Environmental Health Researcher Hosts International Delegation

Faculty in the Hudson College of Public Health continue to play a key role in advancing international research collaborations focused on environmental and human health. Changjie Cai, PhD, founding director of the Children’s Environmental Health Center in the U.S. Southern Great Plains and associate professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, recently hosted a visiting delegation of scientists and professors from Peru and the University of Oklahoma–Norman at his air quality laboratory on the OU Health Campus.

The visit brought together members of both air quality and water quality research teams from Peru and OU-Norman for collaborative discussions and a laboratory tour. The gathering was part of the Arequipa Global Change and Human Health Institute (GCHHI), a major international research initiative supported by a multi-million-dollar award and managed through OU’s Latin America Sustainability Initiative (LASI). The Institute strengthens collaboration between the University of Oklahoma and the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín of Arequipa, Peru, to address pressing environmental and public health challenges in the region.

Cai is one of the OU faculty members collaborating with one of six collaborative research projects funded through the GCHHI. Working alongside Dr. Jason Vogel of the Oklahoma Water Survey and Dr. Xiao-Ming Hu of the School of Meteorology, Cai contributes to interdisciplinary efforts that connect environmental health, environmental engineering, meteorology, and public health expertise. Under LASI’s leadership, the Institute fosters cross-college engagement, research capacity-building and the development of science-driven solutions to environmental issues affecting community health.

The broader GCHHI initiative focuses on strengthening resilience to environmental change, improving understanding of interconnected climate and health risks, and expanding research infrastructure and training opportunities. By bringing together faculty, students and institutional partners across countries, the Institute advances sustainable, evidence-based approaches to challenges such as air and water quality, climate stressors and health vulnerabilities.

By hosting the delegation and facilitating dialogue among research teams, Cai helped further the mission of the GCHHI and demonstrate the impact of LASI’s leadership in cultivating global research partnerships. His involvement highlights the Hudson College of Public Health’s contributions to this high-impact international initiative and its ongoing commitment to translating environmental research into meaningful health improvements for communities both locally and globally.