Climate Change and Health Initiative
Climate change stands as the single biggest threat facing humanity. Droughts, floods, severe storms, and wildfires have already displaced millions of people, caused widespread food insecurity, and amplified the spread of disease. Public health provides the tools and expertise we need to lead the response to climate change displacement – to prepare, build resilience, and find solutions.
In the Zuckerman College of Public Health, we have been preparing to meet the health challenges caused by climate change. Through education, research, and community projects, we help communities prepare for extreme heat, dangerous dust, and food insecurity. We also look at the ways that shifts in climate, human migration due to climate-driven crises, and altered weather patterns impact the spread of infectious and zoonotic diseases.
Climate change stands as the single biggest threat facing humanity. Droughts, floods, severe storms, and wildfires have already displaced millions of people, caused widespread food insecurity, and amplified the spread of disease. As these climate-driven crises unfold, it is the most vulnerable communities – the poor and disadvantaged – who suffer the most. Public health provides the tools and expertise we need to lead the response to climate change displacement – to prepare, build resilience, and find solutions.
Undergraduate Climate Change & Health Programs
Undergrad Minor in Climate Change & Health
Available Online and In Person
If you want to help communities adapt, respond, and build resilience in the face of climate-driven threats, this track is for you!
Undergrad Certificate in Public Health Emergency & Epidemic Preparedness
Available Online and In Person
Developed and implemented by public health experts with extensive applied experience in the field, this curriculum delivers the foundational knowledge and skills needed to support public health response to climate-driven emergencies, epidemics, and pandemics.
BS, One Health Track
Available Online and In Person
If you want to meet the public health challenges of the future where human, animal, and environmental health intersect, this is your path to improving global health!
Undergrad Minor in One Health
Available In Person
For students from many areas of focus, the One Health knowledge provided by this Minor provides a powerful framework to find solutions where human health, animal health, and environmental health intersect.
Undergrad Certificate in One Health
Available Online
For the current and future public health workforce professional, this program provides knowledge and skills related to the complex interaction between human health, animal health and the environment.
Graduate Climate Change & Health Programs
MPH in Climate Change & Health
Available Online and In Person
For students that want to help communities adapt and respond to the health risks of climate change, this concentration builds both the knowledge and skills needed to track the data and implement programs for a healthier and more resilient world.
Graduate Certificate in Public Health Emergency and Epidemic Preparedness
Available Online
Developed and implemented by public health experts with extensive applied experience in the field, this curriculum delivers the foundational knowledge and skills needed to support public health response to climate-driven emergencies, epidemics, and pandemics.
MPH in One Health
Available In Person
For students who are ready to tackle global health challenges, this interdisciplinary concentration trains students to deploy a One Health approach to address complex public health issues.
Graduate Certificate in One Health
Available In Person
A distance learning program designed to meet the needs of students and professionals, the coursework provides multidisciplinary perspective and expertise in the One Health approach to find solutions for emerging health threats.
Global Research and Training Programs
- Young Global Leaders, High School Summer Program, 2 weeks
- Research Training Programs for International Graduate and Undergraduate Students, 4 weeks
- Culture and Community Health Program for International Graduate and Undergraduate Students, 2 weeks
Research
In the Zuckerman College of Public Health, we have been preparing to meet the health challenges caused by climate change through research that leads to policy and practice.
Climate Change & Health Research Projects
EPA funded WEST Environmental Justice Center
Lead Researcher: Paloma Beamer, PhD
Southwest Center on Resilience for Climate Change and Health (SCORCH)
Lead Researcher: Kacey Ernst, PhD, MPH
Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE)
Lead Researcher: Heidi Brown, PhD, MPH
Cultivating Equitable Responses to Increased Aridity in the US Southwest: The Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS)
Enhancing Innovation and Capabilities of the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network
Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS).
Lead Researcher: Heidi Brown, PhD, MPH
Assessing the Impact of Greening and Upgrading Playgrounds in New York City on Students Academic and Health Outcomes and on Community Health Measures
Lead Researcher: Chris Lim, PhD
Climate Change & Health Researchers
Many of our College of Public Health faculty have been working on Climate Change & Health related research for years in anticipation of the public health risks caused by climate-driven extreme weather events, food scarcity, and the spread of disease.
- Aminata Kilungo
- Chris Lim
- Kristen Pogreba-Brown
- Yevhenia Varyvoda
- Marc Verhougstraete
Engagement
In the Zuckerman College of Public Health, we have been preparing to meet the health challenges caused by climate change through research that leads to policy and practice.
Workshop: COVID Lessons for Climate Change Response
Workshop: COVID Lessons for Climate Change Response
College Collaborates with French Researchers on Climate Change
College Researchers Contribute Lancet Report on Climate and Health
College Researchers attend COP27 and other Climate Meetings