Project Awards Summary 2019-20

We are pleased to announce the inaugural grantees for academic programs and activities in Latin America for the 2019-2020 academic year. Each year, faculty committees review and accept faculty and student research proposals on the three themes of:

  • Science, Energy, Medicine, and Public Health
  • Business, Economics, Law, and Policy
  • Culture, Society, Religion, and the Arts

Science, Energy, Medicine and Public Health

Regional Development and Spatial Accessibility to Primary Health Services in Brazil

Key Faculty Collaborators:

  • (PI) Luc Anselin (Sociolgoy), The University of Chicago
  • Pedro Amaral (Economics), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

They propose to establish a research collaboration between the University of Chicago’s Center for Spatial Data Science (UChicago CSDS) and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil that builds on earlier collaborations between Professor Anselin (UChicago CSDS) and Associate Professor Amaral(UFMG) at their previous institutions (Arizona State University and University of Cambridge). Through a 3-month research visit by Dr. Amaral at UChicago CSDS in spring 2020, they propose to achieve three goals: 1) The development of new estimators for spatial panel data models; 2) the implementation of these estimators as free and open software; and 3) the application of these methods and tools to a research project about regional disparities and their association with preventable hospitalizations in Brazil.

The research project would use small area data on preventable hospitalizations in Brazil to measure how they are related to the distance to health care units and development indices over time. The software contribution would be to the library of PySAL, a Python Library for spatial analytical methods (Rey and Anselin, 2007). The development of the spatial modeling library of PySAL has been directed by Dr. Anselin (UChicago CSDS), with important contributions by Dr. Amaral (UFMG) over the years. The addition of spatial panel methods closes a key research gap in open software.

University of Chicago - IMPA Collaboration in Algebraic Geometry

Key Faculty & Collaborators:

  • (PI) Antoni Rangachev (Mathematics), The University of Chicago
  • Carolina Araujo (Mathematics), Instituto de Matemáticas Pura de Aplicada
  • Eduardo Esteves (Mathematics), Instituto de Matemáticas Pura de Aplicada

The aim of the project is to establish collaborative ties in algebraic geometry between the University of Chicago and Instituto de Matematica Pura e Aplicada (IMPA) by bringing to Chicago the two leading Brazilian algebraic geometers - Prof. Carolina Araujo and Prof. Eduardo Esteves. IMPA is the foremost research and educational institution in Latin America with a very strong research group in algebra.

Prof. Araujo and Prof. Esteves are top-rated scholars whose research is of significant interest to many faculty and graduate students. Prof. Araujo is one of the leading women mathematicians. Currently, she is the vice-chair for the Committee of Mathematics at the International Mathematical Union. Her visit is enthusiastically expected by the Association of Women in Mathematics. While in residence Prof. Araujo and Prof. Esteves will engage actively in the life of the math department by giving courses and research talks, and interacting with faculty and students.

Brain Dynamics of Mental Health and Well-Being in Neurological Patients

Key Faculty & Collaborators:

  • (PI) Stephanie Cacioppo (Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience), The University of Chicago
  • Blas Couto (Neurology), Hospital Universitario Fundación Favaloro
  • Kelsey Peterson (Brain Dynamics Laboratory), The University of Chicago

In Latin American Countries (LAC) the prevalence of mental health disorders is rising. Additionally, and according to the WHO, low education in early life and cardiovascular diseases in LAC increases the odds of neuropsychiatric disorders including dementia. Little is known, however, about the heart-brain dynamics in LAC middle-aged healthy subjects and patients with focal brain lesions to nodes within the insular-fronto-parietal network i.e., a brain network providing critical insights on one’s mental health and well-being as it varies as a function of how one feels toward themselves and others. 

With support from the UChicago Global Center, we seek to address this research question by testing patients in Buenos Aires and combining innovative methodologies we respectively developed over the past 5 years: scalp cardiac (heartbeat)-evoked brain potential (HEP, Dr. Couto, Argentina) and the UChicago electrical neuroimaging analytics (CENA, Dr. Cacioppo, USA) which is a breakthrough in electrophysiology as it makes it possible to distinguish different non-periodic brain states (patent#10,085,684).  This collaborative research would enhance our existing Latin-Chicago scientific relationship, offer undergraduate students an unprecedented opportunity to learn cutting-edge methodologies in Latin America and Chicago, and help LAC clinicians analyze a large amount of brain data rapidly and identify biomarkers of neuropsychiatric disorders. Results would be presented at the 2019 annual meeting of the Society for Social Neuroscience (Oct. 17-18, 2019, Chicago).

Health Sector Reform in Honduras: Past Experiences and Future Directions

Key Faculty & Collaborators:

  • (PI) Alan Zarychta (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice), The University of Chicago
  • Dr. Rolando Pinel (Unit for Decentralized Administration), The Honduran Ministry of Health

Rural citizens in developing countries often do not have access to adequate social services (Braveman & Tarimo 2002, World Bank 2003).  Health clinics in these communities frequently lack the doctors or medications necessary to treat their patients, teachers in local schools may or may not show up on a regular basis, and environmental management systems, if they exist at all, go without maintenance.

In response to these problems, international development organizations have prescribed various public sector reforms, the most prominent of which is decentralization (Burki et al. 1999, Crook & Manor 2000, World Bank 2003, Grindle 2007, Faguet 2012).  Decentralization refers to a set of governance reforms that transfer authorities, responsibilities, and resources for the delivery of public services away from national ministries and toward local governmental or non-governmental organizations. While the structure of governance in developing countries has changed dramatically over the last thirty years, we still know relatively little about whether these changes result in more and better services for marginalized populations, and if they do, what mechanisms underlie those improvements. The collaborative workshop proposed here will bring together academics, policymakers, administrators, and frontline service providers to share and discuss findings of ongoing research addressing these fundamental questions about how local governance systems do or do not serve their communities in the context of the ongoing health sector reforms in Honduras.

Joint Conference on Surgical Oncology and Academic Development

Key Faculty Collaborators:

  • (PI) Michael Millis (Surgery), The University of Chicago
  • Mitchell Posner (Surgery), The University of Chicago
  • Claudio Navarrete (Surgery), Clinica Santa Maria
  • Hernan de La Fuente (Surgery), Clinica Santa Maria

Surgical Oncology is an established field in the US. In Chile and South America in general, Surgical Oncology is still in its infancy. Through a collaboration between the University of Chicago and Clinica Santa Maria and Universidad de Los Andes, we are developing the knowledge and training requirements to improve patient care and outcomes through a formalized, structured, and rigorous education and training experience. These activities involve formal educational content, faculty, fellow and resident exchanges. This conference is the 2nd joint conference to assist in establishing the field of Surgical Oncology.

Winter School in groups and dynamics

Key Faculty Collaborators:

  • (PI) Sebastian Hurtado Salazar (Mathematics), The University of Chicago
  • Yves Cornullier (Mathematics), Université de Strasbourg
  • Pierre Py (Mathematics), L'institut Camille Jordan at Universite Lyon 1
  • Adolfo Guillot (Mathematics), Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
  • Andres Navas (Mathematics), Universidad Santiago de Chile

This is a proposal to fund the Winter school on "Groups and dynamics", organized in Mexico City, Mexico. It will take place over five days, from January 20st until January 24th, 2020, it will be hosted by UNAM (Universidad Autonoma de Mexico). The scope of the conference is to strengthen the already existing knowledge in and the relationship between the areas of mathematics known as Dynamical systems, Ergodic Theory, and Geometric Group Theory, while expanding it in directly related areas of research that recently came to the forefront of the worldwide mathematical scenery. The workshop will consist of 4-5 minicourses on different aspects of these areas of Mathematics and possibly some additional research talks. Participants will include top U.S., LatinAmerican and European researchers from these different areas, as well as graduate students and postdocs.

STEM-OUT 2019

Key Faculty Collaborators:

  • (PI) Sonia Hernandez (Surgery), The University of Chicago
  • Oscar Pineda-Catalan (Biological Sciences), The University of Chicago
  • Rogelio Hernandez, Clubes de Ciencia

STEM-OUT will train UofC ST to develop skills in curricula planning, implementation of hands-on activities and evaluation of STEM outreach and education initiatives, incorporating methods in active and scientific teaching. Following the success of last year’s TED style talks, UofC ST will repeat this impactful activity, helping them to develop their communication skills. In addition, this year we aim to collaborate in a pilot project developed by CdeCMx called WATS (Where Arts, Technology and Science meet). In this program, UofC ST will participate in multidisciplinary projects, collaborating with artists.

Business, Economics, Law, and Policy

Criminal Governance in the Americas

Key Faculty & Collaborators:

  • (PI) Benjamin Lessing (Political Science), The University of Chicago
  • Michel Misse, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
  • Jania Perta Diogenes, Federal University of Ceará
  • Juliana Melo, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte
  • Juan Pablo Luna, Pontificial Catholic University of Chile

For millions of people in Latin America, the state is not the sole claimant to the legitimate use of force. An enormous variety of criminal organizations—from street-corner “crews” to sophisticated prison gangs comprising thousands of members —impose rules and provide some basic services associated with states: dispute resolution, property-rights enforcement, and public goods provision. Despite its ubiquity, criminal governance remains a nascent research agenda.

UC Global played a role in advancing that agenda, sponsoring our Criminal Governance in the Americas Conference in Fall 2018. More than a dozen scholars presented novel research capturing the varieties of criminal governance across the region, including my own team’s astonishing estimate that some 27 million people in Latin America liven under criminal governance. Yet the conference also revealed enormous gaps in our knowledge and lack of exchange with local scholars writing in Spanish and Portuguese. The participants agreed: advancing this research agenda requires increased cooperation and communication among scholars in the region.

To that end, we propose a follow-up conference in Rio de Janeiro in 2019-20, where Latin America-based scholars can share their knowledge. The event will consolidate ongoing research partnerships—including our innovative “replicated ethnographic observations” project in Brazil—and generate new ones. Among outputs, we plan to generate and maintain a public database of sources on criminal governance in Latin America. The conference will build on UChicago’s continued engagement with Latin American scholars on an equal footing, its emphasis on inter-disciplinary research with practical impact, and its commitment to innovation and collaboration.

Culture, Society, Religion and the Arts

The Transnational History of Urban Informality

Key Faculty & Collaborators:

  • (PI) Brodwyn Fischer (History), The University of Chicago
  • Antonio Azuela, UNAM-México
  • Charlotte Vorms, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
  • Serge Ollivier, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
  • Francoise de Barros, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
  • Rafael Sores Goncalves, PUC-Rio
  • Valeria Snitcofsky, University of Buenos Aires
  • Emanuel Gianotti, University of Chile

In July of 2019, an interdisciplinary group of scholars from eight countries will gather in Mexico City for a two-day conference on the history of state policies related to urban residential informality. This conference is the fifth formal meeting of "The Informal City in the Twentieth Century," a pioneering international collective research project on the origins and history of shantytowns, unregulated neighborhoods, and other forms of informal city building. Based in Paris and involving scholars from around the globe, the project aims to better understand urban informality's place in the modern urban fabric, its relationship to urban citizenship and urban inequality, and its role in the genesis of modern urban legal and administrative structures.

Grief as Resistance: Toward a Transnational Research Collaborative on Racialized State Violence and the Politics of Black Motherhood in the Americas

Key Faculty & Collaborators:

  • (PI) Yanilda González (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice), The University of Chicago
  • Aurora Vergara Figueroa (Center for Afrodiasporic Studies), Universidad Icesi
  • Jaime Alves (Center for Afrodiasporic Studies), Universidad Icesi
  • Tathagatan Ravindran (Center for Afrodiasporic Studies), Universidad Icesi
  • Raiane Serverino Assumpção (Public Policy and Collective Health), Federal University of São Paulo

“Grief as Resistance” is a transnational, interdisciplinary research and advocacy collaborative bringing together scholars focused on state violence, inequality, and citizenship alongside mother-activists from Brazil, Colombia, and the US who have mobilized following the loss of their children to state violence. Poised to begin its third year, the “Grief as Resistance” project is an initiative of researchers at the University of Chicago and the Center for Afrodiasporic Studies (CEAF) at Universidad Icesi (Colombia), as well as social movement organizations from Colombia, Brazil, and the US.

This proposal seeks funding for a third transnational gathering in São Paulo, Brazil in November 2019, in order to consolidate institutional linkages on which to build future collaboration, advance the production of two collaborative publications, and promote capacity building and exchange among activists and researchers. After two successful gatherings in Chicago and Cali, Colombia, this gathering would take place in the third country that constitutes the “Grief as Resistance” transnational collaborative, incorporating not only a new collaborator from the Federal University of São Paulo and the highly robust social movement network in the city of São Paulo, but also existing institutions at the University of Chicago to foment new projects and build enduring institutional ties.

The third year of the “Grief as Resistance” project is conceived of as the final year of the “start-up” phase of the transnational collaborative, in which we seek to consolidate institutional ties that will enable future collaboration and the completion of deliverables encompassing the key findings of this initial stage.

Mexico Visiting Scholar Program

Key Faculty & Collaborators:

  • (PI) Emilio Kourí (History), The University of Chicago
  • Renée González de la Lama (US-Mexico Commission),Fulbright-COMEXUS

A Visiting Scholar program run by Mexico's Fulbright Commission (COMEXUS) and the University of Chicago's Katz Center for Mexican Studies. The annual program brings a distinguished Mexican Scholar to Chicago for up to five months to do research, lecture, and collaborate with Chicago faculty and students. A call for applications is issued annually in Mexico after Chicago faculty select a preferred research area or topic. In addition to working with Chicago faculty and students, Visiting Scholars are also expected to organize a seminar or conference and to offer talks in Chicago's Mexican community. The topic for 2019- 20 is democracy and economic development. A fellow was selected for 2018-19 (Topic: Immigration) but had to cancel for family reasons. A replacement fellow for that competition is expected for Autumn 2019.