- November 1, 2019 from 12:00-1:00 pm
- In-person: Value Institute, Room 8E50 A&B
- On-line: Watch live at https://bluejeans.com/361095905
- Or join meeting ID 361095905 on the BlueJeans app on your smartphone or tablet
Lunch will be served. Please RSVP.
A large natural hazards research literature demonstrates that those living in poverty, the elderly, minority groups, and those without access to transportation are at increased risk for disaster-associated health outcomes, including direct and indirect impacts such as drowning, injuries, animal bites, and communicable diseases, as well as chronic diseases and mental health sequelae. In addition to exposure to the disaster itself, disproportionate exposure to environmental contaminants mobilized by flooding, storm surge, or other disaster-associated effects can lead to longer-term risks to population health among some subgroups. This presentation will review the history of the field of disaster epidemiology, the role of epidemiology in each phase of disaster, the types of public health studies conducted in response to disasters, and challenges to conducting research using perishable data.
Meet the Speaker
Jennifer Horney is Professor and Founding Director of the Program in Epidemiology and Core Faculty at the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware. Her research focuses on measuring the health impacts of disasters, as well as the linkages between disaster planning and household actions related to preparedness, response, and recovery. Dr. Horney received her Ph.D. and MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her research focused on the role of social factors in decision making during disasters. She has led interdisciplinary research projects funded by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Academies of Sciences, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal, state, and local agencies. Dr. Horney was a member of a team of public health practitioners who responded to Hurricanes Isabel, Charley, Katrina, Wilma, Irene, and Harvey where she conducted rapid assessments of disaster impact on the public health of individuals and communities. She has also provided technical assistance to public health agencies globally around disasters, infectious disease outbreaks, and pandemic influenza.
This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit