The research supported by the EHSRC is intrinsically collaborative. Collaborations across multiple EHSRC Cores are routine, and many of our project span departments, colleges, and disciplines within the University of Iowa and beyond.
Disaster Preparedness and COPD
Drawing on the COPDGene cohort, the Translational Research Support Core (TRSC) and Community Engagement Core (CEC) collaborated on a cross-sectional survey of disaster preparedness in rural Iowa. This joint effort enabled ethical recruitment, multi-modal survey distribution, and rigorous analysis of real-world disaster experiences (derecho windstorms, wildfire smoke events) to quantify preparedness gaps, disease-specific risks, and needs for tailored education and infrastructure improvements for rural populations threatened by extreme weather events. The results were published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology. In collaboration with the UI Disaster PrepWise program, the team also developed a disaster preparedness flyer for COPD patients.
