Jen Runkle
Senior Research Scholar
Bio
Dr. Jennifer Runkle is a trained environmental epidemiologist and research scientist at NC State’s North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies (NCICS) and the Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS) within the academic arm of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). In this role, she acts as a liaison between NCEI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She collaborates closely with federal scientists and state-based partners to develop climate-related datasets for informed decision-making. She co-leads the new NOAA Climate Adaptation Partnerships in the Southeast at NC State, known as the Carolinas Collaborative on Climate, Health, and Equity, which focuses on advancing climate resilience in at-risk communities through community-engaged research and the co-production of solutions. Her research examines the direct and unequal health impacts of climate change on priority populations, with an emphasis on transforming data into actionable interventions, health equity strategies, and policies to protect the health and well-being of pregnant and pediatric populations. Additionally, she serves as an external science advisor to the World Health Organization on a five-year project selecting indicators to monitor the impact of extreme heat on maternal and child health.