GeoCAFE
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An NSF Research Coordination Network (RCN) to accelerate research at the intersection of geosciences and health
We’re excited to share that, with support from the National Science Foundation, we’re launching GeoCAFE—a new Research Coordination Network (RCN) designed to connect university researchers in geosciences with professionals in medicine and public health.
2026 Scholars
We are delighted to announce the 2026 cohort of GeoCAFE Scholars. This year's cohort is composed of exceptional professionals working across health and geosciences to address the impacts of climate change on health. Congratulations to our 2026 GeoCAFE Scholars!
Scholars from Health Sciences:
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Scholars from Health Sciences:
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Additional Scholars
- Ebrahim Eslami - Principal Planner - Air Quality (Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC))
- Zhijie Zhou - Pre-doc Fellow / Graduate Instructor / PhD Student (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
- Jiahang He - PhD student (Boston University)
- Sishir Dahal - PhD student/ Graduate Research Assistant (University of Utah)
- Danika Lee Heaney - PhD Candidate (University of California, Berkeley)
- Isabel Smith - Sea Grant Fellow (University of Southern California)
- Jagadeesh Puvvula - Instructor (University of Pennsylvania)
- Anand Gourishankar - Professor of Pediatrics (Children's National Hospital)
- Xiaorong Shan - PhD Candidate (George Mason University)
- Saravanan Thangarajan - Visiting Scientist (Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health)
- Meroona Gopang - PhD Candidate (Stonybrook)
- Sharonda Lovett - Postdoctoral Associate (Boston University)
- Emily FitzGerald - PhD Candidate (Harvard University)
- Jason Joseph - Doctoral student (Texas A&M University)
- Clarisza Runtung - Graduate Student (Harvard University)
- Imran Hossain Mithu - Doctoral Student (Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona)
- Leah Roberts - Epidemiology PhD Student (UC Berkeley)
- Jaime Reyes Sanchez - PhD Candidate (University of Southern California)
- Laura Diaz - PhD Candidate (UC Berkeley)
About GeoCAFE:
The idea behind GeoCAFE is simple: enviromental exposures are affecting human health in serious ways, but too often, experts in geosciences and health work in separate spaces. GeoCAFE aims to bridge that gap, creating opportunities for collaboration between those who study environmental factors and those who address the health challenges they cause.
By bringing these groups together, we hope to speed up research and improve how we translate scientific findings into real-world solutions. We’re also building on the strong foundation of the CAFE Research Coordinating Center (CAFE RCC), which has been working to support geo-health research through its NIH-funded initiatives.
Why join GeoCAFE?
expand your research network
be part of Interdisciplinary solutions
grow your career
Objectives of GeoCAFE
RECRUITING GEOSCIENTISTS OUTSIDE HEALTH/MEDICAL FIELDS
FOSTERING DIALOGUE AND COLLABORATION
ACCELERATING RESEARCH AND IMPACT
What to expect from GeoCAFE
virtual activities
Tap into virtual events that connect you with researchers from both geosciences and health. We’ll build on what CAFE has already offered, creating inclusive spaces where experts from both fields can meet, exchange ideas, and collaborate.
in-person convenings
Each year, we’ll bring together interdisciplinary cohorts of experts spanning the geosciences and health sciences. PhD students, post-doctoral fellows, and early career or established faculty will participate in quarterly virtual meetings and up to two in-person events at major professional conferences (e.g., AMS, AGU, ISEE, ATS). These events are designed to foster new connections, inspire collaboration, and open doors to innovative research opportunities.
