About

DSC_0123I am a Professor with a joint appointment in the Geography Department (College of Arts and Sciences) and the Division of Epidemiology (College of Public Health) at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. I am also core faculty in the Translational Data Analytics Institute and the Institute for Population Research.

I am a health geographer, meaning my research and teaching focus on the intersection between geography and public health.  I explore geographic patterns of health and disease using spatial epidemiological methodologies.  I am particularly interested in the complex interactions between demographic, socioeconomic and environmental factors that influence human health and how we can quantify these factors and interactions to better understand health outcomes.  My work relies on spatial statistical analysis, geographic information systems and remote sensing to explore the dynamic human-environment interactions that affect disease processes.

My current research focuses on two broad topics: the socio-environmental drivers of communicable diseases (e.g., pneumonia and cholera) and evaluating health programs and interventions in the U.S. and in developing countries.  I have several major international health projects (Bangladesh, Honduras, Philippines, Indonesia) as well as two research initiatives in the United States.

I teach courses in health geography, population geography, disease ecology and spatial statistics (quantitative geographic methods). Many of my courses used a problem based learning (PBL) approach.  PBL  allows for student collaboration in an active learning environment.   Classes often begin with the introduction of a problem based on complex real-world situations and students work in groups to identify, find and use appropriate resources to “solve” the problem.

Elisabeth’s Full CV