Emergency Preparedness & Management
In the past 20 years, extreme wildfires have more than doubled, causing destruction to those directly impacted and spreading air pollution across borders and even continents. Outdoor air pollution, and the disease it engenders, is estimated to cause roughly 8 million deaths globally each year. A team of scientists from Cornell and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) are working to understand how air pollutants from dust and wildfires have changed over time, from 1850 to today, to improve predictions of future air pollution. They’ll also calculate respiratory disease, mortality risk and economic impact for a range of air quality scenarios, with a special focus on Latin America…
From the bench to the clinic and to the field, our faculty are making discoveries that help create a healthier world for animals and people. Check out some of their recently published research below…
A higher than normal tide first floods the two blocks adjacent to Roger Gendron’s street in Hamilton Beach, Queens. Then it crests the curbs and sidewalks, flows through yards and fills his road, Davenport Court, and stays there. A berm at the end of the street, between the road and Jamaica Bay, traps the water, sometimes through another two or three tide cycles. “These are the nuances someone like myself and others – we know because it’s our neighborhood,” said Gendron, 63, a lifelong resident of Hamilton Beach, president of the New Hamilton Beach Civic Association and self-taught flood monitor and forecaster for the 450 households in his community. “Nobody knows the neighborhood better…
Individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis, or a crisis related to a mental health or substance use disorder, disproportionately come into contact with the criminal legal system. Approximately ten out of every 100 police calls for service are classified as involving a person perceived as having a mental illness. These police interactions place persons with behavioral health disorders at increased risk of death because of police violence. Moreover, police contact may trigger a cascade of criminal legal involvement with prevalence of behavioral health disorders overrepresented within incarcerated…
As highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to spread globally, dedicated and openly shared research is essential. The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) pursues several projects to protect animal and public health against HPAI. Scientists from CVM were among the first to detect the virus in North American wild and domestic birds and mammals through testing performed at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC). The first spillover to new mammal species was identified by a multidisciplinary team…
Summer is officially here, and with the temperatures rising to extremes over the next few days, public health experts from Cornell University have created a digital tool to help people when it comes to being prepared for the intense heat. On Friday, June 20, all of New York State was issued a five-day-long extreme heat watch by the National Weather Service (NWS), with the state as a whole set to experience feels-like temperatures between 90 and 110 degrees until Wednesday, June 25. Public health experts from Cornell University have designed a digital resource to support people in making knowledgeable decisions to protect their health during extreme temperatures, Cornell University explained…
To ready New York State communities for the rapidly evolving impacts of climate change, we created a Climate Disaster Health Policy Lab. This novel framework integrates analysis of community needs with product delivery in one center, enabling preparation and accelerating response. We partner with organizations having statewide impact (county- and state-level public health, emergency management, and Cooperative Extension staff), focusing on climate disasters with significant health impacts (e.g., extreme heat, cold, wildfire smoke). The project bridges the gap between researchers and practitioners, positioning Cornell Public Health as a leader in the climate and disaster space, while improving the lives of New Yorkers…
Two CARPHA Member States are now better equipped to monitor water quality and prevent water-related health threats, thanks to the donation of multi-parameter water quality testing meters and the piloting of a new Water-Related Infectious Disease (WRID) Surveillance Manual, developed through a collaboration between the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and Cornell University’s Master of Public Health Program. The mission, conducted from March 31st to April 4th, 2025, focused on strengthening technical capacity in Barbados and Grenada, where representatives from CARPHA and Cornell University formally handed over water quality monitoring equipment to Chief Medical Officers in both CARPHA…
Dr. Alex Travis–director of Cornell Public Health and chair of the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health in the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine—explains exactly what his extended job title involves, noting that he brings being both a veterinarian and PhD scientist to discharging his duties. Joining me on “Talking Animals” to discuss bird flu and the Avian Flu Resource Center–an online portal Cornell recently launched, designed to provide timely and accurate information about bird flu, amidst ongoing rumors and misinformation—Travis describes the current strain, and why it’s become so nefarious. As part of that description, he outlines how the current flu–also known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza…
At Cornell University’s Wildlife Health Lab, scientists–including Jenny Bloodgood from the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health–work with New York State to test and identify cases of bird flu among animals in Central New York. USDA data shows this strain of the virus has been detected in wild birds in all 50 states. NBC News’ Anne Thompson reports.
Cornell Master of Public Health students Taylor Rijos and Anthony Un both vividly remember when Canadian wildfire smoke rolled into New York State in 2023. “That’s something my family had never experienced,” says Rijos. “Figuring out what to do when faced with a novel threat was eye-opening.” For Un, the smoke represented an even greater danger. “It was a stark reminder that the impacts of climate change are becoming more tangible,” he says. Wildfire smoke can be deadly; it contains high concentrations of particulate pollutants small enough to enter the bloodstream and affect internal organs, and is…
News and guidance on avian influenza is scattered across government and state agency websites, and rampant misinformation is spread across the internet. In response, Cornell has launched a comprehensive resource that offers a one-stop clearinghouse for the most current and trustworthy information on bird flu. A new online Avian Flu Resource Center provides reliable and accessible information for members of the general public, farmers, wildlife professionals, state and public health agency partners, and veterinarians…