Surili Sutaria Patel
Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.— Rabindranath Tagore
Surili has deep issue-based knowledge in public health, environmental health, and health equity. With a profound public health and biomedical research background, she has led efforts to bridge the gap between public health practice and sound policies. Surili has helped lead development and passage of policies that remove toxins from where people work, live and play; innovative approaches to monitor and reduce environmental health risks; championed lead free conditions to improve children’s health; and the development of short-term policy advocacy and organized around scaling investments to address the quality of occupied housing and water systems. She approaches health and the environment through thoughtful coalition building and values-based communications strategies. Surili is a trusted voice in the field of public health who champions diversity and works to advance public health, shared wellbeing, and racial justice.
Her areas of expertise include:
- Crafting effective environmental health messaging
- Designing advocacy and policy strategy
- Building partnerships among public agencies and communities
- Leading multi-partner research initiatives
- Developing strategy on intersectional issues, like climate change, structural racism and health, and social justice
In addition to her environmental health experience, Surili has led teams in conducting message research and non-polarizing communications strategies on broader public health topics, such as creating a message guide to advance policies that support healthy babies, children and families; develop a communications toolkit to increase vaccination rates across hard-to-reach communities; and create an actionable; and translated the scientific consensus report behind the recommendation into an easy to use, actionable employer guide.
Experience
Surili held a visionary leadership position at the American Public Health Association, where she led strategies to advance equitable solutions for all by creating healthy built and natural environments and supporting a robust environmental public health workforce. As the director of the Center for Climate, Health and Equity, she inspired action by public health professionals and advanced policy agendas that address health at the nexus of climate and equity. As deputy director for the Center for Public Health Policy, she elevated the Association’s environmental health program to the national stage.
She is also a sought after guest lecturer on topics including environmental health; climate and health; and energy justice and public health at the Johns Hopkins Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and the Yale School of the Environment. Recently, Surili received the Climate Resilience and Health Equity Award category of the HHS Green Champion Award for her contributions on conceptualizing and developing the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Climate Adaptation Planning project.
Surili holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a Master’s of Science in biomedical science policy and advocacy from Georgetown University.
In Community
Surili finds passion in supporting efforts to advance health for all and environmental policies. The organizations she currently serves with include:
- Aawaz4Climate – Co-founder
- Maryland League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (Maryland LCVEF) – The Board of Directors
- RESOLVE – Board of Advisors
- Yale Center on Climate Change and Health – Advisory Board
- Environmental Health Matters Initiative at the National Academies – Liaison
She enjoys painting, hiking, and cooking international cuisines. As a former semi-professional Bharatanatyam dancer, she seeks opportunities to learn about arts and cultures from around the world.