Climate change and other environmental factors are transforming infectious disease dynamics. Our research analyses the socio-ecological factors surrounding vector-borne, zoonotic and water-borne disease emergence and transmission, and explores opportunities for surveillance and control, including climate-informed early warning systems and health promotion activities, across the region.
Deteriorating air quality is a major environmental determinant of health. Using different sources of ground and satellite-based data, our research seeks to quantify the health impacts of air pollution, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, develop and evaluate interventions to mitigate exposure to air pollutants, and explore the intersection of urbanisation, transportation, human behaviours, and air quality.
The climate crisis poses significant risks to global food security and nutrition, particularly for countries like Singapore which import a large proportion of food. We study the effects of climate change and other environmental changes on food availability and nutritional quality as well as the acceptability of alternative climate-friendly diets. We aim to develop policy recommendations for climate-resilient food systems and equitable access to nutritious foods.
Advanced computational techniques are essential for understanding complex climate, environment and health interactions. Our research explores the use of statistical, machine learning and AI-driven models for predicting disease outbreaks and climate-related health risks, applications of machine learning in environmental epidemiology and exposure assessments, and the use of big data analytics for personalized and population-level health interventions.
Effective policy responses are crucial for adapting to and mitigating climate-related health risks. We investigate evidence-based policymaking for climate and health governance, economic assessments of climate adaptation strategies in the health sector, and the role of international and national frameworks in addressing climate, environment, and health challenges. We work closely with Ministries of Health in the region to identify research needs and policy priorities for addressing health impacts of climate and environmental change.
In addition to effective policymaking, it is important that climate and environmental health risks are strategically communicated to local communities to ensure that the work we do is impactful and does not remain in academic silos. As part of this, public engagement is a key focus of our work as we co-create and collaborate with community partners who possess invaluable local expertise and experience.
