New SPH Center Will Explore Climate Equity
A new University of Illinois Chicago research center will gather experts from public health, medicine, engineering, urban planning and biological sciences to measure these health impacts and test nature-based interventions such as green infrastructure to minimize the consequences of climate change on humans.
“What makes the center unique is its emphasis on finding solutions and working with community partners,” said Kristen Malecki, MPH, PhD, Professor and Division Director Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. “We have a lot of communities across Chicago that see environmental justice issues as a problem, but they’re looking for the tools and the data and the knowledge to take that information and turn it into action.”
The Center for Climate and Health Equity was selected by the National Institutes of Health to participate in their Climate Change and Health Initiative. The UIC center will receive $4 million over three years to establish research and community engagement activities.
Woven throughout the center’s activities are workshops and training opportunities for early-career faculty and students that will equip the next generation of climate scientists with the interdisciplinary skills, such as data literacy, geospatial analysis and biostatistics, to continue this work.
Interested to learn more? Read the full UIC Today article here.