Health Behavior and Health Equity Results

Bill Lopez, left, and Paul Fleming looking at each other, each holding a copy of their own books

Collaborators shaping public health through advocacy, storytelling

University of Michigan School of Public Health faculty Paul Fleming and Bill Lopez discuss two new books on policy, prevention and social justice during “Libros at Lunchtime.” Fleming’s Imagine “Doing Better” explores why policies backfire and how prevention thinking can reshape society; Lopez’s “Raiding the Heartland” documents deportation trauma and community resistance.

Two photos of Melissa Creary, one with her looking to the left and one straight with graphic elements of red sickle cells

The weight of knowledge

How living with sickle cell shapes Melissa Creary’s mission for health justice

Melissa Creary, associate professor of Health Behavior & Health Equity and Global Public Health, turns a delayed childhood sickle cell diagnosis into two decades of science, policy and advocacy. From building CDC surveillance to researching racism and “bounded justice” in Brazil, she centers lived experience and community voices—insisting innovation like gene editing must deliver equity, not stigma.

Interim Dean Lynda Lisabeth

Why we choose public health

How witnessing hardship guides purpose, and how students and faculty turn resolve into action: Why people choose public health often highlights community, equity, and the drive to improve systems that fail people—encouraging prospective students to remember their “why” and keep building change.

Jasmina Cunmulaj posing in Venice

Alumni Spotlight: Leading on a global stage

From Michigan to Brussels: Jasmina Cunmulaj’s inspiring public health journey

Ever since her time at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Jasmina Cunmulaj, MPH ’22, envisioned being able to influence policy decisions and promote better global public health practices at an impactful level. Now, as the strategic partnerships and leadership manager at the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), she is positioned to make those dreams a reality.

Five members of PHAST in PHAST T-SHIRTS share a laugh

On a PHAST track

Public health students’ experiences beyond the classroom prepare them for success

The Public Health Action Support Team (PHAST) at Michigan Public Health offers students hands-on experience in public health. During the most recent annual trip to Grenada, students worked on projects like promoting voluntary blood donation, enhancing Alzheimer’s care, and supporting disability services, demonstrating the vital role of experiential learning and community engagement in driving public health initiatives.

A plant illustration growing and blossoming

Living fuller lives

Finding innovative ways to foster purposeful living and positive social connections

Americans of all ages face increasing loneliness and mental health issues. Michigan Public Health is addressing this crisis through research by faculty such as Victor Strecher promoting purposeful living, Lindsay Kobayashi studying health impacts of loneliness, and John Piette’s SPEAK! program fostering social connections.