Leonardo Brandao Do Prado

Leonardo is an environmental social scientist and geographer specializing in urban climate, human thermal comfort, and environmental justice through the lens of Critical Physical Geography (CPG). He holds a master’s degree in environmental planning and management (Geography) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Currently, he is a Ph.D. student in Geography at Arizona State University (ASU). His research integrates qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the heat exposure experienced by street vendors in the context of climate change across three different cities in the Americas: Los Angeles (United States), Mexico City (Mexico), and São Paulo (Brazil). He is committed to understanding the social and power dynamics that expose these vendors to thermal discomfort in outdoor urban environments, and how urban form can exacerbate these conditions. In addition, Leonardo collaborates on research initiatives with researchers from Indiana University (IU), São Paulo State University (UNESP), and the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS), particularly through the Heat Watch campaign.