.
Arden Pope, Ph.D., and Douglas Dockery, Sc.D., will give this year’s keynote presentation, “Air Pollution and Health Science: A Double-Edged Sword.” Pope is an emeritus professor of economics at Brigham Young University, and Dockery is an emeritus professor of environmental epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Together, they have spent more than four decades collaborating on studies about the health effects of air pollution and recently co-authored the book “Particles of Truth: A Story of Discovery, Controversy, and the Fight for Healthy Air.”
Following the keynote, an interactive panel discussion will explore critical environment and health challenges. The session features a unique cross-section of voices, including Michael Kennedy, director of the Kentucky Division for Air Quality, alongside other scientists, legal professionals and community members. The panel will conclude with an audience Q&A session.
The symposium wraps up with lightning talk awards, an interactive air quality technology fair and a book signing with Pope and Dockery, where copies of “Particles of Truth” will be available for purchase.
The event is free and open to the public. For those unable to join in person, a virtual Zoom option is available for the keynote presentation.
Registration is now open. The full agenda and symposium registration are available online.
This event is made possible by the support of the John P. Wyatt family. Symposium partners traditionally include colleges and centers from UK, Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky State University, University of Louisville and Northern Kentucky University.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.