Healthcare Access Is Not Preventing Deaths among Pregnant, Postpartum People

A new study led by Eugene Declercq found that birthing people who died during pregnancy or postpartum from non-pregnancy-related causes had received significant amounts of hospital care. Nearly 70 percent of people who died during the postpartum period received hospital care after delivery and before their death. Read more.

EDUCATION

Boston University Names Melissa L. Gilliam 11th President

Melissa L. Gilliam, executive vice president and provost of The Ohio State University, will become Boston University’s 11th president beginning July 2024. The educator, research scientist, and physician holds an MPH among several other degrees. While attending Harvard Medical School, she collaborated with BUSPH researchers on a project about elderly health in Ecuador. Read more.

AWARDS

Michael Posner Receives 2023 Biostatistics Distinguished Alumni Award

Michael A. Posner (SPH’06) is a highly respected educator and scholar, with a research portfolio spanning the fields of statistics, public health, and education. Learn more.

RESEARCH

Both High and Low HDL Cholesterol Tied to Increased Risk of Dementia

Having either high or low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or “good” cholesterol, is tied to a small increased risk of dementia in older adults, according to a study by Maria Glymour. Read more.

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I am delighted with President Gilliam’s joining. Her track record of scholarship and commitment to social justice sharpen and elevate BU’s mission. It is a privilege to work at a university that places these ideas at the heart of our educational and scholarly mission.

DEAN SANDRO GALEA
ON MELISSA L. GILLIAM BECOMING BU'S 11TH PRESIDENT

_^”

WEDNESDAY

OCT

1–2:30 p.m.

Preventing Gun Violence: Next Steps for Academic Public Health

PUBLIC HEALTH CONVERSATION—ONLINE

Join SPH for a conversation with members of the ASPPH Gun Violence Prevention Task Force on long-term solutions to the nation's gun violence epidemic, focusing on education and training, research, policy and advocacy, and practice.

Finding 'Common Ground' on Guns

Ahead of the 10/11 PHC, David Hemenway, codirector of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, discuss gun violence, public health, and pathways forward with PHP fellow Sean Hagan.

STUDENT NEWS

Student Tackles Alcohol Safety in Activist Practicum

Dana Vasers brings expertise from her past career as a lawyer to the Massachusetts Alcohol Policy Coalition through a practicum funded by the Activist Lab. Read more.

POPULATION HEALTH EXCHANGE

Wildfires and Medical Visits

In a new episode of Free Associations, hosts Matthew Fox, Jessica Leibler, and guest host Amruta Nori-Sarma examine a study of the effect of proximity to wildfires on medical visits. Listen to the podcast.

PUBLIC HEALTH POST

Fire Is Ca tching

Smoke exposure from wildfires does not affect communities equally, with areas with higher social vulnerability scores experiencing the greatest health risks after exposure, writes PHP fellow Kara Schmidt in a new databyte. Read more.

WEDNESDAY

OCT

1–2:30 p.m.

Centering the Health of Indigenous Populations in the Public Health Agenda

PUBLIC HEALTH CONVERSATION—ONLINE

Join SPH for a conversation on the causes of disproportionately poor health among Indigenous populations in the US, reflecting on the role that historical injustice has played in shaping Indigenous health and how we can improve the health of Indigenous populations moving forward.