Dr. Aina Roca-Barceló will present her research on climate adaptation and health at a webinar hosted by Drexel University on February 12, 2025. Her talk will focus on high-resolution temperature estimates in São Paulo and their implications for health impact assessments, particularly regarding social inequalities.
The Drexel Climate Change and Urban Health Research Center (CCUH) invites participants to a webinar featuring Dr. Aina Roca-Barceló, scheduled for Wednesday, February 12, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. Dr. Roca-Barceló, a Climate Adaptation Advisor with Médecins Sans Frontières, will share insights on her pioneering work in climate adaptation and health response initiatives, particularly focused on addressing systemic heat challenges. Her presentation will spotlight a groundbreaking study conducted in São Paulo, Brazil, involving advanced machine-learning techniques to analyze daily mean temperature variations and assess health impacts related to temperature-induced mortality.
The background of this research underlines pressing urban health challenges exacerbated by climate change. Urban areas, especially in Latin America, face significant risks from rising temperatures and social inequalities. Dr. Roca-Barceló’s systematic methodology aims to enhance understanding of heat exposure impacts, thereby assisting in the development of more effective public health strategies to mitigate these challenges. Her research emphasizes the importance of integrating health assessments with climate data, offering a compelling case for using predictive modeling in public health contexts.
In her presentation, Dr. Roca-Barceló will explain the “Random Forest Approach” utilized in her research to derive high-resolution temperature estimates, contributing to the broader field of urban health. This approach provides invaluable data to inform local health policies and initiatives aimed at reducing heat-related health risks for vulnerable populations in São Paulo.
“A Random Forest Approach for High-Resolution Estimation of Ground-Level Daily Mean Temperature: Case Study of São Paulo, Brazil (2015–2019)” is the title of her talk, encapsulating her innovative research focus.
For inquiries and additional information about the webinar, please contact Kaela Barna at [email protected]. Interested participants are encouraged to join this crucial conversation about the intersection of climate change and urban health.
With climate change posing an increasing threat to urban environments, cities like São Paulo, Brazil, are experiencing elevated temperature levels that can adversely affect public health. It is critical to assess the relationship between climate data and health outcomes to understand the full impact of rising temperatures, particularly for at-risk communities. Incorporating machine-learning models into this research provides detailed insights that can inform effective health policies and interventions.
Dr. Aina Roca-Barceló’s work stands at the forefront of integrating climate adaptation strategies with urban health initiatives. Her research sheds light on the urgent need to address heat-related health risks in urban populations through innovative methodologies. By engaging stakeholders and presenting her findings, she aims to foster discussions that could lead to more resilient and healthier urban environments.
Original Source: drexel.edu
