Northwestern Researchers Pitch Ideas with Environmental and Health Impact

Northwestern researchers in 10 interdisciplinary teams competed last week for $200,000 in seed funding for pilot projects that meet at the intersection of the environment and human health.

“Given Northwestern’s unique location and strengths across so many disciplines, the University has a fantastic opportunity to capitalize on its potential to integrate expertise in environmental quality and health,” said Jennifer Dunn, professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern Engineering, who led the initiative.

She said the new competition was designed to connect faculty across multiple disciplines and to help prepare them for future funding opportunities, while making real-world, near-term impacts.

“We wanted to discover pilot projects to bring these disconnected pockets of expertise together and catalyze this area of research at the University,” said Dunn, who also serves as director of the Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience. 

Supported by the Office of the Provost, the initiative reflects Northwestern’s growing momentum to elevate sustainability research and education, as part of the University’s priority on decarbonization, renewable energy, and sustainability.

“All teams were asked to include members from more than one school to capture Northwestern’s core strength in interdisciplinarity. The competition featured a strong pool of 10 compelling interdisciplinary proposals demonstrating the deep well of Northwestern’s potential to continue to make an impact on society and the environment we all share,” said Sumit Dhar, interim vice president for research and associate provost for faculty.

The five-judge panel included Northwestern faculty leaders and outside experts in conservation and environmental policy, including representatives from the MacArthur Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, and an entrepreneurial alumnus turned climate tech investor.

With each 10-minute pitch, teams aimed to convince judges that their projects could deliver environmental and health impacts within two years.

Three winning projects

Ultimately, three projects will receive a portion of the $200,000 prize. After 18 months, each team will be expected to submit to a peer-reviewed journal, disseminate their findings outside of traditional academic venues, and pursue opportunities for external funding.

How will a rail merger impact a Chicago neighborhood?

A team led by Robert Weinstock, clinical professor of law and the director of the Environmental Advocacy Center at Pritzker School of Law, will work with Chicago’s Englewood community to examine potential environmental and health impacts of a proposed mega railroad merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. 

Weinstock and his team will receive $71,000 in seed funding to conduct research to quantify the potential merger’s impacts on the community—including impacts on air quality and exposure to noise and chemical pollutants—and to submit their findings to the Surface Transportation Board as it decides whether to approve the merger.

The group includes civil and environmental engineering professors Pablo Durango-Cohen and Amanda Stathopoulos, and assistant professor of engineering sciences and applied mathematics Niall Mangan. Daniel Horton, assistant professor of Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences and (by courtesy) civil and environmental engineering, and Bret Johnson, interim director of the Northwestern University Transportation Center, are also on the team.

Risk of elevated temperatures in the home

A project led by Giorgia Chinazzo, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at McCormick, aims to establish evidence linking indoor environmental conditions to microbiome-mediated health outcomes. 

Current global trends indicate people will spend more time indoors and in urban environments while being exposed to increasingly hotter conditions. By using controlled experiments in a climate chamber facility, the team will examine how higher temperatures and humidity can impact a person’s health and well-being, informing strategies to mitigate adverse health outcomes. Chinazzo and her team will receive $71,000.

The “nature 360 kit”

David Victorson, professor of medical social sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine, and his team will receive $58,000 to leverage ongoing work with colorectal cancer survivors at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center with a goal to better understand the health benefits of spending time in nature.

Using biomarkers and portable sensors that track temperature, humidity, soil quality, and more, the team aims to understand which environmental conditions enhance or limit the benefits of engaging with nature and through which psychological and biological pathways.