Projects
Food Basket
By jump-starting a healthier lifestyle with a 10-day plant based diet, daily speakers, and weekly meal boxes, staff of The Food Basket–Hawai’i Island’s food bank–were empowered to “walk the talk” of healthy eating and living…
Maui Wildfire Study
A comprehensive approach addressing the urgent need for information on how wildfires influence health and social well-being. This project emphasizes the importance of community participation in understanding and combating these impacts.
MA'O Organic Farms
Over the past 20 years, MA’O has witnessed that connecting youth to land generates health, sustainability, and resilience with and for the community. To learn more about these connections, in 2017 we started a collaborative learning journey…
We are Oceania
Compounded with adverse socio-economic challenges, Pacific Islanders in the state of Hawaii suffer from disparate rates of COVID-19 in the state. For instance, despite Pacific Islanders making up about 4% of the state population, at several points during the pandemic they made up 20% of the COVID-19 infections…
Absure
In partnership with the National Science Foundation, HIA has developed a remote or home-based self-monitoring system to identify anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgG and IgM) and inflammatory biomarkers from finger-stick blood after natural viral exposure or vaccine. Specifically, this technology combines serial serology, lateral flow…
SLIM
Local farmers face substantially higher costs of resources in Hawaii relative to mainland locations. Compounded with the national trend of an aging agricultural workforce and a lack of insufficient numbers of trained and diverse professionals entering the agricultural profession, unique local opportunities exist to improve the sustainability of agriculture…
Hi'a Ola
Aging is a universal process, but how we age is influenced by more than just time. Research shows that biological aging, shaped by the gut microbiome and epigenetics, plays a crucial role in our health span and susceptibility to disease. This connection creates an opportunity to revolutionize how we approach aging and health…
Men of PA'A
Men of PA’A (Positive Action Alliance) is a growing community organization based in Puna, Hawai’i Island, empowering Kanaka maoli, specifically native Hawaiian men, on their journey of recovery, restoration, and reconciliation. Led by Executive Director Iopa Maunakea, they integrate restorative justice and cultural principles to address intergenerational trauma and improve employment outcomes for individuals with a criminal justice history…