Jana A. Hirsch, PhD, MES
Biography
Dr. Jana Hirsch leads an interdisciplinary research program focused on understanding how neighborhoods shape health. Their research asks three interconnected questions: How can we best measure neighborhood environments for health research? How are those environments distributed across populations? And how do they contribute to healthy aging and health disparities?
To answer these questions, Dr. Hirsch develops novel measures of neighborhood environments and applies them in large, longitudinal population studies. Their work has advanced methods for measuring neighborhood change, harmonizing environmental data across cohorts, and understanding how community environments influence cognitive aging, physical function, and chronic disease. Ultimately, they aim to produce rigorous, policy-relevant research that helps communities become healthier and more equitable.
Research Interests
- Urban Health
- Aging and Age-Friendly Neighborhoods
- Health and Place or Built environment
- Spatial Analysis or GIS
- Longitudinal and Multilevel Methods
- Social and Environmental Determinants
- Health Disparities
- Health Geography
Education
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PhD – Epidemiologic Science
University of Michigan, 2014 -
MES – Environmental Health
University of Pennsylvania, 2010 -
BA – Health & Societies; Environmental Science
University of Pennsylvania, 2010
Publications
Courses Taught
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- Fall 2026 | PBHLTH 149
- Grant Writing
- Visit Course Information Page
- Spring 2027 | PBHLTH 250W
- Epidemiologic Methods I