Gina South: Neighborhoods, Urban Nature & Why Place Matters for Health

In this talk, Eugenia (Gina) South critically examines the links between place and health, including the impact that structural racism has had on neighborhood environments. Using urban nature as a case example, this talk looks at the links between nature and health, and the experience of research in vacant lot greening as an example of action-oriented, community relevant scientific inquiry.

Eugenia South is Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine, as well as the Faculty Director for the Penn Urban Health Lab. As a physician-scientist, her broad vision is to improve health and quality of life for residents in low-resource and Black communities through both research and clinical work.

Eugenia's work on vacant lot greening has been published in JAMA Network Open, PNAS, and AJPH, as well as been covered by national and international media outlets such as the Washington Post, NPR, and Time Magazine.