Eun Kyung Lee, PhD MPH
(pronounced as "Un-Kyong")
Environmental health & health disparities researcher
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.