Research & Reports

The SDOH & Place team regularly releases reports, research articles, and related products. Learn more about our work to advance the measurement and understanding of the Social Determinants of Health and structural drivers of health!

  • Place & the Social-Spatial Determinants of Health

    Place & the Social-Spatial Determinants of Health

    Volume co-edited by Marynia Kolak, Imelda Moise
    Coming in Fall 2025

    This book explores how incorporating a spatial perspective enriches the concept of SDoH, lending to the notion of social-spatial determinants of health (SSDoH). Given the multidimensional and intersecting nature of health determinants, a spatial perspective is crucial for defining, measuring, understanding, and operationalizing SDoH. Structural factors that influence population health patterns often leave spatial footprints, such as the legacies of redlining or the placement of vulnerable groups near polluted locales. This volume brings together geographers, sociologists, clinicians, public health researchers, architects, data scientists, and thinkers to provide rich discussions on the current state of the field and visions for the future.

  • A Guide to Human-Centered Design

    A Guide to Human-Centered Design

    Shubham Kumar, Elaine Katz, Marc Astacio-Palmer, José Alavez, and Marynia Kolak

    This report seeks to illuminate the design process necessary to create accessible, enjoyable, and empowering data tools for place-based health equity. It also outlines basic principles of HCD, describing a general four-step process to put design into action, as well as showcasing best practices to create user-friendly designs in general.

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