Skip to main content
Explore URMC
menu

Katrina Smith Korfmacher, Ph.D.

Contact Information

Phone Numbers

Office: (585) 273-4304

Faculty Appointments

Biography

Research

Community Engagement Core

The CEC maintains multidirectional links between environmental health research and the information needs of the community. My primary focus is addressing environmental health information and policy needs of the communities in and around Rochester. I participate in many local partnerships relating to environmental health including the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, the Rochester Healthy Homes Partnership, the Water Education Collaborative and the Pollution Prevention Institute.

As a policy scientist, most of my research has addressed the role of science in the policy process. I focus on the role of community groups in the policy process, and particularly on how these groups generate, access, and use information.

My outreach work translates environmental health research into relevant policy at the local, state, and federal levels. For example, childhood lead poisoning remains one of the most significant childhood environmental health risks in the Rochester area. I have been an active member of the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning since 2001, serving on its Governmental Relations Subcommittee and Executive Committee. Through the Rochester Healthy Homes Partnership, I help to develop and promote programs aimed at reducing home environmental hazards. Other environmental health outreach projects address risks from consuming Lake Ontario fish, concerns about air quality, the environmental contributors to obesity, and water quality.

Many of the articles, reports, and materials listed below are based on my community environmental health work. My recent book, Bridging Silos: Collaborating for Environmental Health and Justice in Urban Communities, describes how communities can collaborate across systems and sectors to address environmental health disparities; with case studies from Rochester, New York; Duluth, Minnesota; and Southern California.”

Credentials

Education

1989
BA | Brown University
Environmental Health Sci

1993
MS | Duke University
Environment

1996
PhD | Duke University
Environment

Awards

2012
Advocate's Spirit Award
Sponsor: Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester
Location: Rochester, NY

2010
Dr. David Satcher Community Health Improvement Award
Location: University of Rochester

2006
Metrojustice Activist of the Year award

VIEW ALL expand_more

Publications

Journal Articles

10/9/2022
Harris-Lovett S, Nelson KL, Kantor R, Korfmacher KS. "Wastewater Surveillance to Inform Public Health Decision Making in Residential Institutions." Journal of public health management and practice : JPHMP.. 2022 Oct 9; Epub 2022 Oct 09.

5/2022
Korfmacher KS, Harris-Lovett S. "Invited Perspective: Implementation of Wastewater-Based Surveillance Requires Collaboration, Integration, and Community Engagement." Environmental health perspectives.. 2022 May; 130(5):51304. Epub 2022 May 26.

9/17/2021
Korfmacher KS, Harris-Lovett S, Nelson KL. "Campus Collaborations As a Model for Transforming SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance Research into Public Health Action." Environmental science & technology.. 2021 Sep 17; Epub 2021 Sep 17.

Books & Chapters

2020
Book Title: Connecting Ecojustice Research and Teaching: Narratives from the Field
Author List: Austin, R. N., A. McDermott, K.S. Korfmacher, L. Arbelaez, J. Bousleiman, A. Downey-Mavromatis, R. Elsiesy, S. Ki, M. Rao, S. Willi.
Edited By: Maria S. Rivera Maulucci, Hilary Callahan, Stephanie Pfirman
Published By: Springer 2020

2020
Book Title: "Promoting health equity through the built environment in Duluth, MN: External Resources and Local Evolution Toward Health in All Policies"
Author List: Korfmacher, K.S.
Published By: Chronicles of Health Impact Assessment. 2020

2020
Book Title: "Bridging Silos: A research agenda for local environmental health initiatives."
Author List: Korfmacher, K.S.
Published By: NEW SOLUTIONS: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy. 2020 in Published online

VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS

Videos

play_circle_filled

Get the Lead Out: What You Need to Know about Lead Paint Poisoning