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Brian G McAdoo

Truman & Nellie Semans/Alex Brow & Sons Associate Professor of Geosciences
Earth and Climate Sciences

Overview


Brian G. McAdoo is Associate Professor of Earth and Climate Science at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment where he studies the effects of disasters triggered by natural hazards. How are humans impacting the physical systems that keep us alive, and how are marginalized populations specifically affected?  Current research projects in Nepal (earthquakes, landslides and road development) as well as Borneo and Brazil (deforestation, ecosystem services and community health) 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.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Truman & Nellie Semans/Alex Brow & Sons Associate Professor of Geosciences · 2025 - Present Earth and Climate Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment
Associate Professor of Geosciences · 2021 - Present Earth and Climate Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment
Affiliate, Duke Global Health Institute · 2024 - Present Duke Global Health Institute, University Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published February 19, 2026
Lumbini to Lo Manthang: Experiential Learning in Nepal
Published April 22, 2025
Ten Faculty Named 2025 Bass Chairs
Published February 25, 2025
Around the Clock: What Happens Before, During & After a Disaster

View All News

Recent Publications


From understanding disaster risk to risk reduction solutions

Journal Article International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction · June 15, 2026 Anthropogenic global change is intensifying natural hazards necessitating urgent, just and sustainable solutions that mitigate risks without compromising the Earth systems crucial for human survival. Advances in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) h ... Full text Cite

Investigation of the cross-border movement of PM2.5 in the Terai belt of Nepal using a low-cost sensor network

Journal Article Atmospheric Pollution Research · May 1, 2026 Transboundary air pollution is a critical environmental and public health issue across South Asia. Nepal experiences high exposure due to its geographic location near major emission regions. A network of calibrated low-cost PM2.5 sensors across ... Full text Cite

Mammal-infecting DNA viruses identified in lemurs and rodents in Madagascar mirror the evolutionary history of their hosts.

Journal Article Microbial genomics · May 2026 Given that some DNA viruses have been found to exhibit virus-host co-evolution and establish lifelong infection, mammals with unique evolutionary histories in island ecosystems likely host exceptionally diverse viruses. Madagascar is inhabited by endemic n ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


IUCRC Phase I Duke University: Center for Innovation in Risk-analysis for Climate Adaption and Decision-making (CIRCAD)

ResearchParticipating Faculty Member · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2025 - 2030

Enfield Geothermal

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Amalgamated Charitable Foundation · 2026 - 2027

IUCRC Planning Grant Duke University: Center for Innovation in Risk-analysis for Climate Adaptation and Decision-making (CIRCAD)

ResearchParticipating Faculty Member · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2024 - 2025

View All Grants

Education


University of California, Santa Cruz · 2000 Ph.D.
Duke University · 1991 B.S.

External Links


PlanetLab