Advocacy

construction worker working on a roof

Labor Organizing: An Unexpected Avenue to Health Equity

Leah R. Abrams, MPH ’17

Inequities in socioeconomic status or class are an essential cause of health differences in the US. On the surface, labor organizations might not appear to be about public health, but any group that aims to reduce social inequality is ultimately helping to reduce health disparities.

vaccines and syringes

Vaccines and Wealth: Another Take on the Unvaccinated

Sharoni Bandyopadhyay

With outbreaks in thirty states, debate surrounding vaccine safety and vaccine refusal has stirred. How do we continue to keep everyone safe from diseases we know how to prevent and what role do wealth disparities play vaccine non-compliance?

illustration of a microscope, and a magnifying glass studying a DNA sample

Tracking a Killer: Disease Behavior and Epidemiology's Detective Tools

Betsy Foxman

You don't have to know an organism to track its effects. This fundamental insight into the relationship between humans and pathogens helps public health professionals act even when they have only imperfect information. Just as importantly, says Betsy Foxman, is the will to act—for the benefit of everyone in the community—when good science tells us the time is now.

A father plays outside with his young son

Fatherhood and Public Health

A Father's Day Q&A with Professor Cleopatra Caldwell

Growing evidence suggests that engaged fatherhood improves the health and mental health of men and their children. As we celebrate dads of all kinds this Father's Day, Cleopatra Howard Caldwell, PhD — Professor and Chair of Health Behavior and Health Education, and Director of the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health — explores the connections between fatherhood and public health, her latest work on the Fathers and Sons Project, and the ways bringing fathers and the sons together impacts health for all.

Translating Public Health Research Illustration

Translating Public Health Research

Part 5 in Our 'What Is Public Health?' Video Series

In classrooms, labs, and communities, public health reveals deeper understandings about human health. But to empower populations and impact lives for the better, that knowledge has to be shared. In this new video from our 'What Is Public Health' series, learn how...

stressed teenage student sitting outside of school

Bridging the Gap: Connecting Public Health and Public Schools to Support Students

Laura Hollander, MPH '19

Many Michigan public schools are under pressure to improve student grades and test scores. But currently the connection between student grades and student health is under-recognized. To improve student health, schools should include public health programs about mental and behavioral health in classrooms.