Ivan Ramírez

Ivan Ramírez is a Clinical Teaching Track Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His interdisciplinary work bridges geography, public health, and climate science to address critical issues at the intersection of environmental change and human health.

Education:

• Ph.D., Geography, Michigan State University, 2012
• Doctoral Specialization, Ethics and Development, Department of Philosophy, Michigan State University, 2011
• Graduate Certificate, Community Engagement, University Outreach and Engagement Center, Michigan State University, 2011
• M.A., Climate and Society, Columbia University, 2006
• B.A., Environmental Studies (Department of Geography), Hunter College, City University of New York, 2005

Ramírez's research focuses on the complex relationships between climate change, global and urban health, disasters, and community engagement. He examines how communities interact with climate variability (particularly El Niño-Southern Oscillation events) and how these interactions influence health and social vulnerability. His work spans multiple continents, with significant research in Peru, Guatemala, and Colorado, investigating topics including cholera emergence, malaria patterns, ecosyndemics, and the social determinants of chronic conditions and mental health. He has developed geographic frameworks for syndemic health theory that integrate spatial analysis with public health approaches.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward integrating climate science with public health, particularly examining how climate events like El Niño interact with pandemics like COVID-19 to create ecosyndemic vulnerabilities. His work increasingly employs GIS and spatial analysis techniques to map health disparities and vulnerability patterns, with applications ranging from urban housing conditions to international disaster response.

Ramírez is actively engaged in service work aligned with CU Denver's equity-oriented mission, having served on the Equity Task Force and CLAS Working Group, and currently serving as Faculty Fellow at The Center for Faculty Development and Advance. He also serves on the editorial board for Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology and as a climate-society expert for the Geography Commission of the U.S. National Section of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History.

As an educator, Ramírez teaches undergraduate courses in global demography, urban and environmental health, and a graduate course focused on theories and approaches in population health. He employs student-centered approaches, case studies, group activities, and innovative web-based technologies while raising justice-oriented questions about public health and environmental change. He is strongly committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in higher education and supporting community efforts for environmental justice, drawing on his experiences with programs like the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation and the King-Chávez-Parks Future Faculty program.