I am co-chair (Science) of the Transport and Health Study Group and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Transport and Health (www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-transport-and-health/).  Karyn Warsow, Founder & Executive Director of the Transportation Public Health Link (www.tphlink.com), and I are in the planning stages of hosting the 1st International Conference on Transport & Health, which will be held at UCL (University College London) on 6^th to 8th July 2015. It will be aimed at a mixed audience of policy-makers, practitioners and academics.

I am writing to give you advance notice of the dates for your diary & that the deadline for submission of abstracts will be 9^th January 2015 (we will issue the formal call, and topics, later this year).

We are also asking that your organisation help fund this innovative conference.

Our primary objective is to facilitate the sharing of best practices and lessons learned between cross-disciplinary professionals involved in the research and planning of transportation projects across the world. To accomplish this ambitious goal, we are primarily seeking financial and in-kind sponsors to underwrite the conference. However, we will also consider organisations willing to contribute “pump-priming” support to assist with the up-front costs. This loan could be set-up for repayment if the conference at least breaks even (our intention). Currently, we have received informal commitments from John Hopkins University School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland; the Institute of Transportation Engineers; and the Texas A&M Transportation Institution, to name a few.

Karyn or I should be happy to provide you or your colleagues with more information regarding sponsorship levels upon request.  Please let me know who to contact and their contact details.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Jennifer Mindell, BSc, MB BS, PhD, FFPH, FRCP

Clinical senior lecturer

Health and Social Surveys Research Group

Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health

UCL

1-19 Torrington Place

London WC1E 6BT

Tel. 020 7679 1269 (Internal x41269)

Survey doctor: 07770-537238

Fax 020 7813 0242

Email: j.mindell@ucl.ac.uk

Web: IRIS web page

Journal of Transport and Health: www.elsevier.com/locate/jth