About the Climate and Health Research Initiative (CHeRI)

jungle with globe and double helix floating in the front

Mission

CHeRI’s mission is to facilitate and foster research efforts on understanding and addressing the health challenges from climate change. By leveraging the expertise of faculty across multiple fields, including those in environmental science, global health, and clinical medicine, CHeRI aims to foster interdisciplinary research that leads to practical solutions. CHeRI is committed to improving community health and promoting health equity, with a focus on at-risk populations impacted by climate change. CHeRI’s core operational focus includes:

  1. Climate and Health Research: Expand research on the impacts of climate change on human health, exploring topics like chronic condition exacerbation, infectious disease outbreaks, and new heat-related illnesses. The goal is to identify and implement solutions that address the diverse health effects of climate change.
     
  2. Collaborative Approach: Aim to engage academic institutions, researchers, healthcare providers, community leaders, and policymakers in a joint effort to address climate-related health concerns. This includes a focus on vulnerable, low-income communities who face the greatest risks due to climate change.
     
  3. Global and Local Partnerships: Enhance partnerships with local, national, and global organizations, such as the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network and Duke-NUS Medical School. These collaborative partnerships will help provide leadership for local and global efforts to mitigate the health effects of climate change.
     
  4. Support for At-Risk Communities: A focus on reducing the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations by integrating research with a focus on social determinants of health, ensuring that solutions are accessible and effective for those most at risk.

Partner Initiatives and Projects

The Duke Climate and Health Research Initiative (CHeRI) harnesses the expertise of faculty and staff across basic science and clinical departments to accelerate research on Climate and Health. CHeRI will drive investigation across the translational spectrum, leading to meaningful impact in communities by promoting and implementing resilience, technical and policy solutions to pressing Climate and Health challenges. CHeRI supports the Duke University Climate Commitment and other campus Climate efforts by facilitating engagement with climate efforts in other campus schools and institutes including: