About
Mission
CHAS advances health equity in climate-vulnerable urban communities. We conduct interdisciplinary research, train future leaders, and partner with communities to co-create solutions rooted in justice, resilience, and inclusive development.
Vision
A future where every community can thrive in a changing climate, with equitable access to clean air, safe housing, resilient infrastructure, and high-quality health systems.
Who We Are
Based at the Crown Family School at the University of Chicago, CHAS brings together scholars, clinicians, practitioners, and community partners to address the health impacts of climate change in urban settings.
Our work focuses on communities experiencing disproportionate exposure to extreme heat, air pollution, flooding, and chronic disease. We combine community knowledge with academic research to generate solutions that can be sustained through public systems.
We confront structural inequities in climate policy and practice, partnering with communities experiencing the greatest climate-related health burdens.
We work with communities to co-design solutions that honor lived experience and strengthen local power.
We are committed to evidence-based research that advances scientific understanding and drives real-world change.
We integrate insights across climate science, public health, social work, policy, medicine, planning, and community organizing.
We cultivate trust through open collaboration, shared learning, and clear communication of commitments and outcomes.
We invest in cultivating the next generation of climate-health leaders who reflect and advocate for the communities most affected by climate-driven health risks.