Biological and Socioeconomic Implications of Residential Neighborhood Characteristics
About the Webinar
This webinar, hosted by the EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) was recorded on August 17th, 2021. The webinar is part of EPA’s Air, Climate, & Energy Research webinar series.
Studies at EPA are showing that health disparities can be influenced by the neighborhood environment. People who live in communities where there is environmental pollution, lower incomes, traffic and lack of green spaces, for example, may be at greater risk of negative health outcomes. Neighborhood‐level socioeconomic status or deprivation can influence various health outcomes of residents and may, in fact, exacerbate responses to local environmental conditions, such as air pollution. Research at EPA examines effects of neighborhood factors on cardiovascular and overall health as well as molecular indicators of aging. This research also examines whether exposure to air pollution and neighborhood factors combined contribute to greater health effects than those observed with either exposure alone. It is increasingly important to understand how neighborhood factors and air pollution combined may affect health outcomes.
About the Presenters
Dr. Cavin Ward-Caviness is a computational biologist and environmental epidemiologist in EPA’s Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA). He seeks to understand the environmental factors which influence health in vulnerable populations and the molecular mechanisms that influence environmental health risks. Cavin holds a Ph.D. from Duke University.
Dr. Anne Weaver is an epidemiologist in CPHEA. Since joining the EPA in 2017, she has focused on studying disparities in air pollution and cardiovascular disease among people with different sociodemographic backgrounds. Anne received holds a Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo.
Dr. Timothy Wade is an epidemiologist and associate division director of the Public Health and Environmental Systems Division in CPHEA. His research experience and interests include community health surveillance, social determinants of health, biomarker development, statistical modeling, exposure assessment, and microbial risk assessment. Tim holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.