Philanthropist Commits Major Gift to Public Health Research Center
PHOENIX, Ariz. – November 25, 2025 – The Elena Rodriguez Public Health Research Institute (ERPHRI) today announced a landmark $50 million commitment from the Harrison Foundation to launch a new Center for Climate and Health Equity, marking one of the largest philanthropic investments in climate-focused public health research this year. The donation will fund a five-year initiative to address the escalating health impacts of extreme heat, air pollution, and emerging infectious diseases in underserved communities across Arizona and the broader Southwest region.
The timing of the gift aligns with urgent public health priorities: according to the CDC Foundation’s 2024 donor report, climate change now puts at least 3.3 billion people at risk globally, with low- and middle-income communities bearing disproportionate burdens. A recent analysis from the Climate and Health Funders Coalition notes that philanthropic funding for climate-health intersections increased 47% in 2024, yet remains critically insufficient relative to the scale of projected impacts. The Harrison Foundation’s investment will directly support ERPHRI’s mission to translate research into actionable community interventions.
“Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is a present-day public health emergency,” said Dr. Maria Chen, ERPHRI’s chief executive officer. “This transformative gift positions us to lead the nation in developing evidence-based solutions that protect our most vulnerable populations while training the next generation of public health leaders.”
The Southwest faces unique climate-health challenges. Maricopa County alone recorded 645 heat-associated deaths in 2024, a 35% increase from the previous year and the highest mortality rate in the nation. Data from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows that communities of color experience heat-related illnesses at three times the rate of white residents, while rural populations face a 40% gap in access to cooling centers and emergency services.
The new center will deploy three strategic pillars: real-time epidemiological surveillance using AI-powered monitoring, community-based intervention trials in 15 high-risk zip codes, and a workforce development program targeting 50 postgraduate fellows from underrepresented backgrounds. Research will focus on the cascading health effects of compound climate events—such as simultaneous extreme heat and poor air quality from wildfires—which studies show increase cardiovascular hospitalizations by 23% and preterm birth rates by 18%.
Initial funding will establish three core programs. The first, a $20 million climate surveillance network, will install 200 environmental sensors across Arizona’s rural and tribal lands to generate hyperlocal risk data. The second, an $18 million community resilience initiative, will co-design cooling infrastructure with Indigenous nations and Latino communities that have historically lacked resources. The third, a $12 million education and policy hub, will embed ERPHRI researchers within state and municipal health departments to accelerate evidence-to-policy translation.
“Philanthropy must move beyond traditional disease silos to confront the systemic drivers of health inequity,” said James Harrison, president of the Harrison Foundation. “Our investment in ERPHRI reflects a strategic bet on interdisciplinary science that centers community expertise and delivers measurable impact within five years.”
A 2024 analysis by the McKinsey Health Institute found that closing climate-related health gaps could add $1 trillion annually to the global economy by 2040 while preventing an estimated 250,000 premature deaths each year. ERPHRI’s model specifically targets the social determinants that amplify climate vulnerability, including housing quality, healthcare access, and occupational exposure—factors that explain 60% of the variance in heat-related outcomes across demographic groups.
The center will launch January 2026, with preliminary findings expected by mid-2027. ERPHRI’s existing partnerships with Arizona State University, Mayo Clinic Arizona, and 30 federally qualified health centers will ensure rapid scalability of proven interventions.
About Elena Rodriguez Public Health Research Institute
The Elena Rodriguez Public Health Research Institute is a leading independent research organization dedicated to advancing health equity through rigorous science, community engagement, and policy innovation. Based in Phoenix, ERPHRI operates a network of 12 research centers across the Southwest, employs 340 faculty and staff, and manages an annual research portfolio exceeding $85 million. Founded in 2010, the institute specializes in environmental health, chronic disease prevention, and health disparities research, with a commitment to training the next generation of diverse public health leaders
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