John C. Flunker, PhD
About
Dr. Flunker is an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Iowa, College of Public Health. He holds a PhD in epidemiology and biostatistics and an MPH in environmental health, both from the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Flunker completed his post-doctoral training at the University of Washington in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.
Broadly, his research focuses on environmental and occupational epidemiology, with specialization in particulate and heat exposure assessment, respiratory health and exposure-outcome modeling. Dr. Flunker partners with industry and community stakeholders, community health workers, and multi-disciplinary research teams to access under-examined and at-risk populations experiencing a high burden of exposure and associated adverse health outcomes, generating research products that directly benefit impacted populations.
Education
- PhD, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Kentucky
Affiliations
Research
The Flunker lab seeks to characterize, quantify and refine spatiotemporal estimates of environmental and occupational exposures and associated adverse health outcomes among at-risk populations. Research areas of interest include exposures driven by extreme weather and natural disasters, namely heat and wildfire smoke, respiratory health, illness/injury surveillance, and exposure-outcome statistical modeling. Dr. Flunker's ongoing work quantifies the effects of acute heat and wildfire smoke exposures on the respiratory health of crop workers and regionally impacted communities.