Ruben Juarez

The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study receives $2.3M from the State of Hawaiʻi

The MauiWES project co-led by UHERO’s Ruben Juarez has received $2.3 million in funding from the State of Hawaiʻi. This funding will help MauiWES grow its participant base and establish a survivor registry. https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2024/09/03/state-additional-funding-maui-wes

Rural Health Disparities in Hawai‘i

This report examines the health disparities between rural and non-rural areas in Hawai‘i, using data from the June 2023 UHERO Rapid Survey. While rural areas offer benefits like proximity to nature and strong community ties, they also face challenges such as reduced access to quality healthcare. Our analysis reveals significant health disparities, particularly among people […]

The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study receives a $1.4M grant from NIH

The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) led by Ruben Juarez (UHERO) and Alika Maunakea (JABSOM) has received a $1.4 million grant from the NIH to help fund the research of the long term health and social impacts of the Maui wildfires.

Maui Wildfire Exposure Study: Community Health, Wellbeing, and Resilience

The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) is the most comprehensive study focused on understanding and mitigating the health and social impacts of the Maui wildfires. It aims to fill a gap in knowledge about the effects of environmental hazards and socioeconomic challenges on the health and wellbeing of those exposed to the wildfires. Over at […]

Ruben Juarez’s work on the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study featured in The Guardian

Public Health Report: Initial Findings from the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study

Following the devastating wildfires from August 8-11, 2023, the Maui community has faced significant challenges including environmental hazards, air pollution, and toxic substances that pose additional long-term health risks. In response, we launched the Maui Wildfire Exposure Cohort Study (MauiWES).  Our initial findings highlight the critical health needs to address acute conditions, including depression, hypertension, […]

UHERO’s Ruben Juarez to lead Maui wildfire health study

A team of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers are asking Maui residents to participate in a study to analyze the short- and long-term health effects of exposure to the deadly wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and parts of Kula. The team, led by UH Mānoa Professors Ruben Juarez (UH Economic Research Organization–HMSA Distinguished Professor of […]

Social, economic, and health impacts of the Red Hill fuel spill: preliminary survey results

By Leah Bremer, Tara Sutton, Ruben Juarez, Nicole Siegal, Nathan DeMaagd *University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO), Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), Department of Geography and Environment, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. BackgroundOn November 20, 2021 the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility leaked approximately 19,000 gallons of jet fuel into the Pearl Harbor […]

After the Maui wildfires: The road ahead.

By Steven Bond-Smith, Daniela Bond-Smith, Carl Bonham, Leah Bremer, Kim Burnett, Makena Coffman, Peter Fuleky, Byron Gangnes, Rachel Inafuku, Ruben Juarez, Sumner La Croix, Colin Moore, Dylan Moore, Nori Tarui, Justin Tyndall, and Chris Wada The immediate recovery efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires continue, and at UHERO we share our community’s anguish over the […]