WASHINGTON (September 25, 2024) – The George Washington University was awarded a $3.69 million grant to create a National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) funded environmental health center of excellence. The Research and Engagement for Action in Climate and Health (REACH) Center aims to bring big data to climate solutions that advance health and environmental justice. To achieve this, the REACH Center will cultivate a diverse and multi-disciplinary research enterprise that generates new knowledge and accelerates research translation into health-protective and equitable climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Susan Anenberg, PhD, professor and chair of environmental and occupational health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH), leads this new effort, a multi-institutional partnership among the George Washington University, George Mason University, Howard University, and the Environmental Defense Fund. This ground-breaking partnership leverages our ideal location in the National Capital Region, providing unique opportunities to collaborate with the local and federal government scientists and policymakers, and civil society organizations engaged in climate and health policy development. The Center will catalyze collaborations between investigators and governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to understand the complex interactions between climate and health and design approaches for protecting public health under future climate change.
"I want to congratulate Dr. Susan Anenberg and her dedicated team on receiving this prestigious NIH award. The REACH Center represents a significant step forward in our mission to address the intersection of climate and health, surely one of the most significant public health challenges of our time,” said Lynn R. Goldman, Dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health. “This collaborative effort will enable us to develop innovative solutions that promote health equity and environmental justice for all communities. It not only addresses the science of climate change and health but also creates a strong collaboration that will empower communities to advance health and environmental justice.”
The Center will achieve its mission through Administrative, Developmental, Community Engagement, and Exposure Assessment Cores. The Developmental Core will foster new research through pilot awards, student fellowships, educational and networking opportunities, and promoting interactions between investigators and governmental and non-governmental partners. The Community Engagement Core will create a bridge between the Center’s academic research and communities who are driving health-protective and equitable climate solutions forward. The Exposure Assessment Core will make geospatial climate and environmental data more accessible, interoperable, and interpretable for climate and health researchers. The Center will support two research projects, initially – one evaluating potential health and environmental justice benefits of congestion pricing in Washington, DC, and the second assessing health risks for end-stage renal disease patients adversely impacted by climate change.
“Climate change affects the health and well-being of people through many pathways, including exposure to extreme temperatures, storms and flooding, wildfires, vector-borne disease, and food-borne illness. The REACH Center will enable researchers to more easily access large climate and environmental datasets, ultimately leading to actionable information that can reduce health risks,” said Anenberg.