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Our Team

 Principal Investigators:

Madeleine Scammell, DSc

Madeleine Scammell is an Associate Professor of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health and a resident of Chelsea, MA. She studies exposure to heat, metals and pesticides among workers in Central America and leads the Mesoamerican Nephropathy Occupational Study (MANOS). Her research is community-based with a focus on developing research methods that incorporate community perspectives using the tools of epidemiology and risk analysis.

 

Patricia Fabian, ScD

Patricia Fabian is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Health Department at Boston University School of Public Health. Her research spans the fields of environmental health and engineering, respiratory infectious disease transmission, system sciences and geographical information systems (GIS), with a focus on asthma, indoor air, housing and other aspects of the built environment. She co-directs this project with Dr. Madeleine Scammell, and is interested in understanding the role housing plays in exposure to heat in order to design equitable adaptation strategies.

 Research Team Members:

Jonathan Lee

Jonathan (He/Him) is a PhD student in Enviornmental Health and trainee in the BU URBAN program. Prior to coming to BU, he completed his dual Masters in Public Health and Urban Planning at Harvard University.

Jonathan is broadly interested in investigating the design of the built environment through a public health lens, particularly in relation to climate change and health equity. Specific research interests include how transportation systems, land use decisions, and urban design impacts health and how to use public health as a catalyst for change. He hopes to contribute to the field by bridging the gap between the design disciplines and public health science! He fell in love with biking since moving to Boston and enjoys soaking in the beautiful built and natural environment of the city and the region.

 

Charlotte Robbins

Charlotte (she/her) is a PhD student in the Department of Environmental Health. She received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Urban Studies from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. She recently completed her Master of Science in Public Health degree at UNC Chapel Hill where she measured well water contaminants and also conducted surveys and oral histories with farmworkers to understand how environmental exposures impact farmworkers’ life histories. At BU, Charlotte is excited to apply mixed methods and participatory research approaches to study the effects of climate change on human health. She loves spending time outdoors with friends and family.

 

Pilar Botana Martinez

Pilar Botana Martinez is a PhD Student Boston University School of Public Health Department of Environmental Health.

 

Jazmin Castellón, Climate Justice Organizer at GreenRoots

Jazmin is full of Chelsea Pride and a passion for all things that are alive. She is excited to be a part of the fight to foster community and access to nature in the very same community that offered her family a home in the United States.

Jazmin graduated from Boston University with a Bachelors in Biology and Marine Science in 2020. Since then she has worked as a teacher in Chelsea, both at the ILP and various local youth groups. During the pandemic, she researched longitudinal immunity in COVID patients. Later, she worked with NOAA collecting data on commercial fishing vessels to inform their policy and marine conservation efforts. Each of these experiences taught her different skills and shaped the lens through which she sees the world. She is excited to continue sharpening her professional toolkit and shaping her perspective on the world through her work at Greenroots.

In her free time, she loves to further explore the world through hiking and food. She loves to identify different plant and animal species on her hikes and learn about their different dynamics. She also loves to try different foods by patronizing restaurants around the world and recreating her favorites. 

 

Roseann Bongiovanni, Executive Director at GreenRoots

Roseann Bongiovanni is the executive director of GreenRoots, the Chelsea-based environmental justice organization and collaborator on the C-HEAT project. She has her master’s in public health from Boston University.

 

Jonathan Levy, ScD

Jonathan Levy is a Professor of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health. He is a co-director of the Center for Research on Environmental and Social Stressors in Housing Across the Life Course (CRESSH) and his research is focused on spatiotemporal exposure patterns, environmental justice, and working with urban environmental exposures and associated health risks.

Former Research Team Members:

Leila Heidari, MPH

Leila Heidari is a PhD Candidate in the Boston University School of Public Health Department of Environmental Health. Her research focuses on environmental epidemiology, climate adaptation and mitigation, the built environment and health, and environmental justice.

 

Alina McIntyre, MHS

Alina McIntyre is a PhD Candidate in the Boston University School of Public Health Department of Environmental Health. Her work focuses on air quality, extreme heat, and community-engaged research.

 

Chad Milando, PhD, Research Scientist

Chad Milando is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Boston University School of Public Health. His research focuses on developing and employing computational tools to investigate harmful environmental exposures among human populations, with a specific focus on exposures among vulnerable populations. For this project, he is working to develop new techniques for measuring exposure to heat during the summer months, especially relevant during this time of “physical distancing.”

 

Angela Magardino, MPH

Angela’s research interests focus on how physical and social environments influence disparities in health and well-being. Angela has experience designing questionnaires as well as working with families and vulnerable populations. She is passionate about advocating for environmental, climate, reproductive, and child health justice as well as transforming the structures underlying racial and health inequities. She earned a Master in Public Health in Environmental Health from Boston University.

 

Bianca Bowman, Climate Justice Coordinator at GreenRoots

Bianca is passionate about building community knowledge, power, and leadership to combat the unequal distribution of the effects of climate change. At GreenRoots, she leads and supports projects that focus on centering resident involvement and perspectives in advancing community climate resilience and adaptation. Bianca loves working with community members and coworkers to improve the ability of EJ populations to safely navigate increasing summer heat temperatures, flood impacts, and decarbonization efforts that threaten to leave low- and middle-income folks and people of color behind in the clean energy transition. She is originally from the Washington, DC area and graduated from the College of William & Mary in Virginia. She studied English Literature and Environmental Science & Policy, and also has a background in community-based citizen science research, environmental field work and forest fire management work.

 

Barbara Espinosa Barrera, MPH

Barbara recently graduated from the Boston University School of Public Health where she earned a Master in Public Health in Environmental Health. She is passionate about making science and health information accessible to everyone. She is looking forward to working with Chelsea and East Boston residents to promote health equity in her role as the Environmental Justice and Health Equity Organizer. In her free time you can find her reading, taking walks, and playing soccer. 

 

Flannery Black-Ingersoll

Flannery Black-Ingersoll is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Environmental Health. Originally from Concord, NH, Flannery graduated from Bates College with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Visual Arts. In 2021, Flannery obtained a Master of Public Health from Boston University in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Fun fact: Flannery has a cat named Stuart!

 

Patrick L. Kinney, ScD

Patrick Kinney is a Professor of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health. At Boston University, Kinney’s work includes program development for urban climate action plans. His research focuses on climate change, health, and policy.

 

Stephanie Gonzalez Gil, MPH

Stephanie is a passionate scholar with an enthusiasm for multi-disciplinary projects and discussions that inspire impact. She is particularly interested in socio-ecological stressors, their impacts on chronic diseases, and how data can help us mobilize relevant resources and programs to help address disparities. Stephanie holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Program Management from the Boston University School of Public Health, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience, Philosophy, and Psychology from Boston University

Student Research Assistants:

Michael Hagen

Michael Hagen was a Boston University undergraduate student majoring in Health Sciences and minoring in Environmental Policy & Analysis during his time with C-HEAT.

Julie de Lange

Julie deLange was an undergraduate student at Sargent College getting a B.S. in Health Science during her time with C-HEAT.

Abgel Negassa

Abgel Negassa was an undergraduate student at Sargent College getting her B.S. in Health Science with a minor in Biology and African-American Studies during her time with C-HEAT.

 

 Advisory Team

Ben Cares, Planner/Project Manager, City of Chelsea Department of Planning and Development

Rich Cuthie, Executive Director, Chelsea Chamber of Commerce

Matt Frank, Supportive Services Manager, Chelsea Housing Authority

Melanie Garate, Climate Resilience Project Manager, Mystic River Watershed Association

Zoe Davis, Climate Resilience Project Manager, City of Boston Department of the Environment

Fidel Maltez, Public Works Commissioner, City of Chelsea Department of Public Works

Rafael Mares, Executive Director, The Neighborhood Developers

Tracy Nowicki, Director, Council on Elder Affairs

Indrani Ghosh, Resiliency Technical Leader, Weston and Sampson