Duke and Duke-NUS Join Forces to Fund Groundbreaking Research in Climate Health: Explore Innovative Projects Transforming Our Future

Duke University and Duke-NUS Medical School are excited to announce the winners of their latest research grants, totaling over S$1 million. This initiative highlights their dedication to addressing the urgent health issues caused by climate change.

This year, for the first time in 18 years, the grants are focused solely on climate-related health research. Five innovative projects will combine the expertise of researchers from both institutions. Each project aims to tackle specific challenges related to climate change, fostering global research teams that will advance various areas of health research.

Both the Duke and Duke-NUS Principal Investigators (PIs) will receive financial support of US$100,000 and S$100,000, respectively, for a period of two years.

Climate change affects everyone, especially in urban areas like Singapore and the USA. By uniting experts from various fields, Duke and Duke-NUS are working to understand and respond to the health impacts of climate change worldwide.

“We are facing significant health issues from extreme weather. By combining our research strengths, we can better anticipate and address health crises linked to climate change,”

Patrick Tan, Senior Vice-Dean for Research at Duke-NUS

This collaboration aims not just to produce quality research but also to create practical solutions for areas most affected by climate change, including the US and Singapore.

“These new teams are the start of building global connections and addressing the health challenges posed by climate change,” said Robert M Tighe, MD, an associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine.

This year’s funding selection followed a competitive review of 40 proposals, with five standout projects chosen to tackle health issues related to climate change. These projects are:

• Exploring how heat exposure affects urinary stone disease and suggesting preventive healthcare practices.
• Investigating how vulnerable older adults in Durham, North Carolina, and Singapore perceive health effects from climate change to improve health communication.
• Assessing the health outcomes linked to wildfire smoke and heat exposure in Southeast Asia to guide public health policies.
• Conducting a study on heat stress and kidney health among frontline communities in Sri Lanka using a planetary health approach.
• Examining how environmental factors affect the spread of infections in Madagascar to enhance disease prevention strategies.

These projects reflect Duke and Duke-NUS’s commitment to impactful and innovative research. Since 2009, the partnership has funded 64 projects totaling S$7.29 million, demonstrating their ongoing dedication to solving critical health challenges. This focus on climate health represents a significant step in their mission to advance international research collaboration.