BS Geology, Duke University
Dip. Sci. Geology, University of Otago, New Zealand
PhD Earth Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz
Brian G. McAdoo is Associate Professor of Earth and Climate Science at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, and Principal of the PlanetLab. A marine geologist by training, McAdoo has studied the effects of earthquake, tsunami, tropical cyclone, flood and landslide disasters. As “natural” disasters occur when geohazards impact communities, it is important to understand how people have impacted the environment in ways that make them vulnerable or resilient to shocks. How does road construction affect earthquake-generated landslides and resilience in the populous middle hills of Nepal? Did the Green Revolution increase flood risk and decrease food security in northern Thailand? Can reforestation programs in tropical rainforests reduce the occurrence of emergent infectious diseases, nutritional deficiencies and climate extremes?
Current research projects in Nepal, Borneo, Madagascar and Brazil seek to apply a Planetary Health framework to understand how coupled human-environment systems and geohazards interact with the ultimate goal of informing community resilience and reducing environmental suffering.