Seulkee Heo

Seulkee Heo's picture
Associate Research Scientist
seulkee.heo@yale.edu

Curriculum Vitae               Google Scholar

Ph.D. - Department of Public Health, Korea University, 2016

M.P.H - Department of Public Health Science, Korea University, 2014 

Seulkee investigates health effects of climate change, air pollution, and urban built environment. Her early experience involves assistance for numerous government research projects of climate change and public health, which has cultivated her passion in research that can aid decision-makers in environmental health policy and urban planning. These policy-relevant research works include establishment of processes for applying indicators for food and environmental hazards in policy-making, improving real-time hospital surveillance systems, drawing national disease maps for top climate-related diseases, and developing forecasts of extreme weather for susceptive subgroups and built environment.

Seulkee’s primary research interest is the health effects of ambient high temperature and air pollution with several facets such as health disparities and Environmental Justice. Her long-term goal is to understand the broad urban system of health, air pollution, built environment, and climate change.   

Summary of Research Interests

  • Health effects of ambient temperature, air pollution, and greenspace 

  • Exposure assessment

  • Environmental justice  

  • Health outcomes in aging populations, infants, and pregnant women

Selected Awards

  1. Yale Environmental Data Science Initiative (YEDSI) award (2024)

  2. IOP 2021 Outstanding Reviewer Award (2022)

  3. Competitive Scholarship, Korea University (2008, 2010, 2015)

  4. Scholarship for research assistant by Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School, Korea University (2012-2013)

  5. Award for student presentation in academic conference by Korean Society of Environmental Health (2011). “The importance of scientific approach to public health issues: Japanese well water contamination and DPAA exposure accident.”

Selected Publications

  1. S Heo, G Byun, S kim, W Lee, JT Lee, ML Bell. Associations between long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and osteoporotic fracture risks in South Korea. Environmental Research: Health, 2023;online 17 August 2023.  doi:10.1088/2752-5309/acf14e

  2. S Heo, Y Afanasyeva, L Trasande, ML Bell, and A Ghassabian. Residential mobility in pregnancy and potential exposure misclassification of air pollution, temperature, and greenness.  Environmental Epidemiology. 2023;7(6):e273. PMID: 38912392 

  3. S Heo, HM Choi,  JD Berman, and ML Bell. Temperature, violent crime, climate change, and vulnerability factors in 44 United States cities. Environment international. 2025;195:109246. PMID:  39742829

  4. S Heo,  Y Afanasyeva, M Liu, S Mehta-Lee, W Yang, L Trasande, ML Bell, and A Ghassabian. Prenatal exposure to residential greenness, fetal growth, and birth outcomes: a cohort study in New York City. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2025;Nov 18:kwae436. PMID: 39562151

  5. S Heo, A Nori-Sarma, K Lee, T Benmarhnia, F Dominici, ML Bell. The Use of a Quasi-Experimental Study on the Mortality Effect of a Heat Wave Warning System in Korea. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019;16(12): E2245. PMID 31242672