The 2009 ASPH Annual Meeting will begin this Saturday, November 7 in Philadelphia, PA and run through Tuesday, November 10. Committees and councils will meet at the Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, Ten Avenue of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA. The ASPH Annual Meeting of the deans, also at the Ritz-Carlton, will be held on Monday, November 9. Information on the meeting is available here, and a draft agenda of meetings is posted here. There is no registration fee to attend the ASPH Annual Meeting. We look forward to seeing you!

This week, ASPH welcomed the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Public Health at Hunter College, led by Dean Kenneth Olden, and the University of Alberta School of Public Health, led by Dean Sylvie Stachenko, as new associate members. Both schools recently received approval from the Council on Education for Public Health to begin the accreditation process.

Dean Michael G. Perri has been named dean of the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, effective Friday, November 6. Dean Perri joined the college’s faculty in 1990 and has served as the interim dean since June 2007. A professor in the department of clinical and health psychology, Dean Perri has held several administrative positions in the college including associate dean for research and head of the health psychology division. His research findings have had a significant impact on theory, research and clinical care related to behavioral treatment of obesity.

ASPH has once again teamed up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to offer two new fellowship positions. The ASPH/NHTSA Public Health Fellowship Program is now seeking applicants who are early-career public health professionals with interest in injury prevention and behavioral research.  Placements will be offered with NHTSA’s Office of Behavioral Safety Research (BSR) and the Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), located at DOT headquarters in Washington, DC. 

On Monday, November 30 from 1-2:15 p.m. (Eastern), Public Health Reports will host a "Meet the Author!" webcast titled "Planning for a Pandemic—Can History Inform Action?" Speakers will include Dr. Howard Markel, George E. Wantz professor of The History of Medicine at the University of Michigan; Dr. Alexandra Stern, Zina Pitcher collegiate professor in The History Of Medicine at the University Of Michigan; and Dr. Marty Cetron, director of the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Host the traveling exhibit "Against the Odds: Making a Difference in Global Health" at your ASPH-member school of public health! The exhibit includes stories of those who take up the challenges to prevent disease and improve health care from multiple destinations around the world. An example is the "barefoot doctor program," which trained millions of young people to treat common ailments in rural China during the 1960’s and 70’s.

The "This is Public Health" (TIPH) campaign was developed by ASPH to raise awareness about the importance of public health in our daily lives, and uses stickers with the slogan "This is Public Health" placed in strategic locations around communities to build awareness of the many ways in which public health impacts our well being. The TIPH 2010 calendar features some of the best photos taken by public health supporters across the country and exemplifies public health in our homes, communities and workplaces. To order a calendar, please complete the order form available here. The form can also be found at www.thisispublichealth.org.

ASPH hosts a public health advocacy section on its web site, which provides an opportunity to share information on advocacy efforts with all ASPH members. The site also highlights information on policy priorities, including several policy papers exploring the nation’s public health priorities, and provides links to sources of legislative information and resources and tips on how to contact Members of Congress. ASPH will also use the web site to post alerts on activities on the Hill that are critical to public health. Visit www.asph.org/advocacy for more information.

ASPH regularly provides members and Friday Letter readers with information about grant opportunities. New opportunities are listed each week in the "Funding Opportunities" section of the Friday Letter. Readers can access a full listing of grant notices by visiting the "Funding for Faculty" section of the ASPH web site. You may want to bookmark this page (www.asph.org/document.cfm?page=747). Listed below are grant opportunities that have been posted within the last seven days.

Child Family Health International (CFHI) is a nonprofit that provides socially responsible, short-term global health education opportunities for health sciences students and recent graduates, with an emphasis on grassroots involvement of local communities. Programs are four to 12 weeks long with departure dates every month of the year.

Last summer, Ms. Rachel Clagett, a University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, physical therapy student, spent her July fitting prosthetic hands and providing rehabilitation to landmine survivors on the war-torn Thailand/Burma frontier. Ms. Clagett volunteered at three different sites—the Mae Tao Clinic, the Care Villa in the Mae La Refugee Camp and at a school for special needs migrant children, all on the Thailand border. The region has seen two million refugees flee from their homes since 1996, displaced by fighting between ethnic and government troops inside Burma.

In 2003, Ms. Zebo Ibragimova had a marketing degree from a leading university, and was primed to become part of an emerging free market economy in her native country of Uzbekistan. However, her interests changed when she took stock of what her job was all about. "I found I really didn’t like advertising products that I didn’t think were healthy," she said. That epiphany was the first step in a journey that landed her a two-year fellowship to study for a master’s degree in health promotion, education and behavior from the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health.

Breaking Bread: A Collection of Local and Global Community Recipes is a production of students and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) professor Dr. Frank Franklin in UAB’s graduate-level nutrition of mothers and children class. Many of the recipes reveal how different cultures share a three-food concept described by the authors as beans, greens and grains. Corn is one of North America’s most abundant grain crops, and the millet used in cereal is a dominant cereal crop in India. In Japan, the three foods often come together in one meal as rice, processed soybean and cooked vegetables.

The University of Iowa College of Public Health’s Former Worker Medical Screening Program hosted two open houses last week in honor of the newly designated Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance, which was celebrated last Friday, October 30. The screening program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, held the events to publicly recognize and commemorate former nuclear weapons workers who served their country by building and maintaining nuclear forces during World War II and the Cold War.

Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health hosted a Networking Night at the Eighth Floor Lounge at Twelve Centennial Park on October 7, 2009. The event presented current students with an opportunity to practice their networking skills and learn about various career paths from Rollins School of Public Health alumni and community partners. Approximately 200 students, alumni, and community partners were in attendance. Dr. Kathryn Graves, associate dean of development and external relations, was present to welcome the attendees.

Last week, the University of South Florida, College of Public Health provided over 1,500 seasonal flu shots to university and community members at two successful events—the 15^th annual COPH flu shot drive and the university’s capital campaign kickoff showcase event. The College of Public Health's primary partner was the Hillsborough County Health Department (HCHD), which provided the seasonal flu vaccines, clinical supplies and oversight. In addition, 50 College of Public Health students volunteered with 30 trained medical and nursing student volunteers. Public health students greeted and assisted people with consent forms, answered questions, directed participants through the building and provided valuable information at the mini health-fair area.

The largest national study to date on the effects of testosterone treatment is seeking men 65 and older to find out if correcting low levels of the male hormone improves physical and mental health. The Testosterone Trial (T Trial), a multi-center study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, will explore whether hormone therapy can improve diminished physical function, low vitality, impaired cognition, reduced sexual function, cardiovascular disease and anemia—all of which have been linked to low levels of testosterone.

The Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health has launched its new web site designed to communicate the School’s role in educating future public health leaders, cutting-edge research, and translation of science into impact.  The site highlights the school’s commitment to addressing today’s—and tomorrow’s—most pressing public health challenges both locally and globally, and conveys a currency, energy and culture of leadership and collaboration that is representative of the Mailman School’s mission and work.  

The New York City Public School system is the largest in the nation, serving 1.1 million children in 1,500 schools throughout the five boroughs of the City of New York. In September, Dean Linda P. Fried, dean of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health issued a challenge to faculty to think creatively about ways in which the school can partner with the NYC Department of Education in order to improve the health of New York City’s schoolchildren. A number of proposals were submitted and a review committee selected the top three.

The University at Albany Cancer Research Center (CRC) has been awarded $7 million in new funding to support its research into the causes, prevention and treatment of cancer, all with the goal of finding a cure for the disease.  The CRC, which opened in October 2005, combines the University's research expertise in genomics, bioinformatics, and biomedical sciences with cutting-edge technology to explore the genetic and environmental origins of the disease and to develop new therapies.

On Thursday, November 5, the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health became the 35th school to participate in SOPHAS, the Schools of Public Health Application Service. SOPHAS was launched in July 2006 and has proven to be a highly successful mechanism for both processing applications as well as attracting applicants from diverse backgrounds.

La Salud, a Latino/a health student organization at University of Michigan School of Public Health, hosted a celebration of the traditional Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos at the school on Monday, November 2. It was a chance to make traditional decorations like sugar skulls and cookies, but it was also a time to honor the memory of Latinos who have died of preventable diseases, and to educate the public about Latino health disparities.

The November 2009 supplement of the Journal of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (JAIDS), titled "HIV Scale-Up and Global Health Systems," was guest-edited by Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, professor of epidemiology and medicine and the global director of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP) at the Columbia University Mailman School, and Dr. Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organization’s Department of HIV/AIDS. The issue features articles by many distinguished authors including experts from the Mailman School of Public Health.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health has been awarded a total of $11.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to explore new ways to identify adolescents and young adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and link them to medical care.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have received a five-year, $10.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to evaluate several interventions to combat diarrheal disease in developing countries.

It was announced this week that Mr. Madieu M. Williams, a 2003 graduate of family science in the School of Public Health at University of Maryland, College Park and the free safety for the Minnesota Vikings, has donated $2 million to establish a global health center at the University. The Madieu Williams Center for Global Health Initiatives will follow a social determinants model to address public health issues of Prince George’s County and Sierra Leone.

In an effort to increase dialogue around and understanding of the multifaceted nature of malaria, the Regional Program against Malaria of the PAHO/WHO, along with George Washington’s World Health Center and the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF), will host "Malaria in the Americas Forum 2009: Counting Malaria Out—Towards the goals for 2010 and the Objectives for the Development of the U.N. Millennia." The forum will include the award ceremony for the "Champion Against Malaria in the Americas 2009" award, for which Dean Mario Henry Rodríguez López (INSP-Mexico) is one of the finalists.

Ms. Sara Rosenbaum, Hirsh professor of health law and policy and chair of the department of health policy at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, was named as one of three founding directors of FAIR Health, Inc. by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The not-for-profit corporation, established by Attorney General Cuomo as part of a legal settlement with the health insurance industry, has a stated mission of bringing "transparency, accountability and fairness" to the setting of prices for physician services by health insurers.

Dr. Sandro Galea has been named chair of the department of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Anna Cheskis Gelman and Murray Charles Gelman professor of epidemiology, effective January 1, 2010. Dr. Galea is an internationally renowned scholar whose research is concerned with the health of populations in the global context and addresses the social and economic determinants of population health, the epidemiology of mental health and substance use, and the consequences of conflict and mass trauma. Dr. Galea will succeed Dr. William Friedewald, the interim chair of the department of epidemiology.

Dr. Adaora Adimora, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) School of Medicine and adjunct professor of epidemiology at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, has been selected by The Root magazine as one of the top 100 African-American leaders. The Root, edited by Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., distinguished professor at Harvard University, is a daily online magazine that aims to provide thought-provoking news commentary from a variety of black perspectives. "The Root 100" is a new honor that highlights the leadership and service of African-American men and women whose work impacts their communities and the world.

Dr. Melissa Troester, assistant professor of epidemiology in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health, has been awarded a two-year, $300,000 grant from the Avon Foundation. Dr. Troester, also a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, will lead a study titled "Characterizing Variation in Breast Cancer Microenvironment." Her co-investigator is Dr. Keith Amos, assistant professor of surgery in the UNC School of Medicine and a UNC Lineberger faculty member.

Dr. Timothy Hoff, associate professor of health policy and management at the University at Albany School of Public Health, was featured on National Public Radio’s The Health Show discussing health reform this past week.  During the program, Health Reform School 2, Dr. Hoff explained the major differences between the existing bills in the Senate and House of Representatives.  In discussing the issue of cost savings, Dr. Hoff provided a Public Option "101" explanation of how each bill addresses the public option. 

Dr. Marie McCormick has been appointed head of a new working group of independent health experts who are monitoring the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. Independent health advisers begin monitoring safety of the swine flu vaccine on Monday, November 2, an extra step the government promised in this year's program to watch for possible side effects.

The University of Minnesota School of Public Health has appointed Dr. Bradley P. Carlin, head of the division of biostatistics. Dr. Carlin, who has been a professor in the school since 1991, will take over as division head in May 2010. He will work with other school leaders to solidify the division’s ranking as one of the top biostatistics units in the nation. In addition to continuing the high level of research productivity among the division’s faculty members, he will work to grow the division’s student body and educational programs, as well as its focus on collaborative, translational research.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the United States Senate unanimously confirmed Dr. Regina Benjamin as the nation’s Surgeon General.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Council of Public Representatives (COPR) celebrates a decade of service this year, and the NIH recognized the Council's anniversary with the NIH Engaging the Public in Research Week, which was held last week.

Three-year-old children who are exposed to more TV appear to be at an increased risk for exhibiting aggressive behavior, according to a report by researchers at the University at Albany and Tulane University. The article, by University at Albany School of Public Health researcher and lead author Dr. Jennifer Manganello, was published in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Dr. Catherine Taylor, assistant professor of community health sciences at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, was a co-author on the report.

Decreased physical activity may have little to do with the recent spike in obesity rates among U.S. adolescents, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prompted by growing concern that the increase was due to decreased physical activity associated with increased TV viewing time and other sedentary behaviors, researchers examined the patterns and time trends in physical activity and sedentary behaviors among U.S. adolescents based on nationally representative data collected since 1991. The review found signs indicating that the physical activity among adolescents increased while TV viewing decreased in recent years.

While other cities have adopted bans on alcohol advertising on public transit systems, Boston's MBTA system is allowing youths to be exposed heavily to such ads, some of which are designed to entice young people to drink, a new study by a team of Boston University (BU) School of Public Health researchers shows. The study, published online in the November supplement of the American Journal of Public Health, was led by Dr. Michael Siegel, professor of community health sciences at BU School of Public Health.

A study by Boston University School of Public Health researchers, published ahead of print in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, suggests that polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) may affect serum cholesterol levels in people.

In the latest Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders survey, experts in health care and health policy say they favor strengthening Medicare's ability to help control program costs and support broader health system reform.

Recognizing that strong primary care is the cornerstone of a high-functioning health care system, countries across the globe are making efforts to bolster their primary care systems by investing in information technology, round-the-clock access, and quality improvement, while simultaneously reforming delivery systems and payment policies. However, a new Commonwealth Fund survey of primary care physicians in 11 countries reveals that the United States lags far behind its peers in key measures of access, quality and use of health IT—undermining doctors' efforts to provide timely, high-quality care.

ASPH will regularly provide members and Friday Letter readers with links to other electronic newsletters that may be of interest to the public health community. Links to E-newsletters will be added to a web page found at www.asph.org/document.cfm?page=924. This week’s additions include:

On Tuesday, November 3, CES4Health.info, a free online resource for publishing diverse products of community-engaged scholarship, was officially launched to the public. The first twelve products accepted by CES4Health.info—including a film about health impacts of the built environment in post-Katrina New Orleans and a cultural competency curriculum for health professionals—reflect the depth and breadth of knowledge made possible through community-academic partnerships.

The Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights was established in 1999 to honor Dr. Jonathan Mann and highlight the vital link between health and human rights. Sponsored in 2007 by four organizations, Association François-Xavier Bagnoud, HealthRight International, John Snow, Inc. and the Global Health Council, the award is bestowed annually to a leading practitioner in health and human rights and comes with a substantial financial reward to allow its recipients a measure of freedom to pursue their work in the important area of global health and human rights.

The goal of the International Conference on Environmental Toxicology is to bring together researchers, managers, policy makers and other groups of the scientific community, who are active in the related areas and to give them a forum for exchanging information through the presentation and discussion of papers dealing with the wide variety of topics listed. Abstracts are currently being accepted for presentation.

On Thursday, November 12 at 12:30 p.m. (Eastern), scientists from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI) will present latest findings in the fight against malaria during an interactive web summit titled "Advances in Malaria: In the Lab and the Field." Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions in real time, and will be able to visit remotely the JHMRI insectary where mosquitoes are bred, raised and studied at the heart of the Institute’s scientific operations in Baltimore, MD. 

On Friday, November 13 from 1:15-5:30 p.m. (Eastern), the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the New York Academy of Sciences will host a symposium to address the complex issues surrounding water and health. Cited as one of the "grand challenges facing the 21^st century" by President Barack Obama, water remains a priority among many public health professionals and is the focus of Water and Health: Global Issues and Our Shared Responsibilities.

On Monday, November 23, the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) will celebrate "Public Health Thank You Day" with a free webinar on "How to Become CPH: Mysteries Revealed." Ms. Molly M. Eggleston, deputy executive director of NBPHE, will continue the dialogue about becoming Certified in Public Health (CPH) by describing the registration and eligibility verification procedures for the CPH exam. 

On Friday, December 4 from 1-5 p.m. (Eastern), Unite For Sight's founder and CEO will hold a half-day dynamic, immersive global health workshop. Currently, four billion people in the world own cell phones, including those in villages where healthcare is non-existent. This workshop is aimed at future leaders in global health who will gain skills and knowledge about global health delivery. The workshop will be a small, intimate forum with a limited capacity of no more than 10 participants.

New!
Volume 124
Issue 6
November/December 2009

Public Health Reports (PHR) is an informative and accessible resource for practitioners, teachers and students of public health. The Journal provides important research and key discussions on the major issues confronting the public health community. Subscribe Today! Click here to advertise in the Journal.

New!
Volume 124
STD Surveillance Supplement

Public Health Reports (PHR) is an informative and accessible resource for practitioners, teachers and students of public health. The Journal provides important research and key discussions on the major issues confronting the public health community. This supplement provides articles on strategies in sexually transmitted diseases (STD) surveillance. Subscribe Today! Click here to advertise in the Journal.