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 Children’s Environmental Health Center in 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 and served as an opportunity for collaborative discussion and a laboratory tour. The gathering was part of OU’s ongoing partnership with the Peruvian Research Hub for Sustainable Development, a multi-institution effort aimed at addressing complex environmental challenges with direct implications for human health.

Cai is one of the OU faculty members involved in a collaborative research project, alongside Dr. Jason Vogel from the Oklahoma Water Survey and Dr. Xiao-Ming Hu from the School of Meteorology. The projects are supported through this international partnership, which connects researchers across disciplines and institutions. The initiative builds on a long-standing collaboration between the University of Oklahoma and the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín of Arequipa, Peru, designed to strengthen research capacity, foster interdisciplinary solutions and support science-driven approaches to environmental and public health challenges in the region.

The partnership brings together experts in environmental health, environmental engineering, meteorology, public health and related fields to address issues such as air and water quality, climate-related stressors and community health vulnerabilities. Faculty-led projects emphasize shared expertise, advanced research infrastructure and meaningful engagement between institutions.

By hosting the delegation and facilitating dialogue between research teams, Cai helped strengthen connections between OU and its international partners while highlighting the Hudson College of Public Health’s contributions to globally engaged, collaborative research. His involvement reflects the college’s broader commitment to interdisciplinary partnerships that translate environmental research into improved health outcomes for communities at home and abroad.