About the Cornell Initiative on Aging and Adaptation to Extreme Heat

The Cornell Initiative on Aging and Adaptation to Extreme Heat

The Cornell Initiative on Aging and Adaptation to Extreme Heat pursues integrative research across clinical medicine, public health and the built environment sectors, using urban tech and digital tools as levers. In 2024, the Initiative launched three applied research projects to fill in important knowledge gaps and create infrastructure for applied research collaborations across sectors and among diverse stakeholders.

Extreme Heat and Medical Needs Among Older Adults

Prof. Arnab Ghosh, MD, Medicine, Weill Cornell, New York City
Prof. Deborah Estrin, Ph.D., CS, Cornell Tech

This project will improve understanding of the medical needs of older adults in the context of extreme heat, identify and stratify the greatest at risk, and to evaluate how emerging digital health tools can be used +to adapt to these needs. The research team will analyze health care claims data to understand differentiated healthcare demand among older adults during heat waves. These findings will frame an evaluation of how emerging digital health tools can be leveraged to reduce risk, harms, and cost for vulnerable patients during extreme heat exposure. This work will also inform future research priorities across the initiative.

Informing Public Health Response to Extreme Heat Events via Granular Urban Data

Prof. Nikhil Garg, Ph.D., ORIE, Cornell Tech
Prof. Gen Meredith, DrPH, OTR, Public Health

This project couples individual and community level data sources and modeling with a web-based tool to stress test heat action plans (HAPs) and prototype a decision support tool for public health officials. This prototype will demonstrate how near-real-time data and short-range forecasting models can leverage multiple data sources to provide new and actionable insights during heat waves.

Extreme Heat and Aging Exchange

Dr. Anthony Townsend, Pd.D., Jacobs Urban Tech Hub, Cornell Tech

Three big systems are responsible for the health and well-being of older adults in cities: healthcare, public health, and the built environment. All are responding to growing risks of extreme heat for this highly-vulnerable group. But these responses are not well-integrated. Problems of information availability, access, and integration are widespread. The Extreme Heat and Aging Exchange facilitates integrated research and action across these silos. We provide a neutral space where industry, government, and academics can come together to share data, models, code, studies, and other resources that help us all think and work more strategically. To learn more about our work and how to get involved, contact us.