CAFE Community Spotlight on the Public Health Extreme Events Research Network
CAFE’s Community Spotlight Series introduces organizations and networks shaping how we study and respond to extreme weather events. Each installment highlights the work, resources, and opportunities to connect that are most relevant to the health and extreme weather research community.
Disaster Research, Reimagined: The Public Health Extreme Events Research Network (PHEER)
When disasters occur, critical opportunities to understand health impacts and improve future preparedness can disappear quickly. That's where the Public Health Extreme Events Research Network (PHEER) comes in.
Founded in 2022 by researchers from New York University, University of Delaware, UCLA, and the University of Washington, PHEER was created to strengthen the nation's capacity for rapid, coordinated public health disaster research.
Today, PHEER is a growing community of researchers and practitioners working together to collect time-sensitive data, generate actionable evidence, and support informed decision-making before, during, and after disasters. By fostering collaboration before extreme events occur, PHEER helps ensure that research efforts are coordinated, ethical, and responsive to community needs.
The network focuses on a range of pressing topics, including extreme heat, hurricanes, wildfires, health system disruption, social vulnerability, evacuation behavior, community health impacts, and the use of location-based and mobility data to better understand disaster outcomes.
PHEER has already supported research mobilizations and exercises related to the Maui wildfires, Hurricanes Beryl and Helene, California wildfires, and other extreme events. The network funded several rapid research awards in response to the 2024 hurricane season and one rapid research award in response to the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Through partnerships with national research infrastructure programs, such as NHERI and the CONVERGE Network, PHEER also provides access to tools, data resources, training opportunities, and mentorship for the next generation of disaster researchers.
Recent work from PHEER includes mapping wildfire health exposure data, hurricane-related health impacts using location-based data, and the broader landscape of public health disaster research.
As hazards and disasters continue to increase in frequency and complexity, collaborative efforts like PHEER are helping build the evidence needed to support healthier, more resilient communities.
Engage with PHEER
- Learn about previous PHEER activations and mobilizations at the PHEER network website.
- Explore the California Wildfire Health Exposure Map created by PHEER network researchers.
- Get involved and stay connected by joining the PHEER network.
