Directory Profile

Dr. Katherine A. James is an engineer and epidemiologist whose work focuses on the environmental and climate-related determinants of health in rural and underserved communities across the Mountain West. With formal training in biological and environmental engineering (BS, MS) and a PhD in Epidemiology, she leads a robust research portfolio examining the cardiometabolic, renal, and developmental health impacts of arsenic, cadmium, and other metals. Dr. James is Principal Investigator of a large NIH R01 investigating how drought influences arsenic exposure and cardiometabolic outcomes in an aging rural population, and she directs multiple complementary studies on chronic kidney disease, maternal metal exposure and adverse birth outcomes, and community-level health disparities. Dr. James is Co-Lead of the NIH-funded Mountain West PACE-H (Partnerships in Action toward Community Health) Hub, a regional center focused on advancing climate and environmental health equity through community-driven research, training, and capacity-building. Through this Hub, she supports the development of sustainable, place-based strategies that strengthen climate resilience and reduce environmental health risks across rural and tribal communities in the Mountain West. She is also Principal Investigator of the Attitudes and Behaviors Survey (TABS) within CEPEG, conducted in partnership with the State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership (STEPP) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment—an ongoing statewide surveillance initiative that monitors tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis-related behaviors and perceptions among Colorado adults. Through TABS, she leads analyses that inform state policy, prevention programs, and public health communication strategies. With more than two decades of community-based research experience in the San Luis Valley and throughout the region, Dr. James is deeply committed to transdisciplinary science, climate resilience, and environmental health. Her current efforts, including NIH-funded community-engaged projects on drinking water quality, drought, and cardiovascular health, emphasize sustainable partnerships, Total Worker Health®, and equity-centered approaches that bridge environmental science, epidemiology, and community priorities.