Christopher Golden

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Biography

I am an ecologist and epidemiologist interested in the interface of ecosystem service provisioning and human health, specifically in the context of global trends in biodiversity loss and ecosystem transformation. Since 1999, I have been conducting ecological and public health research in Madagascar. Most broadly, I am interested in local people’s dependence on natural resources for obtaining adequate health. This interest has led to various studies into connections between marine and terrestrial wildlife consumption and the incidence of micronutrient deficiencies, the importance of botanical ethnomedicines and geophagy to local health, and the eco-epidemiology of malaria and the human microbiome given current trends in biodiversity loss and land use change. Beyond Madagascar, I have been leading a collaborative research program that evaluates the connections among climate change, fisheries management and ocean governance, and food security and human nutrition in coastal populations around the world. Given trends in mass fisheries declines, coral bleaching, and raising sea surface temperatures that will drive fisheries away from the Equator and toward the Poles, food-insecure populations across the globe will be deprived of a critical nutritional resource. Our group tackles this subject by modeling potential health futures and determining what types of interventions may be able to buffer against these impacts.

Education and Training

• MPH, Epidemiology
  UC Berkeley
• PhD, Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
  UC Berkeley
• BA, Environmental Conservation
  Harvard College
• Post-doc, Planetary Health
  Harvard University Center for the Environment

Publications

• Equity as a priority in EAT-Lancet-aligned food system transformations.

  Marrero A, Nicoson C, Kelahan H, Mendoza K, Salvia M, Golden C, Mattei J. Nat Food 2024

• Sustainable-use marine protected areas to improve human nutrition.

  Viana DF, Gill D, Zvoleff A, Krueck NC, Zamborain-Mason J, Free CM, Shepon A, Grieco D, Schmidhuber J, Mascia MB, Golden CD. Nat Commun 2024 Sep 17

• Globalization of wild capture and farmed aquatic foods.

  Gephart JA, Agrawal Bejarano R, Gorospe K, Godwin A, Golden CD, Naylor RL, Nash KL, Pace ML, Troell M. Nat Commun 2024 Sep 13

• Global estimation of dietary micronutrient inadequacies: a modelling analysis.

  Passarelli S, Free CM, Shepon A, Beal T, Batis C, Golden CD. Lancet Glob Health 2024

• HIARA study protocol: impacts of artificial coral reef development on fisheries, human livelihoods and health in southwestern Madagascar.

  Golden CD, Hartmann AC, Gibbons E, Todinanahary G, Troell MF, Ampalaza G, Behivoke F, David JM, Durand JD, Falinirina AM, Frånberg C, Declèrque F, Hook K, Kelahan H, Kirby M, Koenen K, Lamy T, Lavitra T, Moridy F, Léopold M, Little MJ, Mahefa JC, Mbony J, Nicholas K, Nomenisoa ALD, Ponton D, Rabarijaona RR, Rabearison M, Rabemanantsoa SA, Ralijaona M, Ranaivomanana HS, Randriamady HJ, Randrianandrasana J, Randriatsara HO, Randriatsara RM, Rasoanirina M, Ratsizafy MR, Razafiely KF, Razafindrasoa N, Solofoarimanana MY, Stroud RE, Tsiresimiary M, Volanandiana AJ, Volasoa NV, Vowell B, Zamborain-Mason J. Front Public Health 2025