We’re pleased to announce that the Center for Global Development will be holding its second Annual Research Conference on Global Lead Exposure on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 June 2026, in London—a forum to convene researchers, policymakers, and implementers, all working to stamp out global lead poisoning.
Submission deadline: 31 January, 2026
Notifications: 28 February 2026
Location: Central London, United Kingdom
Organizers: Rachel Bonnifield, Lee Crawfurd
Submission requirements: Please share your paper, poster, or session proposal using this link
Fields of interest: Public health, environmental science, economics, etc,. See below for further details on particular themes of emphasis
Available formats: Oral and poster presentations of academic papers; interactive workshops, briefings, and demonstrations (parallel sessions)
Travel and accommodation: CGD will cover economy class airfare and accommodation in London for one presenter per accepted oral presentation or workshop/briefing/demonstration. Poster presentations are not eligible for travel support.
Research for a lead-free future
Our inaugural 2025 conference convened 32 speakers from 11 countries, highlighting 26 oral and 14 poster presentations, and drew 150 in-person attendees and over 1,000 online viewers. Researchers came from across disciplines, including environment, health, epidemiology, chemistry, economics, engineering, and dentistry, alongside implementers, policymakers, and funders.
In the last year we have seen unprecedented growth of interest in lead exposure, with the launch of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future (PLF), the Lead Exposure Action Fund (LEAF), and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative. For these efforts to make the most of available resources and galvanise further action we need more and better data on which sources of exposure are the highest priority to tackle, and what interventions are most cost-effective.
For the 2026 conference, we therefore continue to prioritise three core themes:
1. Causal impacts of lead exposure
2. Identification and quantification of exposure sources
3. What works: interventions to prevent or reduce exposure and harm
A chance to present your work, or hear from the frontline
Do you do research on lead poisoning? If so, please consider this an enthusiastic invitation to submit your work for presentation and discussion at the conference, regardless of your disciplinary background. We hope the conference will feature new, primary research in public health, environmental science, economics, and other fields.
In addition to academic research papers, we’re also interested in hearing from policymakers and practitioners working on reducing lead exposure.
Like last year we’ll include poster sessions as well as oral presentations. Please indicate whether you’d like to be considered for either or both in your application (but note that funding for travel costs is only available for oral presentations).
We’re also interested in proposals for interactive demonstration, briefing, or workshop sessions of up to 45 minutes. These could include, for example, demonstrations of lead testing technology, trainings in policymaker communication, or debates on current issues in the field.
Given the concentration of lead poisoning in low- and middle-income countries, we have a preference for research in these settings. For certain questions—for instance on impacts of exposure or new technological or medical developments—we are open to research from high-income countries, as well. Researchers from the Global South are particularly encouraged to apply. Please apply to present using the submission form here.
We’ll have a selection process for presentations, but attendance at the conference will be free and open to all interested parties. If you’re a policymaker working on lead mitigation; someone in the health, education, or environment spaces with an interest in how lead poisoning may affect your work; or just an interested observer: we’d love you to join. Registrations to attend the conference will open three months before the conference date: please use the event page here to add the conference date to your calendar.
We look forward to seeing you there—and translating research into action for a lead-free future.
