Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty Member

Alan Abelsohn MBChB, CCFP, FCFP, Diploma Env Health

Research Interests

Air Quality and Human Health, in relation to Health Risk Communication

Education & Training History

1974 MBChB, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

1996 Environmental Health, McMaster University

Postgraduate, Research and Specialty Training

2006 – 2009 Post-Doctoral Fellowship (part-time), funded by CIHR Institute for Population and Public Health, with John Frank, CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health, and John Eyles, Institute of Environment and Health, McMaster University, Environmental health, CIHR Institute for Population and Public Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Supervisor(s): Prof John Frank; Prof John Eyles

1997 – 1999 2 year international program in Sustainable Development, with scholarship from NRTEE and CIDA. LEAD Canada and LEAD International (Leadership for Environment and Development)

1995 – 1996 Environmental Health, Institute of Environmental Health, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,

1976 – 1978 Family Practice Residency, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto

Qualifications, Certifications and Licenses

1997 Fellow (FCFP), College of Family Physicians of Canada

1996 Diploma Environmental Health, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada

1978 Canadian Medical Licencing (LMCC), Medical Council of Canada

1978 Certificant (CCFP), College of Family Physicians of Canada

1974 M.B.ChB. University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Primary Teaching Responsibilities

Co-chair Environmental Health Seminar series, School of Environment, U of T

Professional Summary & Appointments

Family Physician in Toronto

Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, U of T

Current Research Projects

Co-Investigator. Patient Views on GP Promotion of the Public Health Benefits of Sustainability During Clinical Consultations. The Sustainability Script Project, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Collaborator(s): 1. A/Prof Grant Blashki (A/ Prof in Global Health, Nossal Institute for Global Health)
2. A/Prof Lena Sanci (Deputy Head, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne)
3. Dr Alan Abelsohn (Head of Environmental Working Group, World Organisation of Family Doctors, Canada)
4. Prof Rob Moodie (Prof of Global Health, Nossal Institute for Global Health)
5. Dr Marion Carey (Senior Research Fellow, Monash Universit.
Patients in waiting rooms in Victoria, Australia, were given a questionnaire about their willingness to engage in behaviour change that benefited both health and increased the sustainability of the planet.

Co-Investigator. Survey of attitudes of family physicians about their role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. WONCA Working Party on the Environment, Australia. Collaborator(s): Blashki G, Villella C.
An international email survey, using the WONCA listserve, of attitudes of family physicians about their role in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Representative Publications

• Abelsohn A, Rachlis V, Vakil C. Climate change: should family physicians and Family Medicine organizations pay attention? Canadian Family Physician. 59(5);462-466.Groot E, Abelsohn A, Moore K. It’s getting hotter: Practical strategies for prevention and treatment of heat induced illness. Canadian Family Physician. 2013 Mar. In Press.

  Simpson C, Abelsohn A. Heat-induced illness. CMAJ. 2012,184:1170.

  Blashki G, Abelsohn A, Woollard R, Arya N, Parkes WM, Kendal P, Bell E, Bell RW. General Practitioners’ responses to global climate change – lessons from clinical experience and the clinical method. Asia Pacific Family Medicine. 2012,11:6. .

  Abelsohn A, Vanderlinden L, Scott F, Archbold J, Brown T. Healthy fish consumption and reduced mercury exposure: Counseling women in their reproductive years. Canadian Family Physician. 2011; 57:26-30.

  Abelsohn A, Stieb DM. Health effects of outdoor air pollution. Approach to counseling patients using the Air Quality Health Index. Canadian Family Physician. 2011; 57:881-7.

  O’Hara DP, Abelsohn A. Ethical response to climate change. Ethics and the Environment. 2011;16(1):25-50.

  Abelsohn A, Sanborn M. Lead and children. Clinical management for family physicians. Canadian Family Physician. 2010;56; 531-535.

  Abelsohn A, Frank J, Eyles J. Environmental Public Health Tracking/Surveillance in Canada: A Commentary. Healthcare Policy / Politiques de Santé. 4(3) 2009: 37-52.

  Weir E, Stieb DM, Abelsohn A, Mak M, Kosatsky T. Design, delivery and evaluation of an email-based continuing professional development course on air pollution and health. Medical Teacher. 2004;26(12):166-173.

  McClenaghan T, Cooper K, Vanderlinden L, Muldoon P, Abelsohn A, Khatter K, Keenan K. Environmental standard setting and children’s health in Canada. Injecting Precaution into Risk Assessment. Journal of Environmental Law Practice. 2003;12(2): 245-279.

  Marshall L, Weir E, Abelsohn A, Sanborn M. Identifying and Managing Adverse environmental health effects 1: Taking an exposure history. CMAJ. 2002;166(8):1049-55.

  Abelsohn A, Stieb D, Sanborn MD, Weir E. Identifying and Managing Adverse environmental health effects 2: Outdoor air pollution. CMAJ. 2002;166(9):1161-7.

  Sanborn MD, Abelsohn A, Campbell M, Weir E. Identifying and Managing Adverse environmental health effects 3: Lead Exposure. CMAJ. 2002; 166(10): 1287-92.

  Sanborn MD, Cole D, Abelsohn A, Weir E. Identifying and Managing Adverse environmental health effects 4: Pesticides. CMAJ. 2002; 166(11):1431-6.

  Abelsohn A, Gibson BL, Sanborn MD, Weir E. Identifying and Managing Adverse environmental health effects 5: Persistent organic pollutants. CMAJ. 2002; 166(12):1549-54.

  Abelsohn A, Sanborn MD, Jessiman BJ, Weir E. Identifying and managing adverse environmental health effects: 6: Carbon monoxide poisoning. CMAJ. 2002;166(13):1685-90.

  Abelsohn A, Gray J, Boadway T. OMA smog advisory health messages for physicians and patients. Ontario Medical Rev. May 1999; 19-24.

  Baker B, Helners K, O’Kelly B,Sakinofsky I, Abelsohn A, Tobe S. Marital cohesion and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Early Hypertension. American Journal of Hypertension. 1999. 12:2;227-30.