Newswise — Jose Guillermo Cedeño Laurent, MSc, ScD, will be joining the Rutgers School of Public Health as assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice. Cedeño Laurent will also serve as a resident faculty member of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute within its Division of Environmental and Population Health Biosciences.

Cedeño Laurent joins Rutgers after serving as the associate director of the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard, where he dedicated his work to climate change and health in the built environment.  

Cedeño Laurent has focused his research on advancing the understanding of mechanisms by which climate changed-related environmental exposures impact health, productivity, and safety. He also leveraged the data collection potential of novel exposure assessment methods in intervention-based, quasi-experimental studies and strengthened the evidence linking energy efficiency opportunities in buildings to public health benefits.

He has documented the negative impacts of indoor heat and indoor pollution exposures on cognitive function and developed ecologic momentary assessment tools to conduct prospective observational studies that combine environmental sensors and wearable devices.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cedeño Laurent actively assisted school districts across the country to incorporate ventilation and air filtration strategies to help students safely return to classrooms. 

At Rutgers, Cedeño Laurent will lead the Climate Adaptive and Restorative Environments (CARE) Lab. His group will study the mechanisms by which climate change is impacting human health in the built environment, as well as find solutions to lessen such impacts. He believes promoting healthy indoor environments is a human right.

“Dr. Cedeño Laurent is an important hire for the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute and the Rutgers School of Public Health as we continue to build our expertise in the area of exposure science and expand our research and teaching portfolios to include the application of environmental engineering and community engaged research to the study of climate change and social determinants of health,” says Helmut Zarbl, professor and chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice and director of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute. “We look forward to the many exciting and impactful transdisciplinary interactions and collaborations he will foster across Rutgers. We could not be more delighted that he has decided to join our team.”

“We are excited that Dr. Cedeño Laurent will be joining the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice at the Rutgers School of Public Health and the Division of Environmental and Population Health Biosciences at the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute,” states Philip Demokritou, Henry Rutgers Chair and Professor, vice chair and concentration director of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, and director of the Division of Environmental and Population Health Biosciences. “Social determinants of health, especially housing and indoor environmental quality can ameliorate or amplify climate impacts on health and human adaptability. Dr. Cedeño Laurent’s interdisciplinary research at the intersection of exposure science and engineering will bring a new dimension to our research and emerging graduate programs on climate change and its impact on planetary and human health.” 

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Cedeño Laurent,” says Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health. “As we seek to implement critically important environmental justice policies that tackle climate change challenges, reduce emissions, and strive to provide clean resources for all people and populations, the Rutgers School of Public Health and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute are prominent resources in this field. The addition of Dr. Cedeño Laurent to our faculty is a natural partnership as we strive for environmental justice and aligns with our commitment to social justice.”

 

“We are at a pivotal point in human history where our ability to address timely societal challenges, like climate change and environmental justice, will profoundly and permanently impact planetary health,” says Cedeño Laurent. “The Rutgers School of Public Health and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute are leaders at the forefront of the climate change and health research field. I’m excited to join their effort, bringing a research and teaching agenda focused on the development of climate mitigation and adaptation solutions to protect human health.”

Cedeño Laurent received a Doctor of Science degree in environmental health from the Harvard School of Public Health, a Master of Science degree in energy engineering from Aachen University in Germany, and a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Monterrey Tech in Mexico.

You can follow Cedeño Laurent on Twitter @cedenolaurent.

###

About the Rutgers School of Public Health

The Rutgers School of Public Health is New Jersey’s only accredited school of public health that seeks to improve health and prevent disease in diverse populations in New Jersey and around the world through educating students to become well-qualified and effective public health leaders, researchers, and practitioners; conducting research to advance public health science and policies; and providing service programs that promote population and individual health. Visit us at https://sph.rutgers.edu and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to learn how we're “keeping the ‘public’ in public health.” 

About the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI)

The Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI) is an international resource dedicated to advancing science and policy to reduce health risks where people live, work, and play.  EOHSI promotes the broad understanding of health effects associated with environmental and occupational chemical exposures; supports basic and clinical research in environmental health sciences and environmental exposure measurement and assessment; supports an occupational medicine clinic; provides educational programs for various professional and non-professional groups; coordinates outreach initiatives to affected communities; and develops public health policies related to environmental issues. Visit us at https://eohsi.rutgers.edu/ and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube

MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact details