Climate change presents far-reaching implications for the planet’s weather, sea levels, animals and food supply. Now experts are addressing climate change’s adverse effects on human health.
“We need to try to reduce risks for people, especially vulnerable populations,” said Ardythe Morrow, PhD, MSc, professor and director of the Epidemiology division of the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
To that end, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health has awarded a three-year, $4 million grant to UC to establish the Cincinnati Center for Climate and Health.
The center’s ambitious mission combines cutting-edge research, hands-on training and community engagement.
Morrow and George Leikauf, PhD, will serve as co-directors of this innovative new center. Leikauf is a professor in the Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine division of the Department of Internal Medicine at the College of Medicine.
The World Health Organization has declared climate change as the greatest threat to human health in the 21st century. This center will help position UC as a leader in advancing the understanding of climate change and addressing its health impacts, furthering scientific research, education, training and community involvement.
The center places UC among an elite group of 21 centers nationwide and one of only a few in the Midwest. It is set to make a major impact on how climate challenges are tackled in the region.
“We are going to make this center a hub for climate change health. We will be both a collaborative partner and a leader among the funded centers,” said Leikauf. "Implementing solutions to address climate change presents a huge opportunity to promote better health and protect people from climate-sensitive diseases."
The work of the center will focus on understanding and reducing the health impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations, including first responders, outdoor workers, pregnant women and children, and senior citizens living in economically disadvantaged urban areas.
“Our main goal with the center is protecting the health of the community,” said Morrow. “We can’t be complacent about climate change.”
Two of the center’s initial research projects will revolve around a primary theme of extreme heat exposure and the body’s immune responses.
One will involve 24 firefighters from suburban Cincinnati communities. Their health metrics will be tracked before, during, and after live burns, documenting the stress that the extreme heat of a fire puts on their bodies.
The other research project will involve 48 people who are elderly and living without air conditioning in three vulnerable Cincinnati neighborhoods. They will undergo biomonitoring before and during the warm summer months, particularly after heat waves.
The research projects will be led by Leikauf; Amit Bhattacharya, PhD, professor in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences and founding director of the Early Detection of Degenerative Disorders and Innovative Solutions Lab; and Patrick Ryan, PhD, MS, professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, who works at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Additionally, the center will launch a new graduate certificate program in climate change and health.
The center’s training programs will empower the next generation of climate health researchers through awards for graduate students, competitive pilot grants for faculty members and expert mentorship.
They also plan to host public events, including a lecture series and monthly seminar, and disseminate a newsletter called Weathering Change, designed to engage the community.
The center will collaborate with community partners — including Groundwork Ohio River Valley and Green Umbrella’s Climate Research Incubator — that have a deep, ongoing commitment to climate action, in order to better understand how vulnerable communities in the region experience the health impacts of climate change.
An annual climate change and health conference is also planned, with the first one expected to be held in the summer of 2025.
The center embodies interdisciplinary collaboration with more than 40 UC faculty members involved. They represent the College of Medicine; College of Arts and Sciences; College of Nursing; College of Allied Health Sciences; College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning; College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services; College of Engineering and Applied Science; Lindner College of Business; and Graduate College.
The center’s administrative core includes Morrow, Leikauf and Kermit Davis, PhD, professor and section chief in Environmental and Industrial Hygiene in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences.
The center’s development core includes Kelly Brunst, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences; David Stradling, PhD, Zane L. Miller professor of urban history in the College of Arts and Sciences and interim head of the Department of History; and Angelico Mendy, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences.
The center’s community engagement core includes Michelle Burbage, PhD, associate professor-educator in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences and director of the Master of Public Health program, and Shaunak Sastry, PhD, provostal fellow and professor of communication in the College of Arts and Sciences and a public health faculty member.
Faculty members of other universities in the region — Northern Kentucky University, Indiana University and Central State University — are also involved.
The new center is also partnering with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the International Chemical Workers’ Union to ensure a wide-ranging impact.