The Institute recognizes the numerous and complex connections between environmental exposures, ecosystem health, and human health and, as such, defines the environment broadly in terms of how it may influence human health. Some recent research projects of the Institute are listed below.
- Conservation Mapping Initiative
- Abandoned Mine Lands and the Social Environment
- Obesity and the Built and Social Environments
“The Environment and Health — the Time is Now” (.pdf)
presentation by Brian Schwartz, MD and Walter F. “Buzz” Stewart, PhD at the Chesapeake Bay Commission on Nov. 9, 2007
Conservation Mapping Initiative
John Dawes, Administrator, Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program
Joe DeWalle, GIS Analyst, Geisinger Center for Health Research and SEDA-COG
Mike Hewitt Watershed Outreach Coordinator, EPCAMR
Robert E Hughes, AML Program Manager, EPCAMR
EHI has received funding through Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program and RK Melon to begin a Conservation Mapping program. This project will include building a GIS database of land conservation and environmental monitoring data. Click map for full-size version (.pdf).
Abandoned Mine Lands and the Social Environment
Ann Liu, (doctoral student of Dr. Brian Schwartz) Johns Hopkins School Public Health Doctoral Student, Environmental Health Institute
The project will study the burden of abandoned mine lands on community health and socio-economic status in rural Pennsylvania.
“Linking the Burden of AMLs to Community Health” (.pdf)
presentation by Brian Schwartz, MD and Ann Liu, MPH at the West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Symposium IV, July 18, 2008.
Obesity and the Built and Social Environments
EHI is applying for funding from the National Institute of Health to examine 1,000 children ages 5-7 years in 50 census tracts in central, northern, and northeastern PA. The range of settings includes both rural and urban areas, built and social environments. The longitudinal design includes gathering data on body composition and morphology, insulin resistance, pubertal hormones, and novel methods for built environmental and social environmental assessments. The EHI has recently received funding from the Robert Woods Johnson foundation to conduct a smaller version of the above proposed study.
