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Look at any disease statistics and you’ll quickly notice that not everyone enjoys the same level of health. Whether due to race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or a multitude of other factors, people in some groups across the US and around the globe experience stigma, bias and discrimination that often lead to poorer health outcomes.
In 2021, the school launched Public Health IDEAS—which represents Interdisciplinary Discovery, Engagement + Actions for Society—with a $1 million investment to increase collaboration and advance research and engagement in key areas to achieve meaningful, lasting impact. Through a lengthy assessment weighing societal needs and our unique ability to create meaningful change, we have selected four priorities to focus our efforts toward true, lasting impact.
One of those priorities is Public Health IDEAS for Building Health Equity. Through this initiative, the University of Michigan School of Public Health is bringing together experts across a range of disciplines and building on existing collaborations to identify proven and sustainable ways to dismantle racism and other forms of inequality embedded in society and promote health equity across populations.
Given the interdisciplinary nature of both the University of Michigan and the School of Public Health and our long history of scholarship on discrimination and health equity, we are uniquely positioned to address this complex and longstanding problem with the urgency it deserves. Through collaborations among experts in racism and discrimination, health communication, healthcare policy, environmental justice, social epidemiology, and other areas, we’re finding effective and sustainable solutions in pursuit of health equity.
Currently, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas and this is expected to increase to 67% by 2050. Between the pandemic, climate change, other infectious and noncommunicable diseases, violence, and countless other issues, cities are facing unprecedented social, financial, environmental and physical challenges that impact the health and safety of urban populations.
Through this initiative, the school is identifying sustainable strategies to address health equity and improve the health of urban communities across the globe, with a focus on addressing various determinants of health such as housing affordability, poverty, racism, and physical, environmental, and nutritional factors.
Amy SchulzUniversity Diversity and Social Transformation Professor
Professor, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Paul FlemingAssociate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Equity
faculty Lead, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Miatta BuxtonAssistant Research Scientist, Epidemiology
Adjunct Lecturer, Epidemiology
Melissa CrearyAssociate Professor, Health Management and Policy
Associate Professor of Global Public Health
Darrell HudsonProfessor and Department Chair, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Carrie Karvonen-GutierrezAssociate Professor, Epidemiology
Associate Chair for Faculty Affairs, Epidemiology
Roshanak MehdipanahAssociate Professor, Health Behavior & Health Equity
Faculty Lead, Public Health IDEAS for Creating Healthy and Equitable Cities
Lu WangProfessor, Biostatistics
Faculty Lead, Public Health IDEAS for Creating Healthy and Equitable Cities
Andy JonesAssociate Professor, Nutritional Sciences
Associate Chair, Nutritional Sciences
Karen PetersonStanley M. Garn Collegiate Professor of Nutritional Sciences
Chair, Department of Nutritional Sciences
Professor of Global Public Health
With your investment, we will build on our storied history and become the country’s premier public health institution. Together, we will create a healthier, more equitable world for all.