Affiliate Spotlight: Jonathan Buonocore
Each newsletter we feature a CCH affiliate to learn a bit more about their work. This month we speak with Dr. Jonathan Buonocore, assistant professor of Environmental Health. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you arrived at the intersection of climate and public health: I have been concerned about climate change for as […]
Affiliate Spotlight: Nina Brooks
Each newsletter we feature a CCH affiliate to learn a bit more about their work. This month we speak with Dr. Nina Brooks, assistant professor at BUSPH in Global Health. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you arrived at the intersection of climate and public health: I have long been interested in humans’ impact […]
CCH Affiliates Present Case Studies for the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast Seminar
Faculty and staff from the Boston University (BU) Center for Climate and Health showcased the depth and breadth of their research for the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast (CCRUN), a NOAA funded Climate Adaptation Partnerships (CAP/RISA) program. CCRUN convenes a strong network of climate research and subject matter experts, decision-makers, local and […]
Projections of Heat Exposure on Global Aging Populations
In a warming world with an aging population, the number of older adults vulnerable to extreme heat is expected to grow rapidly. A new study published in Nature Communications developed population projections for different age groups and combined them with climate change scenarios for the coming decades. The study projects that by 2050 more than […]
CCH Affiliates Secure Pilot Funding to Study Heat Vulnerability
Several CCH affiliates have been awarded pilot funding for climate and health work recently. CCH research scientists Chad Milando and Emma Gause, and Kipruto Kirwa (Environmental Health) were awarded an early stage urban research award from BU’s Initiative on Cities (IOC) to study the effect of historical redlining on heat vulnerability in Massachusetts. Amruta Nori […]
Energy Infrastructure Database Presented at IGS Symposium
CCH Affiliates and Co-Principal Investigators Jonathan Buonocore and Mary Willis presented their Energy Infrastructure Exposure Intensity and Equity Indices (EI3) Database at the Power & People Symposium: Mapping Community Exposure to Energy Infrastructure hosted by BU Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) and BU School of Public Health on May 7. Their work was funded through IGS’s year-long Sustainability Research Grant, in […]
Sewage Overflows Linked to Increase in Gastrointestinal Illnesses
A new study has found an increased risk of acute gastrointestinal illness during the four day period following large-volume combined sewer overflows (CSO) among downstream communities bordering the Merrimack river. The study from Beth Haley, Wendy Heiger-Bernays, and colleagues published in Environmental Health Perspectives observed an elevated risk of acute gastrointestinal illness in all Massachusetts […]
Ambient Ozone and Children’s Health
A new study from CCH affiliates, including lead author Dr. Jen Stowell, found that higher ozone levels during warm months were associated with increased emergency department visits among children for various health issues, including asthma, allergies, ear disorders, and general illnesses. Previous studies of adults have linked increased exposure with higher risk of asthma and […]
Call for Examining Climate Change Impacts on Mental Health in Global Research Agenda
Amruta Nori-Sarma, professor of environmental health, and BUSPH Dean Sandro Galea published a commentary in the May issue of the Lancet Psychiatry calling on the need for a global research agenda that examines the mental health impacts of climate exposures. Their commentary is in response to research published in the same Lancet Psychiatry issue by […]
CCH Research Finds Health Impacts from US Climate Disasters are Underestimated
The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) has documented 378 billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. since 1980, causing over 16,000 deaths and costing $2.69 trillion. With climate change these disasters have become more frequent and severe with a significant increase observed in recent years. In 2023 alone, NCEI reported including 28 billion-dollar disasters. Recent research […]