Chris Lemon Faculty Co-Director, Clinical Programs

Chris’s journey into Planetary Health was catalyzed by his frontline experiences in emergency medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical professionals globally observed the pandemic’s profound societal impacts, mirroring the current Earth Crisis in several ways: a fundamental disruption to the status quo, a universal threat exacerbating disparities and vulnerabilities, and a test of faith in science and the medical community.

At Johns Hopkins, Chris is innovating efforts to integrate clinical care providers into the planetary health dialogue. He wants to support the Institute’s work across all five program areas by finding ways to utilize and integrate the trusted healthcare voice and clinical expertise of care providers. Likewise, he seeks to weave this critical interconnectedness into healthcare education, both in current and future curricula. For Chris and clinical colleagues, engaging in these initiatives offers a path to recovery from pandemic-induced burnout, discovering new avenues for adaptation, resilience, and wellness in healthcare—and for those who work in it.

Chris is double-boarded in Emergency Medicine & Pediatrics by way of the dual-program at the University of Maryland. His experiences across different community and academic clinical settings, provides him with unique insights into contemporary practice patterns and their role in planetary health initiatives. Recognized as a “2023 Teacher of the Year” by Johns Hopkins emergency medicine residents merely six months after joining the faculty, Chris values the opportunity to mentor aspiring clinical professionals, encouraging them to never settle until they find a way to connect their passion, purpose, and profession.

As a Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellow focusing on Environmental Challenges, Chris is concurrently completing the masters in public health program at Johns Hopkins. On campus, he is also engaging programs at the intersection of the arts, nature, and clinical care to explore how clinicians can frame connections between the health of the planet and health of their patients. In service to the broader community, Chris co-chairs the JHU Working Group on Healthcare Sustainability, is a member of the JHU Sustainability Leadership Council, and is honored to serve as a member of the National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the US Health Sector.