Two of the five projects recently awarded funding from the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts’ (LSA) Meet the Moment Initiative feature members from the Center for Global Health Equity.
The first project, aiming to address the pressing issues of wildlife conservation and pharmaceutical science, is titled "A One Health Approach to Combat Fungal Infections in Endangered Species." Center member Kelly Speer joins a committed team of subject matter experts including Timothy James (U-M Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), Timothy Cernak (U-M Chemistry), and Brian Gratwicke (Smithsonian Institute). Together, this interdisciplinary team has forged partnerships with the Smithsonian Zoo, Bat Conservation International, and the Bat Biology Foundation to take on the critical task of preventing the extinction of vulnerable frog and bat species through advanced pharmaceutical methods. This initiative is pivotal in tackling the pervasive threat posed by fungal diseases like the chytrid fungus in frogs and white nose syndrome in bats – afflictions that hold dire repercussions for ecological balance, global biodiversity, and human health.
The second project, of which Center member Abram Wagner is a contributor, aims to examine COVID-19 vaccine distribution disparities utilizing data drawn from the Michigan Medicine hospital system to inform wider policies aiming to ensure equitable access to vaccines in the midst of an emerging threat to health. The full team includes Amanda Kowalski (U-M Economics), Sarah Burgard (U-M Sociology), and Yanna Krupnikov (U-M Communication & Media). The team hopes to identify best practices for more equitable distribution of vaccines, with these findings informing the development of models for local and global health systems.
Other awarded projects include:
- A survey measuring the effects of herbicide on plants and how that, in turn, impacts food, farmers, and consumers
- A short documentary film examining the high number of children who are injured, maimed, disfigured, and killed working in agriculture in the United States and legislative efforts to address the growing problem.
- A collaborative, public-facing research initiative that highlights the sociocultural, economic, and ecological centrality of the Detroit River corridor
