Pilar Botana

Pilar Botana Martinez is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Environmental Health at Boston University, School of Public Health. She is interested in doing research at the intersection between Indoor Environmental Health and Climate Change,  with an equity lens. She prioritizes research goals that are actionable, include overburdened communities in the process, use mixed methods, and  produce clear and valuable “report back” communications. Her current work quantifies indoor heat exposure in schools in urban heat islands, explores the resilience of these structures to overheating, and identifies barriers to an equitable energy transition in affordable housing. Before joining the program, Pilar worked in Architecture and Urban Planning for almost 20 years. Her experience in these fields inspired her to pivot into Environmental Health.