Roles
- Research Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences and Architecture
- Director, University of Miami Built Environment, Behavior and Health Research Group
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Biography
Scott C. Brown, PhD, is a research associate professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, with a joint appointment in the University of Miami School of Architecture. He is a founding member of the interdisciplinary Built Environment, Behavior and Health Group.
Over the past two decades, Dr. Brown has served as principal investigator, co–principal investigator, or project director on multiple funded studies examining the health impacts of the built environment in diverse populations, including children, older adults, recent immigrants, and minority communities.
Dr. Brown’s research focuses on the social determinants of health, with an emphasis on urban built environment policies and interventions. His work includes the development of methodological approaches that integrate large-scale health data with environmental data sources. For example, he led a study combining U.S. Medicare data with high-resolution satellite imagery to examine associations between neighborhood greenness and chronic health conditions among older adults in Miami.
He currently serves as principal investigator on National Institutes of Health–funded studies examining the relationship between environmental factors and chronic disease outcomes in minority populations. His research is interdisciplinary and involves collaboration across fields including architecture, biostatistics, epidemiology, exercise physiology, geography, medicine, neurology, nutrition, public health, and urban planning.
Dr. Brown provides scientific leadership and oversight for research design, data analysis, and project management. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and methodological innovation to advance research on the built environment and health. -
Education & Training
Education
Post Graduate Training
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Honors & Awards
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Teaching Interests
He teaches EPH 640, Urban Environment and Public Health, a graduate-level course developed in 2012. The course has been offered multiple times and consistently receives high student evaluations, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.0. -
Research Interests
His interdisciplinary research team, composed of behavioral scientists, physicians, methodologists, and architects, has advanced the study of built environment, behavior, and health among Hispanic populations. His work includes examining walkability using methods designed to reduce residential selection bias, applying standardized walkability measures to support national comparisons, and identifying associations between neighborhood greenness and multiple chronic health conditions among Medicare beneficiaries.
His research findings have informed the development of Active Design Miami strategies to promote healthy communities and have been cited in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Guide to Smart Growth and Aging. -
Publications
Disclaimer: Information presented in this section has been consolidated using AI and machine learning technologies. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may occur. If you identify any inaccuracies, use this link to inform our data team. Your feedback is appreciated and helps us improve the quality of our content.Professional Activities
Articles & News
Residential Block Greenness Linked to Lower Incidence of Six Cardiovascular Conditions
Living on Greener Blocks Can Decrease Incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease
Miller School Ranks No. 1 in Florida in NIH Research Awards
Disclaimer:
Information presented in this section has been consolidated using AI and machine learning technologies. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may occur. If you identify any inaccuracies, use this link to inform our data team. Your feedback is appreciated and helps us improve the quality of our content.