The Drexel Urban Health Collaborative (UHC) is based at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health in Philadelphia. Its mission is to improve health in cities by building scientific knowledge, raising public awareness, and identifying actions and policies that can improve population health and reduce health inequities.46
The Collaborative brings together research, education, data, and partnerships. Its work examines how urban conditions—including housing, transportation, climate, social environments, and economic circumstances—shape health and disparities. It uses large urban datasets to identify patterns and practical opportunities for intervention, working with community organisations, policymakers, and public health agencies.35
Although rooted in Philadelphia, the UHC’s work extends nationally and internationally. Its projects have included neighborhood health research in Philadelphia, a city-level data platform covering 30 large US cities, and SALURBAL, an international urban-health research network focused on Latin America.267 The Collaborative also works with partners in Latin America, Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa.8
Its current research and engagement span climate change and health, geospatial methods, health and place, health equity, and data for policy and community action. The UHC’s annual reports describe research, policy engagement, community partnerships, training, and fellowship programs as parts of its approach.2 The Collaborative was established under the leadership of Ana V. Diez Roux, identified in UHC materials as its director; the 2021–2024 report names Usama Bilal as co-director.311 The available sources describe the UHC as approaching its tenth year in 2025, but do not give a precise founding date.2