Babak J. Fard

Babak J. Fard, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental, Agricultural & Occupational Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Public Health. He holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering and an M.Sc. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Northeastern University. His research focuses on environmental data science techniques, including geospatial analysis, machine learning, and AI models, to study climate variables and their health impacts across geographical and temporal scales. He has conducted extensive work on drought-related health risks, heat vulnerability mapping, and satellite-derived environmental data applications.

Dr. Fard is affiliated with the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the American Meteorological Society (AMS). His recent research emphasizes climate change adaptation strategies, public health risk assessment, and community resilience in the face of extreme weather events. Notable projects include mapping heat vulnerability in Nebraska, evaluating drought's impact on respiratory/cardiovascular mortality, and developing decision-support tools for drought preparedness.

His work integrates interdisciplinary approaches to address pressing environmental health challenges, with a focus on rural and urban disparities. Ongoing projects include analyzing PM2.5 health risks using satellite data and exploring links between severe weather and mental health outcomes.