Multiple sources report that University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers have received a $2.2 million NIH grant to fund the next phase of the Maui LOA study, a long-term examination of health and well-being impacts from the 2023 Maui wildfires. The three-year study will survey 1,200 Maui adults, including displaced residents, with findings expected to shape public policy and emergency response planning locally and nationwide.
- The National Institutes of Health awarded UH Mānoa a $2.2 million, three-year grant for the Maui LOA (Learnings to Overcome Adversities) study.
- The study is led by Alex Ortega, dean of the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health, and Keawe Kaholokula, chair of the Department of Native Hawaiian Health at JABSOM.
- Researchers will survey 1,200 adults who lived on Maui during the 2023 wildfires, including those who were displaced.
- A prior phase gathered input from residents, community organizations, emergency responders, and healthcare providers to shape the survey design.
- Findings published in JAMA in August 2025 showed wildfire mental health effects extended island-wide — not just within burn zones — with housing displacement and income loss identified as key drivers of depression and anxiety.
- Survey results are intended to inform public policy, health services, emergency planning, and community recovery efforts in Hawaiʻi and nationally.
Sources
- Hawaii: $2.2M grant funds next phase of Maui wildfire recovery study
- Hawaii: $2.2M grant funds next phase of Maui wildfire recovery study
Share this article
