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Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, DrPH
Director and Founding Dean, Program in Public Health
Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences
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Dear UCI community,
As the omicron surge wanes and we continue to make progress recovering from a turbulent winter, I know that many of us–including myself–are now wondering what lies ahead. We know that COVID will likely be with us in the long-term and will require continued mitigation efforts, but the truth is that there are still countless public health issues we need to address. From climate change and environmental hazards to disparities in chronic disease and child/maternal health, there is still much work to be done when the dust settles from COVID.
Public health practice has always been key in protecting the health and well-being of populations around the world, but it is especially critical now as we refocus our efforts to causes beyond COVID. And our work will be more visible than ever before given the spotlight the pandemic has placed on the field in the past two years.
Public health is about caring for entire populations rather than individual patients, we work to provide many of the things we often take for granted–from clean air and water to vaccines and the control of infectious diseases. Society often doesn’t notice public health or recognize its importance until it’s too late. In other words, you know public health is working when it largely goes unnoticed.
The intersection between public health research and action is where we really see improvements in our community’s health. Public health in practice can take many forms, including building partnerships with local groups to gain a better understanding of the inequities they face, much like Dr. Sora Tanjasiri’s work with the City of Santa Ana. Or Drs. Alana LeBrón and Jun Wu’s ongoing work addressing inequities through the newly established Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research (CEHDR).
Public health practice means advancing technology and harnessing the power of machine learning to pave the way for better health outcomes. Just this year, UCI Public Health joined an NIH consortium to address national health disparities by enhancing diversity and inclusion in artificial intelligence research. And there are countless projects in this area being conducted in Dr. Trina Norden-Krichmar’s lab, most notably its work in deep learning and genomics.
Public health in practice means evaluating health policies at the local, state, and national level to ensure equitable access to care, much like Dr. Dylan Roby’s work modeling the unintended consequences of different policy decisions and their impacts on vulnerable populations. Or Dr. David Timberlake’s ongoing research on the influence of California’s tobacco and cannabis policies on drug availability and substance abuse.
And, of course, we saw a prime example of public health in practice through UCI’s pandemic response under the leadership and expertise of David Souleles, which provided our campus community with a robust contact tracing program, vaccine navigation services, and a coordinated, detailed pandemic response. The UCI COVID-19 Chatline and various pop-up public health events held throughout the year were also critical parts of our COVID-19 response that helped disseminate important public health information across campus and beyond.
There is much work to be done as we move forward, but the future should not be daunting. The pandemic has been both a test of resilience and affirmation of public health’s value to society. I am confident that our community–now stronger than ever–will approach the future’s challenges with the same fortitude we’ve demonstrated throughout the past two years.
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Connect with a COVID-19 chatline operator now using your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Our team of public health professionals readily respond in real-time and conversations are free, secure, and confidential.
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Uncertain of the latest masking guidelines? Hesitant about getting the vaccine? Looking for a vaccination site? Our mission is to help you stay safe and informed about COVID-19. Keep in mind that specific medical questions should be directed to a medical provider.
Our chatline is staffed from 9am to 6pm Pacific time on weekdays and weekends, and offline messages will be answered as soon as the chatline opens the next day. We also provide support services for Spanish and Vietnamese speakers upon request.
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Welcoming Dr. Andrea de Vizcaya-Ruiz to UCI Public Health
The Department of Environmental and Occupational Health is delighted to welcome Dr. Andrea de Vizcaya-Ruiz to its faculty. She brings over 15 years of expertise in inhalation toxicology and nanotoxicology and has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, in addition to 10 book chapters and short reviews on particulate matter toxicology, non-target organs effects in inhalation toxicology and nanomaterials toxicity. Get to know Dr. Vizcaya-Ruiz by reading her full Q&A interview below.
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Students represent UCI Public Health at December 2021 Joint International Tropical Medicine Meeting
PhD student Natasha Glendening and former visiting scholar Sayambhu Saita presented their work on One Health and a survey conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices around malaria among households located in a gold mining settlement in Ethiopia.
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PhD student Maia Tarnas appointed as UC Global Health Institute student ambassador
Congratulations to PhD student Maia Tarnas for her recent appointment as a student ambassador for the UC Global Health Institute. Ambassadors develop, organize, and promote activities on UC campuses and mobilize community involvement to catalyze critical change.
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Guest Speaker: Katie Kalvoda, President, Advance OC
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The latest from the Program in Public Health -- right at your fingertips.
Follow us on social to hear more about the work being done by students, staff and faculty across the Program.
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Attention alumni and soon-to-be Public Health grads:
Follow our new Program in Public Health Alumni account on Instagram to connect with our UCI Alumni network. Stay up to date with events by following @UCIPublicHealthAlumni!
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UCI and CSU Fullerton partner to advance cancer health disparities research with a focus on diversity and inclusion
With a grant of more than $1.1 million from the National Cancer Institute, the UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Cal State Fullerton have established a partnership focused on addressing cancer disparities in Orange County. An expert in disparities research, Dr. Sora Tanjasiri will represent UCI as a project lead.
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Drs. Jun Wu and Suellen Hopfer awarded $500,000 by California Air Resources Board to study wildfire smoke exposure
As part of their study, Drs. Jun Wu and Suellen Hopfer will expand the understanding of wildfire-induced health impacts and address specific concerns for disadvantaged communities through inclusive and informative outreaches with designated community members in California.
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Dr. Lisa Grant Ludwig selected as 2022 UCI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Awardee
The award was selected based on student nominations and will be recognized at the Spring 2022 Celebration of Teaching. This is the inaugural year for the award that is co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning and the Office of Inclusive Excellence.
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Dr. Scott Bartell leads CDC-funded study on "forever chemicals" in drinking water
With over $1 million in funding per year from the CDC, Bartell is leading a study investigating how drinking water that contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may harm health. The project is one of seven across the nation participating in the multi-site study.
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Collaborative Public Health Research and Practice: A Less Complicated Solution to Mitigating Environmentally Driven Health Disparities
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. // Friday, February 18, 2022
Guest Speaker: Beverly Xaviera Watkins, MA, PhD, Social epidemiologist and community-engaged research practitioner
Dr. Watkins is a social epidemiologist and community-engaged research practitioner with a 26-year track record in community-based programs and projects. For over two decades, she has worked to reduce health disparities and level the playing field between the academy and community, both in academia, leading large scale community-engagement efforts at Columbia, Cornell and NYU, and at the grassroots community level, partnering with local direct social service delivery groups and non-profits that work within diverse racial and ethnic health disparity communities (African- Americans, Latinos, and Asian-Americans) throughout New York City. RSVP >>
| This event is brought to you by the UCI Black Thriving Initiative Cluster Hire in Environmental Health Disparities and the Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research (CEHDR). |
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UC Presidential Chair Distinguished Interprofessional Colloquium Series: The State of the World's Antibiotics in 2022
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. // Monday, April 4, 2022
Guest Speaker: Ramanan Laximinarayan, Founder and Director ,Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP)
Antibiotics are losing effectiveness worldwide as a consequence of selection pressure imposed by the massive use of antibiotics and rapid spread of resistant pathogens. The hidden epidemic of antibiotic resistance kills more people than HIV/AIDS or malaria but has received far less attention than other diseases. This talk covers the current state of the world’s antibiotics, drivers of resistance, and feasible interventions to combat antibiotic resistance. RSVP >>
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UC Global Health Day 2022
Saturday, May 7, 2022 // Times TBD
UC Santa Cruz
Interdisciplinary by nature and collaborative in spirit, global health efforts encompass a range of academic topics – from psychology to engineering to sustainability and economics, scholars are committed to improving the health of humans, animals and ecosystems around the globe. This event builds on the work of global health practitioners from UC and beyond by bringing together partners, leaders and young career professionals for a day of sharing and discussion. More info >>
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If you are interested in supporting students like Ms. Valencia and Ms. Duong, please contact Juliana Goswick, PPH Director of Development, at jgoswick@hs.uci.edu.
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Student-led vaping study seeking paid volunteers
Robert Weltman, Public Health PhD student in the global health concentration at UCI, is currently recruiting paid volunteers for a study on nicotine vaping.
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If you currently vape nicotine, you may be a candidate for the study, which aims to characterize chemical emissions in exhaled breath after vaping to better understand the risks of second hand vaping emissions on others.
Participants must be able to visit UCI for 5 visits, each about one hour long. Participants will receive $50 compensation for each visit and an additional $100 for completion of all 5 visits. For more information including eligibility, contact Robert at rweltman@uci.edu.
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Catch up with alumna Emily Seto as she explains what she's been up to since leaving UCI Public Health
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