Through basic and clinical research we study what living in Louisville means for our health. Louisville is our urban, living laboratory. That means everyone in Louisville can be one of our lab partners. Learn more about how you can become one of our Citizen Scientists. 

Deciding that Louisville would be our urban, living laboratory changes the way how our research is done - from the design of individual studies to sharing research findings with the larger world. Doing research in this way means that everyone who lives in Louisville is a partner and a stakeholder. Through people-centered partnerships, we invite individuals, groups, communities, guest researchers, governments, corporations, and nonprofits to join us in creating research opportunities and innovation. Our research is unique because it is grounded in real life. We are bridging the gap between the creation of new knowledge and its translation to improve the health in Louisville and in other cities.

For a living laboratory to work, we need Citizen Scientists- people to participate in scientific research.  Citizen Scientists collaborate with researchers so the communities that are being studied are represented and are knowledgeable about the research being done. Citizen Scientists can participate in research at all levels, from being on Advisory Councils to represent their community in decision making to downloading an app to report asthma attacks or odors around the city. Citizen Scientists advise researchers on the best ways to share new knowledge and provide recommendations for how to translate findings into community change.