Multiple outlets reported that University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers have received a $2.2 million National Institutes of Health grant to fund the next phase of the Maui LOA (Learnings to Overcome Adversities) study, a long-term examination of how the 2023 wildfires have affected residents’ health and well-being. The three-year award will support a survey of 1,200 Maui adults and aims to translate earlier findings into evidence-based policy and recovery strategies.
- The $2.2M NIH grant funds the next phase of the Maui LOA (Learnings to Overcome Adversities) study, launched in 2024 and led by UH Mānoa researchers Alex Ortega and Keawe Kaholokula.
- Researchers will survey 1,200 adults who lived on Maui during the 2023 wildfires, including those who were displaced, to examine long-term recovery factors.
- A prior phase study published in JAMA in August 2025 found wildfire mental health effects extended across all of Maui — not just burn zones — with housing displacement and income loss identified as key drivers of depression and anxiety.
- Survey results are expected to inform public policy, emergency response planning, health services, and community recovery efforts in Hawaiʻi and nationally.
- The first phase gathered input from residents, community organizations, emergency responders, and healthcare providers to shape the upcoming survey design.
Sources
- Kauainownews: $2.2M grant funds next phase of Maui wildfire recovery study by University of Hawai’i researchers
- Maui Now: UH Mānoa researchers receive $2.2 million for next phase of Maui wildfire recovery study
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