Release date: Feb. 21, 2008
Contact: Beverly Cox Clark at 404-712-8780 or beverly.clark@emory.edu

New Chair of Environmental Studies Links Health, Ecology, Culture

Uriel Kitron, a globally known researcher of the eco-epidemiology of infectious diseases, has joined Emory University this semester as professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies.

"At Emory, environmental studies integrates a whole range of disciplines and challenges, from the social sciences to biology, chemistry and the physical sciences," Kitron says. "In addition to the humanities and arts at Emory College, the department also draws from the resources at the Rollins School of Public Health and the Emory Global Health Institute. It's an exciting place to teach and do research."

Kitron comes to Emory from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois, where he was a professor of epidemiology and co-director of the Center for Zoonoses Research. His work focuses on vector-borne diseases carried by insects and ticks and the zoonoses – diseases that are common to humans and other animals. His current research projects include studies of Lyme disease and West Nile virus in the U.S.; malaria and schistosomiasis in Kenya; malaria and filariasis in Papua, New Guinea; dengue fever in Peru; and Chagas disease in Argentina.

As a specialist in spatial epidemiology, Kitron uses tools such as geographic information systems to gather environmental data and create maps that pinpoint disease agents and their vectors to support the development of public health strategies.

In addition to continuing his global fieldwork, Kitron says he looks forward to strengthening the department's relationships with the wider community of Atlanta. "We would like to increasingly serve as a resource for public officials working on environmental issues such as management of water, parks and transportation," he says.

Emory University (www.emory.edu) is one of the nation’s leading private research universities and a member of the Association of American Universities. Known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities, Emory is ranked as one of the country's top 20 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, the state's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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