Lichter Laboratory
Featured
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Elevating patient voices and local perspectives to design sustainable, equitable cancer care—starting in the Upper Valley
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Mapping opportunities for decarbonization and resilience along the cancer care pathway—from screening to survivorship
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Uniting researchers, clinicians, and health systems to lead sustainable, resilient, and equitable cancer care
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Transforming cancer care through climate action, research, and patient-centered innovation.
Our Research
The Lichter GreenHealth Lab at Dartmouth studies the interplay between healthcare delivery and climate change. We explore the impact of the healthcare system and health institutions on the environment, and the impact of climate change on clinical and patient care. Our findings help shape mitigation and adaptation efforts, improving hospital sustainability and creating more resilient systems and healthy communities.
Climate Resiliency
We study how climate change disrupts cancer care and outcomes—such as through wildfires, air pollution, or infrastructure strain—and identify opportunities to build more resilient care delivery systems.
Decarbonizing Cancer Care
We use tools like life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental footprint of cancer care and identify scalable solutions—from imaging and radiation therapy to waste reduction and energy use.
Patient-Centered Sustainability
We explore how patients perceive sustainability in their care experience and ensure that efforts to reduce environmental impact align with trust, transparency, and high-quality care.
Healthier Patients. Healthier Planet.
At the Lichter GreenHealth Lab, we believe the future of cancer care must be patient-centered, environmentally sustainable, climate-resilient, and deeply rooted in health equity.
Our mission is to generate the evidence, tools, and partnerships needed to reduce the environmental impact of cancer care delivery—while ensuring every patient receives high-quality, uninterrupted care. By using the cancer care continuum as a model, we’re identifying opportunities for transformation across the healthcare system—from imaging and radiation therapy to long-term survivorship.
Why Now?
Cancer care is uniquely vulnerable to—and a contributor to—our changing climate. Extreme weather, wildfires, and system-level disruptions increasingly threaten patient access, safety, and outcomes. At the same time, energy-intensive processes in oncology generate a significant environmental footprint, often without adding clinical value.
We aim to change that—by making cancer care both climate-smart and patient-centered.
Our Approach
We bring together researchers, clinicians, trainees, patient advocates, and policy leaders to:
Quantify the environmental impact of cancer care delivery—from diagnostics to survivorship
Understand how climate and environmental factors affect cancer outcomes
Center the patient voice to guide sustainable and resilient care design
Identify opportunities to decarbonize care without compromising quality and/or the patient experience
Develop actionable tools, decision aids, and system-wide strategies
Model scalable, sustainable solutions that can transform health systems beyond oncology
Featured Projects
SUSTAIN: Sustainable Transformation in Breast Imaging and Radiology
Life Cycle Assessment of Radiotherapy & the Breast Cancer Care Pathway (LCA-RT)
Plastic Waste in Oncology: A Systematic Review
Scoping Review of the Cancer Care Pathway for Decarbonization Opportunities
Population Health Needs Assessment on Dartmouth Cancer Center Community Outreach & Engagement (COE)
Patient Perspectives Survey on Sustainability in Cancer Care
Join Us
The Lichter GreenHealth Lab is growing.
We welcome partnerships with funders, foundations, researchers, clinicians, and students who share our commitment to transforming cancer care. Based in the Upper Valley and connected nationally, we aim to lead a new era of research and action at the intersection of cancer, climate, and equity.
Get In Touch → katie.e.lichter@hitchcock.org
Katie Lichter MD MPH, Principal Investigator