July 2020
New research from The University of Texas at Dallas suggests food deserts might be more prevalent in the U.S. than the numbers reported in government estimates. In a feasibility study published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, scholars found that the methods used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to identify areas with low access to healthy food are often outdated and narrow in scope. Their findings indicate that crowdsourced information gathered from mobile apps such as Yelp could help provide more accurate real-time representation of food deserts in impoverished communities. Find the full story here: https://www.utdallas.edu/news/social-sciences/food-deserts-study-2020/
February 2020
Researchers from The University of Texas at Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center are investigating new ways to use old mobile phone technology to help first responders in developing countries reduce the time it takes to transport traffic accident victims to hospitals. Part of the research involves using data collection methods to identify areas of large cities that are prone to traffic-related injuries but lack information to allocate limited resources optimally. Dr. Kim and Dr. Fiemu Nwariaku, professor of surgery and associate dean of global health at UT Southwestern, are co-principal investigators on a $427,000, two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health’s Fogarty International Center (grant R21TW010991) to promote health across the globe. Kim and Nwariaku will spend the next two years developing ways to leverage existing, low-cost mobile phone technology in Lagos, Nigeria, to help roadway accident victims. Find the full story here: https://www.utdallas.edu/news/science-technology/traffic-mortality-nigeria-2020/
The Geospatial Health Research Group (GHRG) is a research and training working group committed to address various global health concerns and improve public policies and practices using geospatial analysis techniques. GHRG trusts the power of collaborative efforts to resolve complex and multifaceted problems in global health and environment and welcomes collaboration and partnership opportunities with academic and professional communities around the world.