C2H2 RCN Building cross-disciplinary capacity to understand complex dynamics of climatic processes, bioaerosols, and infectious pathogens for a resilient human health response

University Of Florida, Gainesville FL

Investigators

Abstract

Over the years, geoscientists and physicians have developed domain-specific knowledge, tools, and protocols designed for human well-being. However, siloed pathways of information-generating knowledge within geosciences and medicine disciplines have created a bottleneck for effective translation of public health responses to environmentally sensitive, clinically relevant, and climate/weather-modulated pathogens that are transmitted through bioaerosols. This resaerch coordination network breaksdown that barrier by employing novel systems-thinking frameworks of prediction (when, where, and how) and prevention (what) for such transmission vectors. The network, which has a national reach, involves large numbers of geoscience and health professionals who interact to form understandings and share reserach avenues that are needed to tackle medical conditions resulting from bioaerosol transmission by bring together the two fields in directed conversations and partnership building. The network involves understanding, from the environmental and human physiological view, conceptual relationships among infectious pathogens, associated sbioaerosols, and geophysico chemical and environmental transport processes. Broader impacts of the work include integration of fields that fosters collaborations and new, systems knowledge that results in scientific insights that catalyze transformative thinking regarding the environmental impacts and transport of pathogent leading to better healthcare delivery, management, and outcomes, particularly in response to changing climatic conditions. The outcome establishes a platform for collaboration and interdisciplinary, joint problem-defining mechanisms between geoscientists and the medicine/healthcare community. This Research Coodination Network demonstrates that a holistic environmental and human health approach to climate-driven health issues and synthesis of data from both fields is necessary to develop prediction and prevention frameworks of when, where, and how societally relevant and environmentally sensitive infectious pathogens and associated bioaerosols pose a risk to human health. The network will develop knowledge pathways that enhance public health response through improved healthcare delivery systems by exploring the validity of the three propositions. First, mechanisms for exposure of infectious pathogens (through water, sea-sprays, or both) and bioaerosols and their association with climate and weather processes remain unknown or otherwise limited. What is the feasibility of developing methodological (modeling-based), technological (sensor-based), and theoretical (physical/heuristic) frameworks? Second, effective decision-making within healthcare delivery systems necessitates a spatial and temporal understanding of geophysical processes, thereby requiring the establishment of feedback mechanisms bridging disciplinary boundaries. Third, the environmental boundaries in which humans work and live create variability, uncertainty, and nonlinearity from and within the healthcare system and geophysical processes. Hence, such boundaries are not exogenous and remain a function of human activities, and behaviors. These three propositions will be examined by: [1] engaging scholars, practitioners, and professionals from geosciences and healthcare management domains to closely examine and develop a predict and prevent case study workshop and [2] developing the Predict Prevent Data Exchange—a technological platform designed to facilitate dynamic web-based community engagement, digital knowledge repositories, and educational solutions. This initiative aims to foster joint problem definition and scenario development of solutions to complex geosciences-derived pathogen-aerosol systems. The ambition here is to develop scientific curiosity and capacity that will likely lead to a nationwide appreciation of climate and weather-informed healthcare delivery systems for vulnerable coastal human populations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.