Environmental Health Research & Initiatives
The goal of the HEAT Lab is to provide peer-reviewed evidence for policies that result in better lives for youths, now and later.
There are two sides to our research. On one side, we identify the issues affecting the physical, mental, and social well-being of children and adolescents. On the other, we design and evaluate potential solutions to those issues. We cover a range of environmental health topics related to youths and their households such as the development and assessment of environmental and programmatic interventions to promote safe physical activity in our warming world, climate change and health in Africa, and volunteerism as a health intervention. Our research extends to the settings where youths live, work, and play including within their homes, schools, and surrounding communities. We examine environmental health topics through the lenses of social equity and climate change, and aim for solutions that protect both people and the planet. In our action-oriented research, we are firm believers that protecting youths’ health ultimately protects everyone’s health.
Research & Publications
Latest Research and Publications
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Green Schoolyards Project
Only about one-quarter of children in the United States are reaching recommended levels of physical activity for health and well-being. Furthermore, children are spending less time in nature than ever before, missing out on the physical, mental, and emotional health benefits of engaging with the natural world. Extreme heat may serve as a barrier to […]
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Routes to Environmental Justice
Encouraging walking and cycling to get to and from places is one strategy to promote children’s physical activity, a health behavior with wide-ranging benefits. Municipalities have made large investments in crossing guards, education, outreach, and infrastructure projects through Safe Routes to School programs to help ensure children can walk, bike, and roll safely to and […]
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Climate Change and Pediatric Health in Eswatini
Eswatini is a high-burden country for HIV and tuberculosis (TB) that has made remarkable progress in combatting both diseases in recent years. To sustain and expand upon Eswatini’s progress against HIV/TB, HEAT Lab member Dr. Anna Mandalakas at Baylor College of Medicine—in collaboration with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, University of Eswatini, and Eswatini […]