Center for Health Informatics Examining Environmental Impacts on Health Speaker Series: Trent Ford

Trent Ford will present, "Health Impacts and Disparities in a Changing Climate: Challenges and Opportunities."
Dr. Trent Ford is the Illinois State Climatologist and has been with the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois since 2019. He is an expert in climate and climate change and its interactions and impacts, especially as they relate to water. Trent leads climate and drought monitoring, research, and data collection for the state of Illinois. He and his team work with communities, industries, and state agencies on issues related to weather, climate, and climate change in Illinois, and engage the general public through online, media, and educational outreach. A native of Roanoke, Illinois, Ford earned a bachelor’s in geography from Illinois State University before completing his master’s and PhD at Texas A&M University.
Abstract:
Climate change causes significant acute and chronic health impacts, disproportionately falling on the most vulnerable communities. While there is not one single best solution, there are many effective solutions for adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change on health in Illinois. We’ll discuss climate change, present and future, health implications, and the important solutions and roles healthcare professionals and providers play.
About the speaker series:
This speaker series brings together researchers on campus whose work touches on environmental impacts (e.g., air quality, water quality, weather patterns) on health, to share their current research and to foster discussion and collaboration.
We meet most Tuesdays, noon-1 pm US Central Time, on Zoom. This series is hosted by the iSchool’s Center for Health Informatics (CHI), in partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the University of Illinois’ Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI).
This event is sponsored by Center for Health Informatics