Place & the Social-Spatial Determinants of Health Book Release Talk

Join us for lunch, learning, and conversation at the next installment of the HEROP Speaker Series on Thursday, December 11th, at 12 PM CST.

The in-person option is open the University of Illinois community (students, staff, and faculty). Please use the RSVP option on the right for the in-person portion of the event. We will have lunch for all attendees who RSVP by Wednesday @ 10AM before the event.

A virtual option via Zoom is available for the public. To register for the Zoom option, please access the following link:

The social determinants of health (SDoH) have long been recognized as critical factors in understanding health outcomes across populations. This chapter explores the integration of trauma-informed principles within a health geography framework, emphasizing the need to “re-root” SDoH within spatial, socioecological, and fundamental causes perspectives. Through a historical overview of health geography, this work underscores the importance of place and spatial analysis in examining health disparities. It critiques the simplification of current SDoH frameworks and advocates for more nuanced models that incorporate the complexities of human-environment interactions, particularly in addressing health inequities rooted in historical and collective traumas. By incorporating trauma-informed approaches, the chapter highlights the necessity of prioritizing safety, trustworthiness, and empowerment in public health research and practice.

Marynia is a health geographer and spatial epidemiologist integrating a socio-ecological view of health, spatial data science, and a human-centered design approach to investigate regional and neighborhood health equity. Kolak is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Geography & GIScience, and serves as PI on the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and Place project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and MPI on the Localize Opioid Use Disorder (LOUD) study by NIDA/NIH. They are an Associate Editor at Preventing Chronic Disease, Journal of Maps, and Cartography and Geographic Information Science, and Vice Chair of the Health & Medical Specialty Group at the American Association of Geographers. Kolak is also on the communications team of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee at the Society for Epidemiological Research.

Kamaria Barronville, Ed.D

Kamaria is a recent graduate with her doctorate in Urban Educational Leadership. Her research interests are trauma-informed practices and equity in public health and education.

Healthy Regions & Policies Lab integrates innovative GIScience, public health, and statistical approaches to explore, understand, and promote healthy places. We’re experts in the spatial & social determinants of health. We're based out of the Dept of Geography & GIScience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Urbana, Nonprofit events in Urbana.