What inspired your interest in Planetary Health? 

I started my career in real estate, managing a variety of properties across the U.S. Throughout my career, I was driven by a desire to treat tenants fairly, providing safe, clean-living environments, and going above and beyond what the law requires. This focus on equity and environmental responsibility eventually led me to the concept of Planetary Health. I am particularly aligned with the idea of planetary boundaries—scientifically defined limits that are essential for maintaining a healthy and safe planet.  

I apply this framework to the built environment, advocating for limits to how much we build, what we build, and how we build it. This understanding forms the basis of my work and vision for a new approach to urban planning—one that rethinks the building materials we use, the resources we consume, and the ways we design our cities. 

Tell us about your Planetary Health work at JHU 

My work often focuses on the concept of Planetary Health Cities—places that not only nurture their inhabitants but also safeguard the planet's natural systems and finite resources. One of the initiatives I currently lead is a working group at Johns Hopkins University, which includes faculty and staff from the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Office of the Provost, and the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation. The group is developing a concept paper that outlines 10-15 principles for building cities through a Planetary Health lens.  

This document will serve as a foundation for future work and collaborations, including a white paper to be shared at the Planetary Health Annual Meeting (PHAM) which will be held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from October 7 to 10, 2025. The hope is to establish a unified framework for urban development that can be applied globally. 

What excites you about the future of Planetary Health at JHU? 

Cities everywhere are grappling with similar challenges of health care access, safe public spaces, urban waste, and air pollution, but under different names and through varied approaches. My goal is to unite these efforts under the banner of Planetary Health Cities, which encompasses principles like placemaking, regenerative design, walkable cities, and urban solutions that prioritize human health alongside environmental well-being.