My research sits at the intersection of health and the environment where we use geospatial information, technologies and methods to integrate different health determinants to understand the drivers of health risks and outcomes.
Below I capture the essential themes of our work.
Disease patterns and Public Health - A major part of my research examines how spatial patterns of disease risk, human behaviour and environmental conditions shape health impacts. Work on SARS‑CoV‑2 transmission and accessibility of vaccination centres in the Netherlands, demonstrates how mobility, infrastructure, and equity intersect during public health emergencies. Earlier work on HIV risk factors illustrates the role of place and social networks have on transmission while work on measles and health care accessibility in Niger highlights the importance of spatial inequalities, climate and event-related drivers (e.g. climate and conflict) in shaping health outcomes. Collectively, these studies show how geospatial information and a variety of spatial and statistical methods can illuminate connectivity and hidden vulnerabilities ultimately providing maps that can guide more effective, targeted interventions.
Relevant publications
Gangat, R., Ngah, V., Tawonga, R., Blanford, J.I., Ncayiyana, J.R., Nyasulu, P.S. (2026) Spatial and Temporal patterns of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in uMgungundlovu, KwaZulu Natal. PlosOne. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0317648
Blanford, J.I. and Kioko, K. (2025) A multidimensional space-time geospatial analysis for examining the spatial trends of vector-borne diseases: 20 years of malaria in Kenya. Acta Tropica. 271: 107839 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0001706X25003092
Sznajder, K., Eshak, T., Biney, A., Dodoo, N., Wang, M., Toprah, T., Blanford, J.I., Jensen, L., Dodoo, F. N-A. (2024) Adverse childhood experiences are associated with HIV risk factors in Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies. 19(3): 593–608. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450128.2024.2354378
Logan, J., Jolly, A., and Blanford, J.I. (2016) The Sociospatial Network: Risk and the role of place in the transmission of infectious diseases. PLoSOne 11(2): e0146915
Robert, B.N., Cherono, A., Mumo, E., Mwandawiro, C., Collins, O., Gichuki, P., Blanford, J.I., Snow, R.W., Okiro, E.A. (2023) Spatial variation and clustering of anaemia prevalence in school-aged children in Western Kenya. PlosOne, 18(11): e0282382 10.1371/journal.pone.0282382
Al-Huraibi, A., Amer, S., Blanford, J.I. (2025) Prioritizing the location of vaccination centres during the COVID-19 pandemic by bike in the Netherlands. Geospatial Health. 20(1): 1293. https://doi.org/10.4081/gh.2025.1293
Al-Huraibi, A., Amer, S., Blanford, J.I. (2023) Cycling to get my vaccination: how accessible are COVID-19 vaccination centers in the Netherlands? AGILE GIScience Series. 4(16), 2023. https://doi.org/10.5194/agile-giss-4-16-2023.
Blanford, J.I. and Jolly, A. M. (2021) Public health needs GIScience (like now!), AGILE GIScience Ser., 2, 18.
Blanford, J.I., Kumar, S., Luo, W. and MacEachren, A.M. (2012) It’s a long, long walk: accessibility to hospitals, maternity and integrated health centers in Niger. International Journal of Health Geographics. 11:24
Watch video: https://youtu.be/lXXnQvXW7t4
Tomaszewski, B., Blanford, J.I., Ross, K., Pezanowski, S. & MacEachren A.M. (2011) Supporting Geographically-aware WebDocument Foraging and Sensemaking. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. 35:192-207
Vector‑Borne Diseases and Environmental Risk - I have an extensive track record in malaria and vector‑borne disease research, spanning more than a decade and covering topics from parasite development under temperature variation to national‑scale malaria risk mapping in Kenya. My contributions include foundational work on how daily temperature fluctuations influence malaria transmission, as well as recent geoAI‑enabled approaches for long‑term surveillance. Beyond malaria, we have also worked on advancing understanding of Lyme disease emergence, West Nile Virus, and other invasive mosquito species e.g., a potential vector of dengue, integrating ecological modelling with fine‑scale spatial data. This body of work demonstrates how climate, land use, and human behaviour converge to shape disease ecology and the importance of understanding community knowledge in defining local public health strategies.
Relevant publications
Blanford, J.I. and Kioko, K. (2025) A multidimensional space-time geospatial analysis for examining the spatial trends of vector-borne diseases: 20 years of malaria in Kenya. Acta Tropica. 271: 107839 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0001706X25003092
Watch video: https://sites.google.com/view/justineblanfordweb/research/vector-borne-diseases/malaria_kenyahotspot
Kioko, C. and Blanford, J.I. (2025) Malaria survey data and geospatial suitability mapping for understanding spatial and temporal variations of risk across Kenya. Parasite Epidemiology and Control. 28:e00399. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673124000631
Blanford, J.I. (2024) Managing vector-borne diseases in a geoAI-enabled society. Malaria as an example. Journal of Acta Tropica. 260, 107406 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001706X24002870
Kioko, K. and Blanford, J.I. (2023) Malaria in Kenya during 2020: malaria indicator survey and suitability mapping for understanding spatial variations in prevalence, intervention and risk. AGILE GIScience Series. 4:31. https://doi.org/10.5194/agile-giss-4-31-2023
Blanford, J.I., Blanford, S., Paaijmans, K., Schreiber, K., Crane, R., Mann, M., Thomas, M.B. (2013) Implications of temperature variation for malaria parasite development across Africa. Scientific Reports. 3: doi:10.1038/srep01300
Taber, E., Hutchinson, M.L., Smithwick, E.A., Blanford, J.I. (2017) A decade of colonization: the spread of the Asian Tiger Mosquito in Pennsylvania and implications for disease risk. Journal of Vector Ecology. 42(1):3-12
Chen, S., Blanford, J.I., Hutchinson, M., Fleischer, S., Saunders, M., Thomas, M.B. (2013) Estimating West Nile Virus Transmission Potential in Pennsylvania Using an Optimized Degree-Day Model. Vector-borne and Zoonotic Disease. 13(7):489-97
Ticks
Kioko, K., Githaka, N., Cheng, Y., Blanford, J.I. (2026) A Scoping Review on Tick Species and Pathogens Distributed in Kenya and Cross-Border Districts. Acta Tropica. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001706X26001294
Beerlage de Jong, N. and Blanford, J.I. (2025) Mapping the Risk of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Europe for Informed Vaccination Decisions. Journal of Travel Medicine. 32(2): taae153. https://academic.oup.com/jtm/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jtm/taae153/7925792
Logan, J.J., Knudby, A., Leighton, P. A., Talbot, B., McKay, R., Ramsay, T., Blanford, J.I., Ogden, N.H., Kulkami, M. A. (2024) Ixodes scapularis density and Borrelia burgdorferi prevalence along a residential-woodland gradient in a region of emerging Lyme disease risk. Nature Scientific Reports 14, 13107. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64085-6
Logan, J.J., Ramsay, T., Blanford, J.I., Ogden, N.H., Kulkami, M. A. (2024) Knowledge, protection, and perception of Lyme disease in an area of emerging risk: results from a survey of adults in Ottawa, Ontario. BMC Public Health. 24, 2024867. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18348-6
Logan, J.J., Hoi, A.G., Sawada, M., Knudby, A., Ramsay, T., Blanford, J.I., Ogden, N.H., Kulkami, M. A. (2023) Risk factors for Lyme disease resulting from residential exposure amidst emerging Ixodes scapularis populations: a neighbourhood-level analysis of Ottawa, Ontario. PlosOne, 10.1371/journal.pone.0290463
Other
Donkersely, P., Blanford, J.I., Queiroz, R.B., Silva, F.W.S., Carvalho, C.M., Al-Sadi, A.M. Elliot, S. (2018) Witch’s Broom Disease of Lime (Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia): identifying high-risk areas by climatic mapping. Journal of Economic Entomology.
Klass, J.I., Blanford S., & Thomas M.B. (2007) Development of a model for evaluating the effects of environmental temperature and thermal behaviour on biological control of locusts and grasshoppers using pathogens. Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 9(3):189-199.
Klass, J.I., Blanford S., & Thomas M.B. (2007) Use of a geographic information system to explore spatial variation in pathogen virulence and the implications for biological control of locusts and grasshoppers. Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 9(3): 201-208.
Heat, Climate Extremes and Environmental Hazards - A growing focus of our research addresses the health impacts of extreme heat and climate‑related hazards, in different parts of world. The health impacts from heat are not always easily integrated. These studies examine heat‑health risk perception, early warning systems, and the spatio‑temporal distribution of extreme heat events. We also investigate cascading health consequences of flooding, including leptospirosis outbreaks and the mental and social wellbeing of vulnerable populations. These projects underscore the need for climate‑informed public health strategies that integrate environmental data, community and local knowledge for adaptive planning.
Relevant publications
Heat
Vuillermoz, J., Blanford, J.I., Haeri, M.A., Beerlage-de Jong N., van Rompay, T. (2026) A Geospatial Approach to Neighbourhood Prioritisation for Urban Greening Under Climate–Health Risk. Environmental Research Communications. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/ae5d9a
Marghidan, C. P., Inlamea, O., Tamale, G., Notico, P., Inguana, P., Jose, A., Gudo, E. S, de Perez, E. C., Blanford, J.I., van Aalst, M., Marrufo, T. (2026) Heat-health risk knowledge, perceptions, adaption and challenges in Mozambique: insights from community members and health professionals. Climate Risk Management.51: 100786 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2025.100786
Marghidan, C.P., Nairn, J., Blanford, J.I., van Aalst, M., Mistry, M. (2025) Untangling the fragmented landscape of extreme heat services and warning systems. Environmental Research Letters. 20:101002 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/adfe00
Marghidan, C. P., van Aalst, M., Blanford, J.I., Guigma, K., Maure, G., Pinto, I., Arrighi, J., and Marrufo, T. (2023) Assessing the spatio-temporal distribution of extreme heat events in Mozambique using the CHIRTS temperature dataset for 1983-2016. Weather & Climate Extremes. 40:100565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wace.2023.100565
Marghidan, C. P., van Aalst, M., Blanford, J.I., Marrufo, T. and Maure, G. (2023) Extreme heat alerts and impacts across Mozambique 2016 - 2022: gathering evidence from media articles. AGILE GIScience Series. 4(11). https://doi.org/10.5194/agile-giss-4-11-2023. Reproducible AGILE badge
Flood
Song, C., Atun, F., Blanford, J.I., Anthonj, C. (2026) Germany Ahr Valley Flood 2021: a social and mental health perspective of older adults (65+) experiences. Wellbeing, Space & Society. 10:100332 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2025.100332
Ifejube, J., Kuriakosa, S.L., Anish,T.S., van Westen, C., Blanford, J.I. (2024) Analysing the outbreaks of leptospirosis after floods in Kerala, India. International Journal of Health Geographics. 23 (11). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12942-024-00372-9
Aurit, M., Peterson, R.O., Blanford J.I. (2013) A GIS analysis of the relationship between sinkholes, dry-well complaints and groundwater pumping for frost-freeze protection of winter strawberry production in Florida. PLoS One. 8(1). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0053832
Crisis Informatics, Geospatial Communication and Surveillance Systems - An important part of health is not just about understanding the determinants of risk but also in communication. Here we use interactive mapping tools, geovisual analytics, and spatial decision‑support systems to address communication for public health. From early work on GeoTwitter analytics for situational awareness to recent development of interactive disease surveillance dashboard to better visualise Notifiable Disease Reporting for all Member States in Europe. We explore how to structure information so that it can be used effectively by practitioners, policymakers, and the public.
Relevant publications
Tjaden, N., Geeraedts, F., Riezebos-Brilman, A., Kioko, C., Al Naiemi, N., Blanford, J.I., Beerlage-de Jong, N. (2024) The power of interactive maps for communicating spatio-temporal data to health professionals. Geospatial Health. 19(2):1296. https://doi.org/10.4081/gh.2024.1296
Tjaden, N. and Blanford, J.I. (2023) ENDIG. Interactive GeoVisualisation of Notifiable Diseases for Disease Surveillance Systems in Europe. AGILE GIScience Series. 4 (46). https://doi.org/10.5194/agile-giss-4-46-2023
MacEachren A. M., Jaiswal, A., Robinson, A.C., Pezanowski, S., Savelyev, A., Mitra, P., Zhangi, X. & Blanford, J. (2011) SensePlace2: GeoTwitter Analytics Support for Situational Awareness. Visual Analytics Science and Technology (VAST), IEEE Conference. 181-190. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6102456 See awards.
Tomaszewski, B., Blanford, J.I., Ross, K., Pezanowski, S. & MacEachren A.M. (2011) Supporting Geographically-aware WebDocument Foraging and Sensemaking. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. 35:192-207
Blanford, J.I., N. Beerlage-de Jong, S. Schouten, A. Friedrich, V. Araujo-Soares (2022) Navigating travel in Europe during the pandemic: from mobile apps, certificates, quarantine to traffic-light system. Journal of Travel Medicine. taac006, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taac006
Blanford, J.I., Bernhardt, J., Savelyev, A., Wong-Parodi, G., Carleton, A.M., Titley, D.W. and MacEachren, A.M. (2014) Tweeting and Tornadoes. 11th International ISCRAM Conference. State College, Pennsylvania, USA.
Pfau, L. and Blanford J.I. (2018) Enhancing wilderness search and rescue through the use of geospatial data and technology. The Professional Geographer. 70(3):434-442
Mobility and Exposure - Mobility plays an important role in health impacts and disease transmission, however capturing movement, particularly human movement can be difficult. Geospatial data, location‑based technologies, and spatial analysis can be used to understand human movement, sentiment, and population dynamics across diverse contexts. They include New York City’s Citi Bike usage patterns, public sentiment toward the 2017 Women’s March, estimating refugee camp populations using remote sensing data to enhancing wilderness search‑and‑rescue operations and understanding cross‑border movement. Thus demonstrating the broad applicability of geographic information science to real‑world social, humanitarian, and mobility challenges.
Relevant publications
Blanford, J.I. and MGIS Geog 586 Students (listed in alphabetical order T. Belcher, T. Black, E. Derner, J. Dunham, E. Galvan Campanero, M. Gority, R. Jones, B. Kaley, J. Kuli, R. Ligon, E. Mandal, T. Quink, J. Shinsky, M. Sodek, N. Teigland, S. Turner) (2020) Pedal Power: Explorers and commuters of New York Citi Bikesharing scheme. PLoS ONE. 15(6): e0232957
Felmlee, D., Blanford, J.I., Matthews, S., MacEachren, A.M. (2020) The Geography of Sentiment towards the Women’s March of 2017. PLoS ONE 15(6): e0233994
Green, B. and Blanford, J.I. (2020) Estimating populations in refugee camps: a toolkit using remotely sensed data. Proceedings of the 53rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. pp 2197- 2206
Pfau, L. and Blanford J.I. (2018) Enhancing wilderness search and rescue through the use of geospatial data and technology. The Professional Geographer. 70(3):434-442
Blanford, J.I., Huang, Z., Savelyev, A. and MacEachren, A.M. (2015) Geo-located tweets. Enhancing mobility maps and capturing cross-border movement. PLoS ONE 10(6): e0129202.