July 24, 2022
SPH This Week.
SPH This Week is taking a short break and will return on Sunday, Aug. 21. Until then, take a look back at some of the work that the SPH community has engaged in this year.
ABORTION ACCESS
SPH faculty and alums react to the Supreme Court’s monumental decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and explain what happens next for abortion—and health equity—across America.
ABORTION ACCESSSPH students weigh in on the abortion ban in America, and discuss how the public health community can best respond in this moment. |
ABORTION ACCESSModerated by Nicole Huberfeld, an SPH Public Health Conversation on June 9 drew legal and public health scholars to discuss the consequences of restrictions on abortion. |
PUBLIC HEALTH POST
In a new Viewpoint, PHP fellows and editors analyze how the decision to overturn federal abortion protection rolls back reproductive rights and affects health.
WAR
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created a humanitarian crisis that will affect the public’s health for months and years to come. SPH faculty members Donald Thea, Monica Onyango, C. Robert Horsburgh, Kimberly Sullivan, Jaimie Gradus, George Annas, and Sondra Crosby weigh in on the health challenges resulting from the catastrophic events of this unprovoked war.
PUBLIC HEALTH CONVERSATIONAt an SPH seminar in March, experts discussed the long-term effects of war on the health of populations. |
REFUGEESMPH student Natasha Dukach co-founded the nonprofit organization Cash for Refugees to support Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s attacks. In this video and reflection, Dukach recounts the harrowing situation that families are experiencing at the Ukrainian border. |
PRACTICE
MPH students Hannah Henrikson and Daisy Ramirez discuss their work as Activist Fellows with Health Resources in Action and how the experience has affected their time at SPH.
In the school’s first in-person Convocation since 2019, the SPH community, families, and friends gathered to celebrate the 2022 graduates at the BU Track & Tennis Center on Saturday, May 21.
Jacqueline Milton Hicks, associate professor of biostatistics, featured in website designed to celebrate the achievements of Black scholars in the mathematical sciences.
Developed in partnership with the Massachusetts DPH, the trainings will ensure healthcare workers stay up to date with the latest information and resources surrounding infection control in Massachusetts.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Gregory Wellenius leads the center, which launched on Earth Day and aims to develop and translate research to help communities become more resilient to worsening climate change.
Dielle Lundberg, SPH alum and research fellow, is collaborating with Boston College researchers who are using art, education, and research to tackle the environmental injustices of textile pollution.
A study by Marcia Pescador Jimenez suggests that increasing residential exposure to greenspace may improve processing speed and attention, and overall cognitive function.
On extremely hot summer days, US adults were at an increased risk of visiting emergency rooms for mental health crises, according to a study led by Amruta Nori-Sarma.
GUN POLICY
In the wake of the latest mass shooting at a US school, SPH community members discuss the critical policies and strategies that are urgently needed to prevent more senseless deaths.
DEAN'S NOTEDean Sandro Galea shares thoughts on recent legislation and threats to the dignity and health of LGBTQ+ populations. |
MENTAL HEALTHA study led by Jaimie Gradus showed that modest dips in national suicide rates since 2019 obscure disparities in suicide mortality among non-White racial/ethnic groups and other vulnerable populations. |
DEIJ
One way we can address the challenge of microaggressions is by talking about them as a community in a climate of mutual understanding, compassion, and respect, writes Yvette Cozier, associate dean for diversity, equity, inclusion & justice.
The updated plan embodies our continued commitment to DEIJ and provides a framework for advancing this work throughout all that we do.
Craig Andrade, associate dean for practice and director of the Activist Lab, and Charles Daniels, co-founder of Father’s UpLift, discuss the role that fathers play in their children’s lives and the importance of building community in order to heal.
Researchers assessed the relationship between patient race, estimated and actual oxygen levels, and clinical outcomes, writes PHP fellow Abby Outterson.
DEAN'S NOTE
Dean Sandro Galea discusses what the tragic milestone can teach us about our pursuit of health.
COVID-19An analysis led by Andrew Stokes, indicates that nearly 940,000 people died in the US beyond expected totals in the first two years of the pandemic—and more than 18 percent of these deaths were not counted as COVID-19 deaths. |
PUBLIC HEALTH POSTIn the first segment of a four-part series, PHP fellows Barbara Espinosa and Connor McCombs examine how the criminalization and stigma of sex work affects workers in various sectors of the sex industry. |
MATERNAL HEALTHA new study coauthored by Eugene Declercq found that Black and Hispanic mothers bore the greatest burden of maternal deaths after 2020. |
COVID-19During the January 22 episode of Saturday Night Live, Weekend Update co-anchor Michael Che referenced a new study on COVID-19 vaccination and fertility by Lauren Wise and Amelia Wesselink. |
In Memoriam
SPH remembers the lives and indelible achievements of two faculty members, mentors, and friends.
SCHOOL NEWS
The rankings now place SPH at No. 6 among all schools and programs of public health in the country, up from No. 8.
POPULATION HEALTH EXCHANGEPopulation Health Exchange, SPH's public health resource and continuing education hub, has offered courses, programs, webinars, and more to users around the globe since 2017. This video and blog post captures highlights of this work over the past five years. |
HEALTH POLICYDean Sandro Galea was sworn in to the position by interim city clerk Alex Geourntas on Friday, June 3, at City Hall. |
In the Media.
TODAY.COM
Quotes Wendy Mariner, emeritus professor of health law, ethics & human rights.
THE ATLANTIC
Quotes and mentions research by Jacob Bor, associate professor of global health and epidemiology.
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Quotes Gregory Wellenius, professor of environmental health and director of the Center for Climate and Health.
BOSTON GLOBE
Opinion piece cowritten by Kevin Outterson, associate professor of health law, ethics & human rights.
ABC NEWS
Quotes Sandro Galea, dean and Robert A. Knox Professor.
USA TODAY
Quotes Matthew Raifman, doctoral student in environmental health.
WASHINGTON POST
Quotes Bernard Harlow, professor of epidemiology.
BOSTON.COM
Quotes Julia Raifman, assistant professor of health law, policy & management.
POPULAR SCIENCE
Quotes Amelia Wesselink, research assistant professor of epidemiology.
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