Human Health – Citizen Science Today

Do-it-yourself science is taking off – Punk science

The Economist — Tue, 01 May 2018 18:00:56 +0000

Excerpt: In 1977, in the very heavenly dawn of London’s punk-rock scene, a crude, photocopied magazine told its readers: “This is a chord, this is another, this is a third. Now start a band.” They did so by the thousand. Now that punk aesthetic has come to science. Citizen science has been around for ages—professional...

Combating Climate Injustices: An Informal Science and Popular Education Approach to Addressing Environmental Health Disparities

Tue, 01 May 2018 18:00:42 +0000

Abstract: As global warming worsens, addressing environmental health disparities and justice is increasingly important. This necessity is evident in southern metropolitan Tucson, Arizona, an area underserved and disproportionately experiencing the effects of climate change. Including underserved groups in problem solving can spur knowledge generation and the building of community capacity to address and mitigate environmental...

Public Health Citizen Science; Perceived Impacts on Citizen Scientists: A Case Study in a Low-Income Neighbourhood in the Netherlands

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 19:00:39 +0000

Abstract: Citizen science – the active participation of lay people in research – may yield crucial local knowledge and increase research capacity. Recently, there is growing interest to understand benefits for citizen scientists themselves. We studied the perceived impacts of participation in a public health citizen science project on citizen scientists in a disadvantaged neighbourhood...

Citizen science applied to building healthier community environments: advancing the field through shared construct and measurement development

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 19:00:01 +0000

Abstract: Physical inactivity across the lifespan remains a public health issue for many developed countries. Inactivity has contributed considerably to the pervasiveness of lifestyle diseases. Government, national and local agencies and organizations have been unable to systematically, and in a coordinated way, translate behavioral research into practice that makes a difference at a population level....

Eterna Citizen Science Game Turns Its Attention To CRISPR

Adi Gaskell — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 18:00:57 +0000

Excerpt: The latest version [of citizen science game platform Eterna] sees players tasked with designing a CRISPR-controlling molecule. The design of the challenge is to develop an RNA molecule that’s capable of acting as an on/off switch for CRISPR. The resulting molecules will then be tested by molecular biologists.“Great ideas can come from anywhere, so...

Editor’s Choice: Using AI, citizen science and disaster response to help victims of Hurricane Irma

University of Oxford — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 18:00:51 +0000

Editor’s Choice: Now focusing on imagery from Hurricane Maria, the Planetary Response Network continues the important work outlined here for the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma. This effort and others like it still need your help – this is where citizen science can actually save lives! –LFF– Excerpt: A highly unusual collaboration between information engineers...

Citizen Science as a Tool for Mosquito Control

Jordan, R.C., Sorensen, A.E., Ladeau, S. — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 18:00:48 +0000

Abstract: In this paper, we share our findings from a 2-year citizen science program called Mosquito Stoppers. This pest-oriented citizen science project is part of a larger coupled natural-human systems project seeking to understand the fundamental drivers of mosquito population density and spatial variability in potential exposure to mosquito-borne pathogens in a matrix of human...

Influenzanet: Citizens Among 10 Countries Collaborating to Monitor Influenza in Europe

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 18:00:43 +0000

Abstract: Background: The wide availability of the Internet and the growth of digital communication technologies have become an important tool for epidemiological studies and health surveillance. Influenzanet is a participatory surveillance system monitoring the incidence of influenza-like illness (ILI) in Europe since 2003. It is based on data provided by volunteers who self-report their symptoms...

At your own risk

Candice A. Welhausen — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 18:00:14 +0000

Abstract: In this article, the author proposes that the emergence of digital, disease-tracking applications over the past ten years like HealthMap (healthmap.org) and Flu Near You (flunearyou.org) that allow non-experts to contribute information about emergent public health threats have facilitated a “do-it-yourself (DIY)” risk assessment ethic. Focusing in particular on Flu Near You (FNY), a...

Community-based participatory research for the study of air pollution: a review of motivations, approaches, and outcomes

Adwoa Commodore, Sacoby Wilson, Omar Muhammad, Erik Svendsen, John Pearce — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 18:00:31 +0000

Abstract: Neighborhood level air pollution represents a long-standing issue for many communities that, until recently, has been difficult to address due to the cost of equipment and lack of related expertise. Changes in available technology and subsequent increases in community-based participatory research (CBPR) have drastically improved the ability to address this issue. However, much still...