From risk to resilience: How extreme weather affects health in Gulf and Southeast US communities
Official title: From risk to resilience: Examining the intersection of extreme weather events, community vulnerability, and health impacts
Funded at Tufts University Medford · NIH-11401452 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multi-disciplinary study will map how extreme weather hurts health in Gulf and Southeastern US coastal communities and identify factors that make places more vulnerable or more resilient.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Medford NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $620,128 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES036731-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401452 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Communities in the Gulf and southeastern Atlantic US coastal regions, especially those experiencing high vulnerability to extreme weather.
✕Less likely to help
Populations outside the study region or without exposure to extreme weather events may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will combine data from civil engineering, epidemiology, and biostatistics to build a vulnerability framework using ZIP-code level information from 1990–2021. It will map hazards, infrastructure, environment, and socioeconomic factors to understand who is most affected and why. The team will track immediate health effects and how communities recover after storms to see which factors help or hinder recovery. The research aims to produce actionable insights that communities and planners can use to reduce risk and speed recovery after extreme events.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could guide targeted interventions and policy decisions to protect health and shorten recovery after extreme weather.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that vulnerability factors influence health outcomes after weather events, though this project uses a comprehensive, ZIP-code level framework for sharper insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Tufts University Medford
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Suh, Helen — Tufts University Medford
- Study coordinator: Suh, Helen
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.