Jun

3 - 4

2025

HYBRID
12:00—6:00 PM ET (June 3rd) | 9:00 AM—6:00 PM ET (June 4th)
CGD
Washington, DC
CONFERENCE

First Annual Research Conference on Global Lead Exposure

New research is urgently needed to inform the global fight against the widespread scourge of childhood lead exposure.

The Center for Global Development is hosting its first annual Research Conference on Global Lead Exposure as part of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future (PLF). The conference will bring together researchers, policymakers, funders, and implementers working to stamp out global lead poisoning.

It is estimated that about half of children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have elevated blood lead levels—and this exposure accounts for a fifth of the gap in learning levels between rich and poor countries. In September 2024, leading development agencies, multilateral development banks, philanthropies and national governments joined forces to launch the PLF—the first ever multistakeholder partnership dedicated to lead poisoning prevention and mitigation, backed by over $125 million in dedicated funding. But to deploy these resources effectively, the PLF needs additional evidence—about how common lead exposure is, how it affects people, where it comes from, and what works to reduce the harm it causes.

Join us June 3-4, in Washington, D.C., for a one-and-a-half-day conference program of cutting-edge interdisciplinary research on global lead exposure, featuring 20+ oral presentations, 20+ poster presentations, and plenty of time to network with fellow leaders in the global fight against lead poisoning.

Additional panel discussions with policymakers and funders will help frame the research findings within the broader fight to end childhood lead poisoning, including discussion of how research will inform funding and implementation strategies, as well as the gaps which still need to be filled.


Co-hosted with:

Partnership for Lead Free Future Logo

Lead Conference FAQs

Q: When is the conference?

A: The conference will take place June 3-4. The program will begin at noon on June 3, and conclude at 5:30PM on June 4, including a reception on the evening of June 3.

Q: Where will the conference be held?

A: The conference will be held at the Birdsall House Conference Center, located within the Center for Global Development’s office in Washington DC. The full address is 2055 L Street NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC, 20036.

Q: How do I register to attend?

A: Registration will open in early April. You will be able to sign up via this webpage.

Q: Is there a registration fee?

A: No, the conference is free to attend!

Q: Is there a registration deadline?

A: There is no formal registration deadline. However, it is possible that in-person registration will reach capacity, so we recommend registering as soon as you are confident of your attendance.

Q: Is travel support (funding) available?

A: We regret that CGD is unable to provide travel support (funding) or other compensation to attendees.

Q: I cannot attend in person but still wish to hear the presentations. Is there a virtual option to attend?

A: Yes, all conference sessions will be livestreamed; please register for the conference once registration opens, indicating your virtual attendance. We will circulate links closer to the conference date.

Q: I am planning to travel by plane. Which airport should I use?

A: Washington, DC is served by three airports: Washington Reagan Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles Airport (IAD), or Baltimore International Airport (BWI). DCA is the most convenient to the conference venue but primarily offers regional fights, with few cross-country and long-haul options. IAD is a large international airport about 40 minutes outside of DC. BWI is slightly less accessible but still offers a viable option and may have less expensive flights.

Q: I am arriving by plane to Washington Reagan Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles Airport (IAD), or Baltimore International Airport (BWI). How do I transport to the conference?

A: Rideshare and taxis are available at all airports. Cost will vary depending on timing and surge pricing, but on average expect to pay roughly $20 for a rideshare from DCA; $60 from IAD; and $80 from BWI. Alternatively, you can transfer by train or metro:

  • From DCA: Take the blue line toward Downtown Largo. Use the Foggy Bottom stop, which is about a 10-minute walk from CGD.
  • From IAD: Take the Silver Line toward Downtown Largo. Use the Foggy Bottom stop, which is about a 10-minute walk from CGD.
  • From BWI: Take the free shuttle service to the Amtrak/MARC station. Take an Amtrak or MARC (commuter rail) train to Union Station.

NOTE: You will need to purchase a SmarTrip Card to navigate the Metro. Machines to purchase them are available at all metro stops.

Q: I am arriving by train or bus to Washington, D.C. How should I navigate to the conference venue?

A: Intercity trains and buses terminate at Union Station. Once there, follow the signs for the Metro and board the Red Line towards Shady Grove. Exit the train at Farragut North Metro stop, which is about an eight-minute walk from the conference venue.

NOTE: You will need to purchase a SmarTrip to navigate the Metro. Machines to purchase them are available at all metro stops.

Rideshare apps and taxis are also available. Expect to pay about $20 for a rideshare transfer to the conference venue.

Q: I plan to drive to the conference venue. Where can I park?

Street parking is available near the CGD office, charging hourly rates. There are also parking garages nearby that charge slightly higher fees. There is a parking garage located next to the CGD office on L St NW, offering parking starting from $12 for the first hour, with a maximum rate of $19/day.

Q: I am taking the metro from elsewhere in the DC area. What is the most convenient metro stop?

CGD is roughly equidistant from four metro stops on four different lines, all of which are about a ten-minute walk from the office. These include Farragut North and Dupont Circle (Red Line); and Farragut West and Foggy Bottom (Blue, Silver, and Orange Lines).

Q: Where should I stay in Washington, D.C?

Hotel options near the conference venue at a reasonable price include the St. Gregory Hotel, Yours Truly DC Hotel, or Hyatt Place Washington DC/Georgetown/West End.

Q: Will DC be busy during the first week of June?

A: World Pride is being held in Washington, D.C. this year during the first week of June. This will create heavier than usual traffic patterns, so please plan your transportation and commute accordingly.

Q: Where can I find more information about the event, including the agenda?

A: All relevant details will made available in due course via the conference webpage.

Q: Will videos from the conference be made available online?

A: Yes, videos of all sessions will be made available via YouTube and the CGD website at the conclusion of the conference.

Q: How can I stay connected to CGD after the conference?

A: To stay connected to CGD and its work on lead, we invite you to sign up here for our mailing list. Through this list, you will receive biweekly updates from the lead community; invitations to join monthly check-in calls of lead researchers and stakeholders; alerts about relevant new research; and invitations to future CGD lead events.

Please reach out to Caroline Mallory ([email protected]) with any further questions.

Agenda

Day 1: Tuesday, June 3, 2025

12:00 – 13:00 ET
Attendees arrive
13:00 – 14:30 ET
Welcome and Opening Session
Panel Discussion
14:30 – 14:45 ET
Coffee Break
14:45 – 16:15 ET
The Global Burden of Disease Attributable to Lead Exposure
Presentation
  • Estimating the Global Burden of Disease Attributable to Lead Exposure – Sandra Spearman, Researcher, Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation
New Evidence of Impacts
Presentations
  • Lead Exposure and Cognitive Skills in a Developing Country: Evidence from Toxic Sites in Indonesia – Emilie Berkhout, Research Associate, Youth Impact
  • The Hidden Costs of Recycling: Lead Exposure and Student Learning – Gerald Ipapa, Postdoctoral Fellow, Georgetown University
  • Brazilian Battery Boom: Tax Breaks as Anti-Pollution Policy – Mikey Jarrell, PhD Student, University of California San Diego
  • Moderator - Justin Sandefur, Senior Program Officer, Open Philanthropy
16:15 – 16:30 ET
Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:30 ET
Methods and Practice of Lead Surveillance
Presentations
  • A Systematic Approach to Conducting Capacity Assessments for Establishing Blood Lead Surveillance: Lessons Learned from Asia and Latin America –Yi Lu, Senior Program Manager - Environmental Health, Vital Strategies and Yatin Pimplé, Technical Advisor – Environmental Health Surveillance, Vital Strategies
  • A Statewide Blood Lead Survey: Learnings from an Indian State – N. Vinayagamoorthy, Assistant Professor, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education & Research
  • The Problem of Prioritization: Using Biokinetic Models to Estimate Relative Contributions of Lead Exposure Sources – Elizabeth Sefton, Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and Casey Bartrem, Executive Director, TerraGraphics International Foundation
  • Moderator – Bret Ericson, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, NYU School of Global Public Health

 

Day 2: Wednesday, June 4, 2025

9:15 – 10:30 ET
Paint and Batteries - Established Sources
Presentations
  • High prevalence of Child Lead Poisoning Driven by the Battery Industry: Synthesizing Interdisciplinary Evidence of Multiple Sources in Bangladesh – Jenna Forsyth, Director, Project Unleaded, Stanford University
  • Patching Sustainability Loopholes Within the Lead-Acid Battery Industry of Bangladesh: An Environmental and Occupational Health Risk Perspective – Rania Jamal, Graduate Student, Indiana University Bloomington
  • A Toxic Threat to Indonesia’s Human Capital: Prevalence and Impact of Lead Paint in Indonesian Homes – William Seitz, Senior Economist, The World Bank
  • What Share of Lead Exposure Comes from Battery Recycling? - Lee Crawfurd, Senior Research Fellow, Center for Global Development
  • Moderator - Clare Donaldson, Co-Executive Director, Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP)
10:30 – 10:45 ET
Coffee Break
10:45 – 11:45 ET
Emerging Sources
Presentations
  • Heavy Metals Contamination in Urban Agriculture: Evidence from Nairobi – Vivian Hoffmann, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute
  • Potential Lead Exposure from Aluminum Cooking Pots in Lower and Middle-Income Countries – Gordon Binkhorst, Senior Technical Advisor, Pure Earth
  • Lead Contamination and Risk Level in Ethiopia: A Neglected Public Health Hazard – Argaw Ambelu, Professor of Environmental Health, Addis Ababa University
  • Moderator – Nida Parks, Chief of Staff, Pure Earth
11:45 – 13:00 ET
Lunch and Poster Presentations
13:00 – 14:15 ET
Understanding Supply Chains and Incentives
Presentations
  • Mexican Toxicity: The Supply Chain of Lead Compounds for the Pottery, Plastics and Paint Industries – Sofia Carlota Chavez Arce, Executive Director, Casa Cem - VIas Verdes A.C.
  • “All that Glitters is Not Turmeric”: Understanding Turmeric Lead Chromate Adulteration in Pakistan – Usman Anwar, PhD Candidate, Suleman Dawood School of Business, Lahore University of Management Sciences
  • Behavior of Retailers in an Informal Circular Economy for Durable Goods – Amrita Kundu, Assistant Professor, Operations and Analytics, Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business
  • Toxic Lead Paint Pigment Exports from Rich to Poor Countries – Rory Todd, Research Associate, Center for Global Development
  • Moderator – Will Fitzgibbon, Senior Reporter and Global Partnership Coordinator, The Examination
14:15 – 15:15 ET
Interventions
Presentations
  • Evidence that Workplace Interventions Reduce Children’s Lead Exposure – Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director, Occupational Knowledge International
  • Reducing child lead exposure through a participatory approach: A pilot intervention in Abidjan, Ivory Coast – Alexander van Geen, Research Professor, Columbia University
  • A Comprehensive Approach for Lead Exposure Reduction: Investigating Sources, Cognitive and Oral Health Impacts, and Public Health Strategies in Rural areas of Gurgaon, India – Dr. Rangoli Srivastava, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, SGT University
  • Moderator – Lee Crawfurd, Senior Research Fellow, Center for Global Development
15:15 – 15:45 ET
Coffee Break
15:45 – 16:45 ET
National Experiences Assessing and Responding to Lead Exposure
Presentations
  • Assessing Lead Exposure Risks, Testing Capacity and Mitigation Strategies in Malawi: Insights from Stakeholder Consultations, Environmental Observations, and Geospatial Mapping – Chifundo Colleta Zimba, Executive Director, National Organization of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi
  • Mexico’s Immediate Action Program for the Control of Lead Exposure in Mexico, from biomonitoring to public health action – Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz, Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University
  • Lead Exposure and Source Attribution in Children: Evidence from Poti and Guria, Georgia, Demonstrating Local Capability Building – Ekaterine Ruadze, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia
  • Moderator – Dan Kass, Senior Vice President, Environmental, Climate & Urban Health, Vital Strategies
16:45 – 17:30 ET
Closing Session: The Role of Funders in Addressing Lead Poisoning
Panel Discussion

Related Work

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