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Atmospheric Science ✖️ Public Health

Our research focuses on three interconnected themes: (1) Using satellite remote sensing and machine learning to study extreme weather, air pollution, and natural disaster events; (2) Developing community co-designed environmental exposure models to capture spatiotemporal variations and assess health impacts; (3) Collaborating with stakeholders to enhance community resilience to environmental change and inform public health decision-making. Our work has been successfully published in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and has attracted extramural funding.

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Interdisciplinary research themes

In conclusion, our aim is to deepen our understanding of the impacts of air pollution, extreme weather events, and natural disasters on vulnerable populations, unmonitored communities, and low- and middle-income countries. Our projects are inherently interdisciplinary, relying on collaborations with atmospheric scientists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, clinicians, and community leaders. We hope that our work will contribute new knowledge regarding the adverse effects of environmental exposures, thereby supporting informed decision-making and improving public health outcomes.

Background of the group leader

Dr. Hang earned her BS in Atmospheric Science (AS) from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (renamed from Nanjing Institute of Meteorology), one of the top AS universities in the world (1). She completed her graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, renowned as the birthplace of satellite meteorology (2), where she gained expertise in modern satellite remote sensing, radar and LiDAR systems, and interdisciplinary research. She holds an MS in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, a PhD in Environment and Resources, and a Graduate Certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy. Additionally, she was selected by NASA for satellite observations and climate model training at the California Institute of Technology and received support from NSF for education in sustainable climate risk management at Pennsylvania State University.

During COVID-19, Dr. Hang was determined to apply applied sciences approaches to address public health challenges. She completed a three-year postdoctoral training in environmental health at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, one of the top public health schools in the U.S. (3). Since then, her research has expanded beyond atmospheric sciences to encompass population health sciences. During her postdoctoral fellowship, she obtained funding from NASA as a sole PI to lead a multi-institutional team focused on advancing community health using remote sensing and machine learning. Later, she transitioned to the University of Texas School of Public Health, the top 1 public health school in Texas, located within the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world (4, 5). Recently, she was awarded the NIH DR2 fellowship and received additional training at the University of Washington to advance her research on natural disasters and health.

References

1. U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities for Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/meteorology-atmospheric-sciences

2. Verner Suomi, the Father of Satellite Meteorology: https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/celebrating-verner-suomi-the-father-of-satellite-meteorology

3. U.S. News & World Report Best Public Health Schools: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/public-health-rankings

4. UTHealth Houston School of Public Health: https://sph.uth.edu/campuses/houston

5. About Texas Medical Center: https://www.tmc.edu/about-tmc/

We are seeking energetic individuals interested in climate and health to join our dynamic team. Motivated graduate students and qualified post-docs are encouraged to contact us for more information.

© 2023 by HANG@UTSPH. All rights reserved.

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