Research

Objectives

Climate change affects health through complex mechanisms that include shifts in the global atmosphere, in regional ecology, in social structures, and in human exposures and behaviors. Our research aims to elucidate these mechanisms, to identify the precise role that climate plays in long-term health trends, and to project future impacts by modeling plausible climate scenarios.

We also study the local health benefits that can be achieved when actions are taken to reduce greenhouse pollutants, such as CO2, methane, and black carbon.  Many policies that reduce emissions of such pollutants also deliver immediate and localized environmental co-benefits, such as lower rates of asthma. The Program is developing and applying new methods to assess health co-benefits of emerging climate mitigation policies at local, regional, and global  scales.

Funded Projects 

Climate and Health Evaluation for Adoptive Resilience (CLEAR) 

Investigators: Darby Jack (Co-PI) and Robbie Parks (Co-I)
Funded by: Wellcome Trust
Collaborators: Kintampo Health Research Center, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Montana State University 

Investigating the pathways linking heat exposure to mental health outcomes: mechanisms and interventions in a Ghanaian cohort (HEAT-MIND)

Investigators: Robbie Parks (Co-I) and Darby Jack (Co-I)
Funded by: Wellcome Trust
Collaborators: Kintampo Health Research Center, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Montana State University 

Geohealth Hub for Research and Training in Eastern Africa - U.S.

Investigators: Kiros Berhane (PI), Darby Jack (Co-PI)
Funded by: Fogarty International Center
Collaborators: Addis Ababa University, University of Nairobi, Makerere University, Colorado State University, University of Maryland, CREPD, Kintampo Health Research Center

CHART: Charting solutions for health impacts of extreme weather

Investigator: Kiros Berhane (Co-PI)
Funded by: NIA
Collaborators: Columbia Climate School, Brown University, Oregon State University, Harvard University

Establishing a unified evaluation and implementation framework to inform heat-health warning systems

​​​​Investigator: Xiao Wu (PI) 
Funded by: NIEHS

Novel Assessments of the Health Impacts of Tropical Cyclones

Investigator: Robbie Parks (PI)
Funded by: NIEHS

Predictive Modeling for climate-sensitive health outcomes and decision support in
Ghana

Investigator: Darby Jack (Co-I) and Lewis Ziska (Co-I)
Funded by: Wellcome Trust
Collaborators: Kintampo Health Research Center, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Climate Impacts Award

Investigator: Robbie Parks (PI) 
Funded by: Wellcome Trust

BRAIN-CLIMA: investigating the combined impact of heat and air pollution on blood-brain barrier integrity and brain aging in Latin America

Investigator: Robbie Parks (Co-I) 
Funded by: Wellcome Trust

HeatSmart: Integrating Community Impact, Interventions, and Policy for Heat Resilience 2026-2029

Investigator: Robbie Parks (Co-I) 

Funded by: Wellcome Trust

Addressing Intersecting Crises: Climate, Housing, and Compounding Health Vulnerabilities for Senior Tenants 

Investigator: Robbie Parks (Co-I) 

Funded by: New Frontiers in Research Fund