Duke University has named the latest recipients of its Climate and Health Big Idea Grants, a program aimed at accelerating research into the growing health impacts of climate change. João Ricardo Nickenig Vissoci, MSc, PhD, an associate professor of emergency medicine, neurosurgery, global health and biostatistics and bioinformatics, received one of the grants.
The program is supported by The Duke Endowment and the Climate and Health Research Initiative Innovation Fund, which is made possible through the generous support of Duke School of Medicine Board of Visitors member John Cavalier.
With this grant, Vissoci and his colleagues will establish a Rural Carolinas Heat-Health Observatory linking high-resolution climate data with emergency medical services and emergency department outcomes to improve early identification of heat-related emergencies in rural communities. By integrating data science, implementation science, and community engagement, the observatory will support timely public health responses and long-term reduction of heat-related health burdens in low-resource settings.
The team unites faculty from Emergency Medicine, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, the Duke Global Health Institute, and the Nicholas School of the Environment, alongside policy partners including the Heat Policy Innovation Hub, NCDPH, North Carolina Emergency Management, and NC DEQ, spanning expertise in health, climate science, data analytics, policy, and implementation science.
Read more about the grant program and the other funded Duke University projects