PHS News Archive
Cape Town, South Africa resides on the Southeast coast of Africa, and is known for its stunning views, booming economic and cultural hub, and beautiful harbor. However, did you know…
Congratulations to PHS Faculty Promoted & Tenured for 2023-2024!
Congratulations to all of the newly promoted and tenured School of Medicine faculty on their hard work and excellence, which has been recognized by the SOM Promotion and Tenure Committee…
Saying “Kathmandu”, the name of the capital city of Nepal, just sounds like it would be an exotic and exciting place. While the city’s vast number of attractions include ancient and…
Nao Hagiwara, Ph.D., Professor in PHS and Director of the Program on Health Disparities and Community Engagement Research, has received funding from the UVA Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) for…
PHS Associate Professor Jennifer M. Lobo is the senior author of a recently accepted manuscript, “Optimization of Periodic Care Locations to Improve Equity of Specialty Care Services,” in Computers and…
Melissa Little, PhD, MPH Recognized as UVA Uteam Member of the Month
During spring 2024, Melissa Little, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor in PHS, was recognized as the UVA Uteam Member of the Month. Gabrielle Laskey, MA, a clinical research coordinator who previously…
Public Health Sciences Assistant Professor Kathryn Quissell recently led a research team of four UVA students (Sona Kalatardi, Momore Del-Davidson, Seth Tersteeg, and Meagan Gillette) to Kilifi County, Kenya, on…
Welcome, Matthew J. Gurka, PhD, Chair, Public Health Sciences!
We welcome Matthew J. Gurka, PhD, back to UVA as he starts his appointment as Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences on Monday, February 12, 2024! Dr. Gurka…Dr. Kelsie Kelly Smith Attended the State of Black Health Conference in Puerto Rico
In early September, Kelsie Kelly Smith, PhD, MPH, attended the State of Black Health Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Hosted by the Center for Black Health and Equity, the…
Decision-making can be difficult, but when it comes to cancer treatment, that difficulty can be multiplied enormously due to the many unknowns dealing with cancer. However, researchers from UVA, the…
Dr. Kelsie Kelly Smith, PHS Assistant Professor is Giving Back
Supporting the local community is a key initiative in the University's 2030 Strategic Plan to, in part, make UVA synonymous with service. President Jim Ryan is leading a University commitment…
Public Health Sciences and Community-Based Health Equity Research Program (CBHE) research was recently presented at the Virginia Public Health Association (VPHA) Annual Conference in Richmond, VA. The research highlighted iSIPsmarter,…
Dr. M. Norman Oliver Returns to UVA’s School of Medicine to Share His Healthcare Insights
Dr. M. Norman Oliver returned this fall to the UVA School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences. As a Professor, he teaches a course entitled, “PHS 7200 U.S. Healthcare:…
“Race policy and Health: It’s not what you say, it’s what you do” is the title of the STEAM-H Seminar presented by Kelsie D. Kelly, PhD, MPH at Virginia State…
Rebecca Krukowski, PhD, professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia, School of Medicine, and her team have received $3.37 million over five years for a grant to…
Dr. Balkrishnan Visits Nepal to Jumpstart Research on Air Pollution and Environmental Health
Dr Rajesh Balkrishnan, Professor of Public Health Sciences, recently visited Nepal to jumpstart research related to reducing the effects of air pollution on environmental health in Nepal. He was accompanied…Kathryn Quissell, PhD, Publishes Article Exploring the Role of Moral Values in Political Conflict
Dr. Kathryn Quissell, an Assistant Professor and a political scientist in the Department of Public Health Sciences, recently published an article in International Studies Review exploring the role of moral…Lobo, Colleagues Report Findings Annual Wellness Check Reduces Risk of Diabetes Amputations
A report of findings from a study conducted by Public Health Sciences researchers found that annual wellness check-ups can significantly reduce the risk of lower-extremity amputations in diabetes patients. The…
The School of Medicine recently announced the promotion of 52 faculty members, including the following from the Public Health Sciences faculty: Promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor Aaron Pannone…
Ratcliffe, Miller Recognized for Research and Teaching by School of Medicine
Sarah J. Ratcliffe, Ph.D., Professor of Public Health Sciences, and Clint L. Miller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences, were recently recognized by the University of Virginia School of…
Dr. Nolan Wages is the Principal Investigator of a recently awarded NIH/NCI R01 entitled “Dose-finding designs for late-onset toxicities.” This project aims to develop novel early-phase clinical trial designs that…
UVA Master of Public Health students presented at the Virginia Public Health Association’s 2021 Annual Conference & Student Research Day. The theme of this year’s conference was “Virginia’s Public Health…
MPH Student Caroline Conrad helped lead UVA’s interdisciplinary "Team Spindalis," which won third place last weekend in the University of Minnesota's 2021 Clarion Case Competition for their program “Per Pares…
Dr. Rupa Valdez, an associate professor in Public Health Sciences and Engineering Systems and Environment, has been honored with two national appointments. She will serve on the Board of Directors for the…
Your Life Matters Vaccine Clinics: A Community Approach to Vaccine Equity
Dr. Jeanita Richardson and Jackie Martin (Director of Community Outreach, Sentara & Candidate MPH, UVA ) collaborated with local pastors and volunteers to host Your Life Matters COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics…Valdez Leading Efforts to Organize Vaccine Events for Disability Community
Dr. Rupa Valdez has been leading efforts to create vaccination events focused on the disability community -- in partnership with many members of the UVA Health System, Virginia Department of…
New research led by Rajesh Balkrishnan, PhD, Professor of Public Health Sciences at UVA School of Medicine, finds that significant disparities still exist in protecting infants from preventable chronic diseases…
Webb Named White House Senior Policy Adviser for COVID-19 Equity
The Office of President-Elect Biden has appointed Cameron Webb, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Public Health Science, as a Senior Policy Advisor for COVID-19 Equity on the White House COVID-19…Ratcliffe Joins Executive Board of International Biometric Society
Professor Sarah J. Ratcliffe has been elected to the Executive Board of the International Biometric Society (). She will serve a four year term starting in January 2021. The International…Ratcliffe Elected Fellow of the American Statistical Association
Professor Sarah J. Ratcliffe has been elected as a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. She was honored “For the development and application of statistical methodology in women’s health, HIV,…Valdez Awarded COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant from the UVA Global Infectious Diseases Institute
Rupa S. Valdez, PhD, assistant professor of Public Health Sciences and Engineering Systems and Environment received a research grant from the UVA Global Infectious Diseases Institute for a study that…Valdez Receives Collaborative Excellence in Public Service Award
Rupa S. Valdez, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences, has been named co-recipient of the Provost’s Office Award for Collaborative Excellence in Public Service. Valdez is recognized alongside colleagues…Dean Wilkes Addresses Co-Sponsored Class on Responsible Conduct of Research
UVA School of Medicine Dean David Wilkes, M.D., was a recent guest lecturer during a session of the Methodology, Ethics, and Regulations of Research Involving Human Subjects course co-sponsored by…McMurry, UVA Colleagues Recognized by Royal Statistical Society For Research Findings
Associate Professor Tim McMurry and colleagues from UVA's Center for Applied Biomechanics have been recognized by the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) of the United Kingdom's 3rd annual Statistic of the…
Shantell Bingham (UVA MPH '14) was recently selected as a speaker for TEDx Charlottesville 2019. See the full story here.
Kelly Participates In COMRADE Research Training Program Funded By NIH-NINDS
Dr. Kelsie Kelly is participating in COMRADE (COngruent Mentorship to Reach Academic Diversity in neurosciencE research), a year long program that begins with a two-week mentored research institute at NYU…Balkrishnan: Life-Saving Breast Cancer Drugs Going Untaken in Appalachia
Nearly a third of breast cancer survivors in Appalachia are not taking the life-saving follow-up treatment, despite have insurance to pay for it, a troubling new study has found. …
Dr. Kathryn Quissell is presenting two of her latest research projects at the International Public Policy Association’s International Conference, taking place in Montreal, Canada from June 26th-28th. Her first project,…
Balkrishnan, Alcala Publish Findings on Role of Family Adversity in Childhood Mental Health Services
The department's resident health policy guru hasn't let her impending retirement slow her down. See a sampling of her recent mentions in various news outlets through the links below. Healio…
Engelhard to Take Part in Medical Center Hour Discussion on Medicaid Expansion in Virginia
Our very own Health Policy guru will be taking the stage with the Honorable David Toscano, 57th District Delegate to the Virginia General Assembly, and UVA Health System's Chief Medical…
Scheduled to graduate in December 2017 with his MPH, Emmanuel Agyemang-Dua was awarded a coveted internship at the World Health Organization, a dream he had held for several years. Working…
Our resident health policy guru, Carolyn Englehard, has been much in demand of late to explain some the puzzling aspects and changes in the health care landscape. WVTF: Comsumers Complain…
Dr. Elizabeth T. Rogawski is PI on a recently funded career development award (K01) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. She is mentored by Dr. Richard Guerrant…
Dr. Joellen Schildkraut is a recent recipient of two R01 grants from the National Cancer Institute, one in 2017 and one in 2018. Title: Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis of Breast…
Yan receives R01 from NIDDK to study higher incidence of end-stage renal disease in minorities
Dr. Guofen Yan recently received new R01 funding from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The project will use a rigorous statistical modeling approach to address…Sohn and Lobo awarded R01 from National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Dr. Min-Woong Sohn and Dr. Jennifer M. Lobo are PIs on a recently funded R01 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. They are joined on…Public Health Sciences Mourns the Loss of Our Dear Colleague George Stukenborg
George Joseph Stukenborg, age 55, of Earlysville, VA, passed away on July 21st, 2017. George was born on October 11th, 1961 in Louisville, Kentucky. George graduated from St. Xavier High…Engelhard interviewed on soaring premiums, presidential influence on health care spending
Our resident health policy expert stays in demand, weighing in with information about the health insurance coverage gap, presidential actions that could worsen wasteful tests and treaments, and the soaring…Balkrishnan Delivers Grand Rounds at University of São Paulo Cancer Center
Dr. Rajesh Balkrishnan, Professor of Public Health Sciences and Director of the Cancer Population Health Core was recently invited by the University of São Paulo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil…
The phrase “reach one teach one” came full circle this year for the MPH Program as Dr. Kelsie Kelly (UVA-MPH '12) returned to UVA's MPH program to do research, teach,…
MPH Students Attend VPHA Research Day; Rogers’ Poster Takes 2nd Place
MPH Students recently participated in the 2017 Virginia Public Health Association Research Day. Pictured are (L to R): Katie Labgold, Tim Folsom, and Courtney Rogers. Courtney won 2nd place for…MPH Students, Faculty Help Launch Community Mental Health Intiative
The Help Happens Here Campaign is a public awareness and stigma reduction campaign spearheaded by the Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition. UVA MPH Program students and faculty helped inform…
Jamie Zoellner, PhD, RD, Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences and Associate Director, Cancer Center without Walls at the UVA Cancer Center, has been recognized by the American Journal of…
Engelhard Writes: When it comes to ObamaCare, fear is the great equalizer
Our resident health care policy expert, Carolyn L. Engelhard, writes regularly for The Hill. Read her latest exploration of the intricacies of American health care policy here.
The Charlottesville Podcasting Network has just posted "Wake-Up Call: The Affordable Care Act: Repeal & Replace or Remain" featuring Carolyn Engelhard's interview on 94.7 FM WPVC at:
Engelhard cited in State-Wide Coverage of AHCA Financial Impact on Virginians
In a story from the Richmond Times Dispatch picked up state-wide, Carolyn Engelhard and others describe the shifting of health care costs to consumers and dramatic cuts in Medicaid that…Engelhard Writes: The new healthcare crisis? Doctor burnout, thanks to paperwork.
Our resident health care policy expert, Carolyn L. Engelhard, writes regularly for The Hill. Read her latest exploration of the intricacies of American health care policy here.Lobo, Anderson, Horton Part of ACS-Funded Study of Novel Urology-Telemedicine Model
[one_half_end_last] [/one_half_last]Engelhard takes Part in Expert Panel on National Financial Management Website
Our resident health policy expert is once again on the national stage, this time fielding questions about the Affordable Care Act as part of a panel of experts weighing in…Engelhard Writes: Are ‘right-to-try’ laws good medicine or partisan politics?
Our resident health care policy expert, Carolyn L. Engelhard, writes regularly for The Hill. Read her latest exploration of the intricacies of American health care policy here.
Rajesh Balkrishnan, PhD, Professor of Public Health Sciences, recently toured the state of Karnataka, India where he trained several groups of pharmacy and medical students in public health research by…
Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences Aaron Pannone represented the department in presentations to the MAPP 2 Health Leadership Council on Wednesday, August 17th at City Space in downtown Charlottesville. …
Héctor E. Alcalá, PhD, MPH, CPH, post doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Public Health Sciences was recently named the recipient of a Dean's Outstanding Student Award by the…
Rajesh Balkrishnan, PhD, Professor of Public Health Sciences, Director of the Cancer Control Core, and UVA Cancer Center Co-Director, Population Health and Prevention Research recently led a workshop at…
Valdez and UVA Co-PIs awarded RO1 from National Library of Medicine
Dr. Rupa Valdez (Public Health Sciences), Dr. Steve Patek (Systems and Information Engineering), Dr. Mark Deboer (Pediatric Endocrinology), and Dr. Daniel Chernavvsky (Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences) are PIs on a…Balkrishnan: Report on U.S. Kidney Disease Care shows major cost, garners major press
A recent report using data from the the U.S. Renal Data System of the care and cost of renal disease shows an enormous and growing health care issue. PHS's Rajesh…Targonski named Director of Research for Division of GGPC&HM
Dr. Paul Targonski has accepted the new role of Director of Research for the Division of General, Geriatrics, Palliative Care and Hospital Medicine of the University of Virginia Health System. "Paul…Balkrishnan, Cancer Center colleagues featured in Cavalier Daily, UVAToday
Research by the Department's Rajesh Balkrishnan and colleagues in the Cancer Center has been featured in The Cavalier Daily and UVAToday.Yan and Colleagues Present at Nephrology Society Annual Meeting
Professor of Public Health Sciences Guofen Yan and colleagues recently presented study findings to further the understanding of minorities’ survival advantage on dialysis at the 2015 American Society of Nephrology…
Our resident health care policy expert, Carolyn L. Engelhard, writes regularly for The Hill. Read her latest explanation of the intricacies of American health care policy here.
Yan, et al. publish findings shedding light on state-level variations in treatment of kidney disease
More than 600,000 Americans in 2012 were treated for kidney failure (end-stage renal disease or ESRD). A growing body of evidence indicates that many of these patients could have experienced…Research Team Applies 2SFCA to Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment in Appalachia
A research team including Public Health Sciences' Rajesh Balkrishnan, Roger Anderson, and Fabian Camacho recently turned up more detailed evidence of barriers to cancer diagnosis and treatment with the novel…
Jeanita W. Richardson, Ph.D., has distinguished herself nationally as an expert in facilitating the education and health collaborations needed to create and sustain school-based health care centers (SBHCs), a healthcare…
Professor Rajesh Balkrishnan recently presented a workshop entitled "Disease Registry Data to Improve Healthcare and Clinical Effectiveness' in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The workshop was funded by the World Health Organization (WHO) and…
Economists tell us that setting the price of a good or service depends on market forces that balance supply and demand in order to optimize output with minimal waste. This…
Renowned genetic epidemiologist Stephen Rich, PhD, director of the University of Virginia Center for Public Health Genomics, has been honored with one of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's (JDRF) most…
Watching television as little as an hour a day are significantly more likely to be overweight or obese and gain more unhealthy weight over time, according to a new study from the…