Eun Kyung Lee, PhD MPH

Hi!  I am an Assistant Professor of Environmental Health and Environmental Justice at the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science & Forestry (SUNY-ESF).  Broadly, I specialize in the use of complex and large spatial, environmental and health data (including electronic health records) to characterize the physical and social environments associated with health inequities: 

• I explore how policies, such as redlining and power dynamics, structure patterns of racialized and marginalized communities, influencing their health effects. Additionally, I examine how environmental and social determinants of health - such as proximity to health care services, polluting facilities, healthy food stores, and exposure to extreme heat - influence health.

• I investigate mitigation strategies aimed at reducing exposure to industry-related air pollutants, utilizing air dispersion models, and their impact on chronic diseases. 

• I apply geospatial methods to identify geographic areas with greater needs for interventions and employ community-level approaches to develop planning strategies that respond to the experiences and needs of marginalized communities.

I received my PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from the University at Albany,  SUNY and Master's in Public Health (MPH) from Tufts University School of Medicine.  Prior to joining SUNY-ESF, I received my postdoctoral training at Boston University School of Public Health and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.  During this time, I was involved in multiple health inequities research studies aiming to leverage community's nutrition and environmental equity in historically redlined and marginalized neighborhoods, and addressing barriers to quality health care.