Christopher K. Uejio
Professor of Geography & Public Health,
Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine
Florida State University
Research Topics
Extreme Heat
Extreme heat events cause more U.S. deaths (12,000) per year than any other weather hazard
- How can we proactively target public health interventions and responses to those most in need?
- How can earth observations (e.g. satellites) help evaluate green/cooling infrastructure effectiveness?
- What are outdoor worker's heat exposures, knowledge, attitudes, and practices for coping with extreme heat?
- What is a "safe" indoor heat exposure for at-risk groups?
Disasters and Health
Climate change raises sea levels, increases extreme rainfall events, the strength of major hurricanes, and threatens public health.
- How did Hurricane Michael directly and indirectly impact neonatal health?
- What is the joint impact of extreme heat and air pollution on at-risk households without access to air conditioning?
- How can earth observations improve environmental exposures estimates for health studies?
Adapting to Climate Change
Three out of four U.S. health departments state they lack the expertise to understand how climate change will impact health
- How can we work with health departments to develop rigorous evidence to inform adaptation planning using the Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework?
- The Climate-Ready States & Cities Initiative supports 12 state and local health departments.
- Work with county health departments to evaluate the process and outcomes benefits of health interventions.
- http://flbrace.org/
Waterborne Disease
In the U.S., untreated or minimally treated drinking water is delivered to 20 million people.
- Do children in areas served by untreated drinking water see the doctor more during rainy compared to dry weeks?
- What is the relationship between urban growth, degraded water quality, and the chances of getting sick while swimming?
Research Group
Mei Chen
PhD Candidate, Co-supervised with Dr. Coutts in the Department of Urban Planning
- Built environment design, age-specific expectations; health equity
- Built Environment Design: Exploring how urban design impacts the mental and physical well-being of vulnerable populations, with a focus on health equity
- Age-Specific Preferences: Investigating the needs of different age groups within vulnerable populations to inform inclusive public space design
- Health Equity in Long-Term Care: Assessing the impact of long-term care regulations on health equity and climate resilience in nursing homes
- Email: ychen25@fsu.edu
Moongi Choi, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Agent-Based Modeling; Machine Learning; Health Geography
- Infectious disease spread simulation at multiple scales
- Travel schedule model with Agent-Based modeling in an Activity-Based framework
- Simulation calibration algorithm for effective validation
- Spatio-temporal factor analysis with Machine Learning (e.g., Relationship between Social Vulnerability and extreme heat)
- Email: mc24bz@fsu.edu
- GitHub: https://github.com/MG-Choi
- Homepage: https://moongichoi.wordpress.com/
Elaina Gonsoroski
PhD Candidate
- Mental health and hurricanes
- Power outages and satellite observations
- Earth observations and disasters
- Email: edg17@my.fsu.edu
Davis Hsu
PhD Candidate
- Tropical climatology, paleoclimatology, climate models, tropical precipitation, machine learning
- Characteriznig tropical precipitation patterns under abrupt forcing using machine learning
- Underlying mechanisms driving tropical precipitation patterns under global warming
- Tropical cyclone impacts on Gulf states
- Email: dhsu@fsu.edu
- X/Twitter: David_Hsu_Cano
- Github: https://github.com/davidhsucano
Kyusik Kim, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Spatial accessibility to healthcare opportunities
- Urban and rural healthcare
- Housing quality and risk
- Machine learning, GIScience, and Health Geography
- Measuring realistic spatial accessibility to healthcare opportunities with travel behaviors and decisions
- Spatiotemporal dynamics in access to healthcare
- Urban-rural disparities in spatial access to healthcare
- Housing vulnerability and risk to health
Bertram Melix
PhD Candidate
- Social Determinants of Health, spatial modeling, life expectancy, GIS
- Which social determinants of health are most strongly associated with life expectancy rates at the census tract level in Florida?
- How do the social determinants of health contribute to the observed variation in life expectancy rates in Florida?
- Email: blm17e@my.fsu.edu
Melissa Vansickle
PhD Candidate, Department of Urban & Regional Planning under Dr. Coutts
- Children's well-being, nature access & play
- Environmental justice in green space planning
- Adverse childhood experiences & associated health outcomes
- City planning for urban heat mitigation & heat-related illness
Xiuling Zhao, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Air pollution; Co-exposure; Public Health; Environmental Justice; Health Geography
- Association between air pollution exposures (PM2.5, O3 and fire-related smoke) and adverse health effects
- The potential additive/multiplicative/synergistic effects of multiple exposures (air pollution, heat, etc.)
- Public health benefits from policy intervention and environmental protection
- The equity of environmental exposure and protection
- Google Scholar
Alumni (Reverse Chronological Order)
J.T. Bandzuh (2023): Assistant Professor @ Mount Aloysius College
- Dissertation Topic: Situated Knowledges, Malaria Prevention, Higher Education
- Email: jbandzuh at mtaloy.edu
Yoonjung Ahn (2022): Assistant Professor of Georaphy at the University of Kansas
- Dissertation Topic: Extreme Heat Prevention Measures for Outdoor and Indoor Environments
- Email: y943a214 at ku.edu
Jihoon Jung (2019) Assistant Professor of Geography and the Environment at the University of North Texas
- Dissertation Topic: Extreme Heat
Frank Annie (2019): Assistant Professor of Cardiology at Charleston Area Medical Center
- Dissertation: Structural Health Outcomes in the Appalachian Region
- Email: Frank.H.Annie@camc.org
Karen Wertz (2018) ABD: Currently @ the U.S. Department of Defense
- Dissertation Topic: Non-English Speakers and Emergency Management
