UNM Climate Change and Health for the Alliance and Novelty of Geospatial and Exposure Science (CHANGES) Center

Project Summary We propose the creation of the Climate and Health Allied Network for Geospatial and Environmental Science (CHANGES) Exploratory Research Center at the University of New Mexico (UNM). The overall vision of our center is to synergize expertise in geographic information science, health data science, epidemiology, and

biomedical research to identify – and ultimately predict – gaps in health care, inform policies, and create actionable strategies to optimally protect our vulnerable communities in New Mexico from climate change. Our team includes expertise in culturally-sensitive community engagement, environmental health and toxicology,

cancer biology, disaster response and preparedness research, geospatial information systems, biostatistics, and environmental science and engineering. The following specific aims are proposed: 1. I Synthesize and integrate diverse datasets and leverage cutting-edge tools for geospatial analysis to geographically connect

exposure and health outcomes data in order to discover previously unseen patterns; 2. Develop culturally responsive practices for community engagement in climate health that benefit diverse communities, underserved and underrepresented populations, and key stakeholders; and 3. Establish a sustainable

transdisciplinary Climate Change and Human Health Center that serves a model for cross-campus team science and climate change interventions that maximize human health outcomes. Our center is dedicated to leveraging transdisciplinary sciences to develop innovative strategies, solutions, and policies that empower

and protect vulnerable communities, not only in New Mexico but worldwide.