Skills and Interests
Python
You can solve almost any problem or create any visualization with python. It’s an incredibly powerful tool for the geospatial health scientist. I love problem solving with python and using it to develop new and useful tools. One recent python tool I created was used to aggregate census tracts until a minimum population value was met. This sort of geographic aggregation is a notoriously hard problem because of the many possible solutions. This tool was unique because it included different aggregation methods for different scenarios and it is extremely fast which makes it easy for users to iterate and experiment across different solutions.
Cartography
Ever since I took my first cartography class, I’ve been hooked on not only making maps, but understanding and sharing what makes a good map, a great map. There’s so much more to making a map than just visualizing the data. All the decisions that go into making a map – the choice of color, symbology, projection, size, and even what goes in the marginalia can influence (positively or negatively) the message the reader takes away from the map. It’s very easy to unintentionally lie with maps by presenting data in an incorrect or misleading manor. This becomes extremely important when visualizing health related information which is why it’s more important than ever to fully understand cartographic principles.
Spatial Analysis
Spatial analysis is certainly a very broad topic but it’s here where GIS really has the power to help transform health. This puts the place, in place and health informatics. It’s so powerful to be able to sit down with a spatial dataset and see patterns or clusters in the data that nobody else has seen before, or to be able to identify spatio-temporal trends that people can use to help guide decision making. However, it’s not enough just be able to know how to use certain tools or methods. Knowing when to use certain types of analysis or the caveats and assumptions that drive another type of analysis is equally important. This goes hand in hand with cartography in terms of ensuring data and analysis are presented in an accurate and truthful way.
Education
My interest in educating goes far beyond my time spent teaching MPH students the fundamentals of health GIS. Whether it’s presenting at a conference, speaking at my old geography department, or just chatting with friends, I love sharing how location can transform health. Not everyone “thinks spatially” or realizes the role location plays in our daily lives, so I think it’s really important to share and educate others on not only why location is important but how it can be used to improve health. One of the main reasons for this website is so that I can share my knowledge and experience with others in hopes that more people realize the power of locations to transform health.
WANT TO CHAT?
Whether you just want talk about the role location plays in health, nerd out about health maps, or hear more about what I do, feel free to send me a message!