What must be done to reduce the harmful health effects of major storms and make our communities ready for the short- and long-term impacts of severe weather events?
Picture a coal power plant: a building with tall smoke stacks with big plumes of gasses coming out of them. By now, we know that those gasses aren’t great for our health or the environment. But how bad are they? That’s where Professor Cory Zigler comes in.
What is the cost of homelessness in Rhode Island? Do we measure it in dollars, hours, square footage? Or is it measured by sleepless nights, persistent coughs, uncertain futures? The reasons Rhode Islanders remain unhoused are varied, but the results are the same: marginalization and the fight to keep a stable footing.
Funding from the National Institute on Aging will enable Brown researchers to study the negative health effects of climate change and develop practical solutions that promote healthy aging.
Inside your refrigerator and pantry, plastic is everywhere. There’s plastic wrap, storage bags and bins, clamshell takeout containers, beverage bottles, and condiment tubs, of course. Plastics (synthetic polymers) are also a component of the multi-layer material that make up chip bags and encase granola bars. Tin, steel, and aluminum cans, like the type that might hold beans or a soda, are lined with plastic. Even many paper products, such as paper cups and frozen food trays, are coated in–you guessed it–plastic.
Dean Jha addressed the School of Public Health at this annual fall event, showcasing the school’s impact by sharing the stage with members of the school’s community, including student, staff and faculty speakers.
Most of us know that lead exposure is bad for our health. To protect us, especially children, the US hasn’t allowed lead in gasoline, house paint, children’s toys, dishware or jewelry for decades. But there are a few places where lead has stuck around. Today we’re taking a look at one of the least well known, and most stubborn sources of lead exposure in the US - guns and ammunition.
A team led by Professor Erica Walker has received federal funding to conduct the first air-quality and community noise assessment of Mississippi communities impacted by the production of wood pellets.
Brown University leaders Ashish K. Jha and Kim Cobb discuss the intersection of climate change and people’s health, the challenges of our information ecosystem, and how the University’s collaborative efforts are fostering innovative solutions and preparing future leaders.
Brown researchers compared assisted living residents in Florida who evacuated during Hurricane Irma to those who sheltered in place in order to determine the health risks inherent in long-term care disaster planning and response.
Brown researchers examined hundreds of thousands of veterans’ health records to determine if exposure to burn pits on military bases correlates with elevated risk for respiratory and cardiac health conditions.
An innovative course is bringing together students in Rhode Island and Mississippi to conduct an impactful public health research project focused on a rural community in Gloster, Mississippi.
American life expectancy started dropping even before the pandemic. It’s a critical barometer of our nation’s health and a sign that all is not well in the U.S.
Despite being on the front lines of the climate crisis, the health care sector is also one of the greatest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. A new study from Brown researchers looks at these decarbonizing efforts across the globe.
MPH student Rosemelly Jimenez Medal's father has worked as a short-haul trucker for over 25 years, and she noticed that he was struggling to hear conversations at dinner. So Jimenez Medal teamed up with her father and noise researcher Erica Walker, RGSS Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Brown University, to conduct hearing screenings on short-term truckers in California.
The second installment of the Pandemic Center’s “Our Storied Health” series highlights environmental injustice in the American South, and explores the potential of storytelling to advance public health.
As founder and leader of the Community Noise Lab, Professor Erica Walker develops practical tools to help people advocate for healthier neighborhoods, and explores how social disparities and environmental exposures harm communities.
Noise pollution is a physical and mental stressor with real health impacts, Professor Erica Walker tells NPR. "It's going to the emergency room for a panic attack, it's 'I can't sleep,' 'I can't hear my children.' It's all of those things," she says.
Researchers from Brown’s School of Public Health and School of Engineering along with the Silent Spring Institute find low-cost DIY air filters effectively improve indoor air quality.
As a research assistant in the Brown Community Noise Lab, Nina Lee has spent years monitoring noise levels across New England, advocating for environmental justice every step of the way.
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology Erica D. Walker, founder of Brown Community Noise Lab, discusses how traffic noise exposure can be harmful to people's health.
As new lead protection rules from the Environmental Protection Agency move toward finalization, research shows that tens of thousands of children are at increased risk under the current set of inconsistent standards.
Joseph Braun, RN, MSPH, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Epidemiology, has been appointed the Director of the Center for Environmental Health and Technology (CEHT) in the School of Public Health effective January 1, 2020. Dr. Braun succeeds Gregory Wellenius, Ph.D. who has served in this role since 2018.
Brown epidemiologist Gregory Wellenius was a contributing author to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, focusing on the risks and impacts residents of the Northeast will face.
At a precarious time for the planet, Brown’s Center for Environmental Health and Technology is working to promote resilient, sustainable, healthy communities.
The Senator from Rhode Island is passionate about acting on climate change and protecting our environment. As a founder of the Senate Climate Action Task Force he is fighting for smarter solutions.
Brown University has a unique role in contributing research, fostering innovation, and in providing a model for environmental sustainability to the greater Providence community and beyond. The University strives to contribute to building a clean, just, and responsible global environment.
When we think about recent environmental disasters, Flint, Michigan’s water quality crisis quickly comes to mind. But the Great Lakes State has another pollution problem that is less well known outside the state.
We spoke with Laura Bozzi, Ph.D., Climate Change Program Manager at the Rhode Island Department of Health, about the challenges facing our state, and the strategies being used to protect our environment, and our health.
A new analysis projects that inaction on climate change could lead to tens of thousands more heat-related deaths annually in U.S. metropolitan areas within a few generations.
New research shows that New Englanders are susceptible to serious health effects even when the heat index is below 100, a finding that has helped to change the National Weather Service threshold for heat warnings.