Mapping the Past: Historic Maps in Analyses of Structural Racism and Population Health.

Join us for lunch, learning, and conversation at the next installment of the HEROP Speaker Series on Friday, January 30th, at 12 PM CST. Lunch will be served from 12-12:30pm, so please join us in person a bit early to eat & mingle!

Helen Meier, MPH, PhD,
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
Friday, January 30th @ 12PM,
via Zoom & In-Person in NHB 2049, Urbana, IL

Racism is considered a fundamental cause of health inequities, but research on structural racism and health has been limited by lack of data. Since Mapping Inequality digitized New Deal-era redlining maps from the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, there has been an explosion of research examining historic redlining and present-day neighborhood environmental hazards and health. In this talk, Dr. Meier will discuss the application of HOLC maps in population health research and new efforts to characterize historic environmental hazards using the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps.

About the Speaker

Helen Meier, MPH, PhD

Helen C.S. Meier is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. She examines the structural, social and environmental determinants of health and health inequities across the life course. Her overall goal is to understand how social vulnerabilities become biological vulnerabilities resulting in health disparities. Dr. Meier has a MPH in Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology and a PhD in Epidemiologic Science. 

In-person or Virtual?

The in-person option is open the University of Illinois community (students, staff, and faculty). We will have lunch for all attendees who RSVP by Wednesday @10am before the event. To register for the in-person option, please access the following link: go.illinois.edu/HEROP-JAN30

A virtual option via Zoom is available for the public. To register for the Zoom option, please access the following link: go.illinois.edu/HEROP-ZOOM-JAN30

About the Series

The HEROP Speaker Series connects scholars, experts, and innovative thinkers to discuss different conceptual, methodological, and technological facets of public health to better understand the social determinants of health, and how place may influence outcomes. The Healthy Regions & Policies (HEROP) Lab integrates innovative GIScience, public health, and statistical approaches to explore, understand, and promote healthy places. We’re experts in the spatial & social determinants of health. We’re based out of the Dept of Geography & GIScience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.