This last Monday, I had the honor of serving on a panel convened by two of our faculty members, Jennifer Tsui and Jesse Plascak, to address matters related to health disparities research.
Our panel, which included our colleagues Shawna Hudson and Kathryn Greene, discussed topics informed in great part by the biopsychosocial paradigm—one that recognizes that health challenges are driven by the complex synergy that exists between biomedical, emotional, social, and structural factors. It is why I have often said that HIV in the United States is as much a social phenomenon as viral one – a line that seems to have been coopted by Laura Spinney in her book about the 1981 flu,
The Pale Rider (a wonderful read if you have the time). Otherwise, why else would the disease continue to propagate itself in populations that are most marginalized?
During the conversation, I also reiterated my stance that public health must be an activist discipline not for the faint of heart and should not be conducted behind a computer, but rather our work must be rooted in working with and for the individuals, communities, and populations that we study. In the last 7 months, I have realized that this is also what our students believe and seek from their training.
While on the panel, I also thought of our colleague, Chongyi Wei, with whom I am now working on a proposed study of methamphetamine use in China. Anyone who has heard me talk about meth addiction knows that I always say, “No one wakes up one day and decides to be a meth addict. Life circumstances lead to these behaviors.” In light of this statement, I, like so many of you, believe that addressing behaviors is insufficient in eradicating health disparities; rather, we must attend equally to social conditions that fuel behaviors that, in turn, direct challenging health behaviors – be they addiction, tobacco use, condomless sex, obesity, or myriad other conditions. These chronic health conditions must be addressed by understanding the interplay of factors informed by a biopsychosocial paradigm first envisioned by George Engel in this seminal 1977
article. The role that social structures play in driving disease states is also explained eloquently by Richard Friedman in his June 30
th, 2017
New York Times editorial “What Cookies and Meth Have In Common.”
I was so happy to be part of this panel. The ethos of this conference very much aligns with the values we espouse at the Rutgers School of Public Health. As we train the next generation of scholars, educators, and advocates, let’s recognize that it is insufficient to equip them solely with skills to help shape health behaviors. Rather, we must also help them find their own voices and develop the strategies to fight discriminatory laws, policies, and social conditions that engender disease.
Sincerely,
Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH
Dean & Professor
Director, Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies (CHIBPS)
Rutgers School of Public Health
683 Hoes Lane West
Piscataway, NJ 08854
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"Keeping the Public in Public Health"
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Fatalistic Cancer Beliefs in Incarcerated
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Pamela Valera, PhD, assistant professor of social and behavioral health science, leads a study that reveals the thoughts and predispositions of African American and Hispanic incarcerated men toward cancer treatment and mortality: many showed a lack of confidence due to lack of knowledge about cancer topics knowledge learning about. However, that belief can be tempered through information-seeking and improving accessibility and availability of cancer information.
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Pollution and Cardiopulmonary Markers
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Pamela Ohman-Strickland, PhD, associate professor of biostaticstics, in collaboration with colleagues from Duke University and the Imperial College in London, leads a new study that compares pollution levels to cardiorespiratory performance in persons over age sixty with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study finds that the benefits of light exercise, are suppressed by the effects of pollutants like fine particulate matter, black carbon, and nitrogen dioxide.
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Unique HPV Vaccine Intervention
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Anne E. Ray, PhD, faculty in the department of social and behavioral health sciences, has co-authored a brief report examining the adaptation of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine messaging to self-serve kiosks using digital tablets. She concludes that research-tested interventions often require more development before they can be used widely; however, the media to deliver such interventions must fit naturally within users’ existing health systems.
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Cost-Benefit Analyses Examined
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Michael K. Gusmano, PhD, associate professor of health systems and policy, along with colleagues from the Hasting's Center, have edited a new report which examines the value of cost-benefit analysis techniques by researchers and policy makers who rely on them to assess the value of a broad array of public health interventions.
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Infant Drug Withdrawal and Nurse Workload
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Jeannette Rogowski, PhD, professor of health systems and policy, leads a study that examines the prevalence of newborns who suffer from drug withdrawal and how their needs affect the dynamics of neonatal Intensive Care Units (ICUs) as the opioid epidemic continues to grow.
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Dean Edits International Journal of Drug Policy Chemsex Supplement:
Dean Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH edited the International Journal of Drug Policy supplement on sexualized drug use among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities, globally.
Faculty Named a Top Influential Alumni:
Henry Raymond, DrPH, MPH, associate professor of epidemiology,
has been named one of Berkeley School of Public Health’s 75 most influential alumni. The award comes ahead of the school’s 75th anniversary celebration in April.
Faculty Earns Cancer Prevention and Control Award:
Faculty members in the department of epidmiology Drs. Jesse Plascak, Adana Llanos and Nan Stroup have been awarded the 2017 Cancer Prevention and Control Award by the Cancer Institute of New Jersey ($43,095). Led by Dr. Plascak, the award will fund a team of researchers in their latest study, "Spatial Uncertainty of Neighborhood Factors and Associations with Racial Disparities of Breast Cancer Prognostic Indicators."
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Inaugural Chair: Urban-Global Public Health
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We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Leslie M. Kantor, PhD, MPH, as the inaugural Chair of the Department of Urban-Global Public Health. Previously, Dr. Kantor was the Vice President of Education for Planned Parenthood Federation of America and a member of the faculty at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
Dr. Kantor is a leader in sexual and reproductive health whose work in sexuality education has influenced programs and policy on a national level.
Dr. Kantor will join us in April, 2018.
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Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, MD, has been named the 2018 Rutgers School of Public Health Convocation Speaker and Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Annual Award recipient. Dr. El-Sayed’s passion and commitment to our discipline are evidenced by his continued policy work and fight for health equity for all.
At just 30 years old, Dr. El-Sayed served as the Executive Director of the Detroit Health Department – the youngest health officer ever appointed in a major US city. He relentlessly championed and advocated for Detroit’s inner-city residents by leading efforts to increase water testing in Detroit’s schools during the Flint water crisis and providing Detroit’s school children with necessary corrective eye-wear.
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Art Reflects Public Health
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The
Rutgers School of Public
Health
an
d Mason Gross School of the Arts
collaborated to produce an art exhibition in the School of Public Health. The exhibition features works by Mason Gross visual arts undergraduates that focus on public health concerns, such as social and structural factors that drive health disparities.
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Assistant Professor of epidemiology Dr. Judith Graber, PhD, comments that more regulation, not less, needs to be put in place to protect coal miners from the recent resurgence of Black Lung disease.
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Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Dr. Bernadette Hohl, PhD, MPH, comments her latest collaboration with Columbia University on a study involving vacant lots and crime in Philadelphia.
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Assistant Professor of health systems and policy,
Dr. Shauna Downs, PhD, comments on the success of policies aimed at banning trans fat in products around the world.
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Associate Professor of health systems and policy, Dr. Michael Gusmano,PhD, discusses the pros and cons of cost-benefit analysis on society and public health.
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New Water Bottle Filling Stations
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As a school of public health, promoting healthy habits is both natural and our duty! That’s why we are thrilled to announce that we have installed new water bottle filling stations on every floor of the Rutgers School of Public Health – New Brunswick. Not only will these new stations help us stay hydrated, but they also help us do our part in keeping the earth a greener place.
P.S. We've already saved 200 water bottles in just under a week!
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Meet Deloris Dockrey, MPH’02! She is the Clinic Director for Hyacinth Health and Wellness Clinic, a new initiative in Newark that provides medical care for the community. Formerly, Deloris was the Director of Community Organizing and New Jersey Women Advocacy Network (NJWAN) at the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation. The Hyacinth Foundation is New Jersey’s oldest and largest AIDS service organization, where she has directed public education, AIDS prevention, and community action campaigns to raise awareness and encourage action to address the social crisis caused by HIV/AIDS.
As a person living with HIV, Ms. Dockrey has a personal as well as professional interest in public health policies related to the HIV epidemic. She has trained and mobilized people living with HIV to advocate for policies that impact their access to care, treatment, support, and prevention services.
Deloris is trained in prevention intervention programs for teen girls and women living with HIV. These interventions include SIHLE (Sisters Informing Healing Living and Empowering) and WILLOW (Women Involved in Life Learning from other Women). In addition, she supervises the NJPREP grant that provides prevention interventions to teen girls and boys in three cities in New Jersey.
“I have worked in public health since 1999 mostly in community mobilization, training, and advocacy, and am now working to ensure that patients can access medical service,” says Deloris. “My time at the Rutgers School of Public Health was phenomenal and I was able to put into practice the theories I had learned.”
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21st Century Seminar Series
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"Flexible Models for Causal Inference and Prediction: A tail in parts," presented by Jason Roy, PhD.
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21st Century Seminar Series:
"Role of Policies and Environments in Shaping Behaviors and Health Outcomes," presented by Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, PhD.
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Rutgers Giving Day:
Support scholarships and other initiatives by donating to the Rutgers School of Public Heath on March 21.
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Perry's Power Hour:
Chat with Dean Perry N. Halkitis about issues important to YOU (or the latest episode of
This is Us). Pizza will be served.
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Gun Violence and Public Health:
A forum on gun violence as a public health issue and the impact it has on physical, mental and social health.
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Public Health Symposium:
"New Skills for a New Age: Changing our future together," with keynote, panel, and poster sessions
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April 18
12:00PM - 1:00PM
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21st Century Seminar Series
:
"Reflection on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy,
”
presented by Adam Oliver, PhD.
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April 21
12:00PM - 1:00PM
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Spinning for Scholarships
Spin in-person or virtually with Dean Perry N. Halkitis for student scholarships.
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ICYMI: 21st Century Seminar Series
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“
Cancer Survivorship in Older Adults: A Growing Concern
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presented by Aasha Hoogland, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at the Moffitt Cancer Center.
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“
HIV Prevention in the Digital Age: Is there an app for that?
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presented by Jose Bauermeister, PhD, associate professor of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania.
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“Improving the Health of Adolescents and Young Adults: Sociocontextual and cultural determinates of HIV-related behaviors”
presented by Tamara Taggart, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at Yale University.
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ICYMI: New York City Epidemiological Forum
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Keynote: "Promoting Health Equity Throughout the Life Course," by Mary E. Northridge, PhD, MPH.
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Presentation: "Antiretroviral Therapy Next Step in Care Following Linkage to HIV Care in Three Public Clinics in South Africa," by Reese Sy, BA, Theresa M. Exner, PhD, Cheng-Shiun Leu, PhD, and Susie Hoffman, DrPH.
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Presentation: "Gut Microbiota, Arsenic Exposure and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness," by Fen Wu, PhD
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- Learn about our 30+ graduate certificates, degrees, and dual degrees;
- Chat with faculty and staff in your area/s of interest;
- Meet Dean Perry N. Halkitis;
- Interact with current students; and
- Have all of your questions answered by our admissions staff!
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You can still join Team #RUSPH for the annual Rutgers Unite Half Marathon & 8K on April 8, 2018!
All are welcome to join our team and show their #RutgersPride.
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Getting Social @RutgersSPH
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Follow and interact with the Rutgers School of Public Health (@RutgersSPH) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Tag us in your posts and show us how you're "keeping the public in public health," for a chance to be featured on our social media accounts and in
The Scarletter
.
Follow and interact with Dean Perry N. Halkitis (@DrPNHalkitis) on Twitter and Instagram.
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Have an idea for an editorial?
Do you want to tell your story?
Did you just win an award?
Have a cool job in public health?
Did you just publish?
We want to tell your story - email Michelle Edelstein (mse46@sph.rutgers.edu) to learn more.
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Donating to the Rutgers School of Public Health supports scholarships for students to be engaged in discovery-based learning through research and practice activities working with populations who experiencing health disparities here in New Jersey, in our country, and globally. By giving, you are helping us further our mission – we thank you. To donate, follow the URL and type “School of Public Health” in the search box.
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Rutgers School of Public Health
Rutgers School of Public Health
683 Hoes Lane West
Piscataway, NJ 08854
732-235-9700
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