Honors College alum addresses Chicago’s health disparities in health equity project
Sonya Gupta, an Honors College alumna, was conducting research on the location and extent of healthcare deserts in the Chicago area and the potential of mobile health clinics to bridge the gap. On the recommendation of a mutual research mentor, Richard Barrett, UIC professor emeritus of sociology, Gupta connected with current Honors student and biological sciences major Ryan Zomorrodi.
This work eventually led them to create a workshop series, then called Mapping Chicago, where they presented in classes, club meetings and conferences about using GIS software to better understand Chicago health disparities, create evidence-based solutions and improve health policy. Launched in 2022, their presentations also addressed structural violence, social and environmental factors of health, and data literacy through maps.
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Read the full UIC Today article here.