Environmental Health and Policy
Environmental Health and Policy Research and Engagement
Faculty in the Virginia Tech Public Health Program conduct interdisciplinary research to understand how environmental factors influence health and to inform effective policy solutions. Their work integrates environmental science, epidemiology, and modeling to address environmental challenges in rural, national, and global contexts.
Research examines environmental exposures such as drinking water contamination, wastewater systems, air quality, and household environments, with a focus on identifying modifiable risks to improve health outcomes. Faculty also study the impacts of environmental hazards—including extreme heat, flooding, and resource extraction—using spatial and community-engaged approaches.
In addition, modeling research evaluates the health, ecological, and economic trade-offs of energy transitions and land use decisions, supporting evidence-based policy under uncertainty. Through collaboration with stakeholders and communities, this work generates actionable insights that strengthen environmental health protections and promote sustainable, healthy communities.
Faculty engaging in Environmental Health Research & Policy
Dr. Calder’s work develops models of environmental systems to support decision-making under uncertainty. He is particularly interested in models that characterize health, ecological, and economic trade-offs of energy transitions and land use management. His work is heavily informed by engagement with public and expert stakeholders and the principles of scientific co-production.
Dr. Cohen conducts applied research on drinking water (contamination, treatment, and supply), wastewater-based surveillance, and health outcomes, with a focus on rural and low-resource settings. He has 15+ years of international and domestic research and project management experience, including work with three United Nations agencies.
Dr. Gohlke is an environmental health researcher. She uses spatial epidemiology, toxicology, and community-engaged approaches to examine health outcomes associated with chemical exposures, living close to resource extraction sites, and heat and flood events. She teaches courses in rural environmental health and Appalachian community research, and directs an NIH-funded graduate training program in rural environmental health.
Dr. Ruple studies environmental exposures and their impact on health across the lifespan, with a focus on the companion dog exposome. Her work examines exposures in household environments, including air, drinking water, and diet, to identify modifiable drivers of disease outcomes. By generating population-level evidence from real-world settings, her research informs risk assessment and supports evidence-based environmental health policy.