Overview
Chanud Yasanayake is a climate-health scientist at the Duke Global Health Institute and within the Amazon Research Consortium for Climate Change and One Health. His research uses Earth observation data and mechanistic models to improve our understanding of how climate impacts human health, with a particular focus on subseasonal-to-seasonal climate variability and vector-borne diseases. His research interests broadly fall under one theme—exploring the intricate web of relationships that connect us humans, our environment, and other creatures—and this same core theme also runs through his other interests within academia: developing thoughtful teaching practices, fostering community building, and practicing accessibility and inclusivity in science.
Prior to coming to Duke, Chanud earned his PhD in Earth & Planetary Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. His dissertation explored climate and the mosquito-borne disease dengue in Sri Lanka, characterizing local subseasonal climate variability, simulating its impacts on mosquito habitat suitability, and assessing associations with observed dengue incidence.