In this episode of the "World We Want" podcast series, Márcia Balisciano speaks to Professor Lora Fleming, Professor Lota Creencia, Professor Helena Solo-Gabriele, and Jake Keast who advocate the need for a world where protecting the seas, the coasts, and the oceans is essential for human health and wellbeing.  

Lora Fleming 

Professor Lora Fleming is the founder of the European Centre for Environment and Human health and Chair of Oceans, Epidemiology and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School. Professor Fleming  is an occupational and environmental health physician and epidemiologist with more than 30 years of experience and expertise in environment and occupational exposures and human health research and training. She is the recipient of the 2013 Edouard Delcroix Prize and the 2015 Bruun Medal of the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC), and an ASPIRE principle fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 

Lota Creencia 

Professor Lota Creencia is the organization lead for Western Philippines University, Philippines. holds a PhD in Fisheries Science and MS in Fisheries Science from Kagoshima University, Japan and MS from Siliman University, Philippines. Western Philippines University. Her experience spans various programs and projects in line with fisheries management and aquaculture. She has served as a principal investigator/project leader/coordinator with funding from USAID-STRIDE, Malampaya Foundation Inc., Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCIEERD), Commission on Higher Education (CHED-DARETO & NAFES), Department of Agriculture- Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR). She specializes in abalone biology and culture, marine biology, mangrove ecology and management, integrated seaweed farming and community-based fisheries management and aquaculture.

Helena Solo-Gabriele 

Helena Solo-Gabriele is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Miami. She is an environmental engineer who evaluates problems that relate to the domains of public health and environment. She focuses on environmental measures and actively engages with epidemiologists and other public health professionals to get to know the possible links between environmental exposures and illness. 

Jake Keast 

Jake is a medical student at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. In addition to being a medical student, Jake is also an elite athlete and an oceans and human health researcher who spends time over performance improvements and exercise physiology. He has recently co-authored a textbook on Oceans and Human Health, and is working with local projects to bring young people and vulnerable adults to the sea for sports and education.