On the Heights: February 2025
Departmental news, research highlights, community achievements, and more to help you stay connected with the Michigan Public Health community.
Awards
Justin Heinze named 'Innovation Champion' by the U-M Office of the Vice President of Research
Twenty U-M faculty leaders were named ‘Innovation Champions’ by the university's Office of the Vice President of Research. This inaugural cohort will serve as peer-level departmental contacts, sharing information and resources to amplify the impact of researcher innovations.
Michigan Public Health biostatisticians receive Emerging Women Leaders in Data Science Award
Irina Gaynanova and Xu Shi, both associate professors of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, received the 2025 IMS Thelma and Marvin Zelen Emerging Women Leaders in Data Science Award for their advances in statistical methodology and leadership in the field.
Kristi Gamarel wins NIH Award for Sexual & Gender Minority Research
Kristi Gamarel, associate chair and associate professor of Health Behavior & Health Equity, has been awarded the 2024 National Institutes of Health Sexual & Gender Minority Mid-Career Investigator Award. Her research addresses health inequities among LGBTQ+ communities in the context of HIV, mental health, substance use, and healthcare access.
Marc Zimmerman elected to the National Academy of Medicine
Michigan Public Health researcher Marc Zimmerman was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Induction into the NAM is the highest honor for health and medicine researchers in the United States.
Data for good: $30M award to informatics research center expands possibilities of precision health
A $30 million award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to the University of Michigan will dramatically boost the amount and type of genetic information stored in its massive TOPMed data center and used by researchers and healthcare providers around the world looking to genomes to treat disease.