News
Bike to School
John Steward and Christine Stauber, faculty in the Institute of Public Health, along with faculty colleagues from the College of Arts and Sciences and students throughout the university, are leading an effort to increase bicylcle use and safety on the Georgia State campus. Read more here.
IPH Faculty Member Awarded CDC-GSU Seed Award
Dr. Christine Stauber was recently awarded a 100K CDC-GSU Seed Award for a study on the "Evaluation of Education through Listening, a community engagement methodology, to promote the adoption of safe household water treatment behaviors in communities in Western Kenya." Her study will be conducted over the next two years and will involve annual trips to Kenya and collaborations with CDC personnel. Dr. Stauber's grant was one of up to five awards funded under this initiative. For more details on this award and other funding opportunities, click here.
Geographic analysis of health data--unique capabilities of GIS
Dr. Dajun Dai, Assistant Professor at Georgia State University and part of the Partnership for Urban Health Research is from the Department of Geosciences. He was the first speaker of the 2009-2010 session for Grand Rounds. Dr. Dai’s talk focused on the possible applications of GIS from a public health perspective. In particular, he spoke about his current research that focuses on the relationships between late stage breast cancer rates and the distance to the nearest local cancer screening centers. He also discussed the vast array of mapping capabilities various GIS programs have and the courses offered through the Department of Geosciences.
IPH Hosts Chinese Delegation
The Institute of Public Health was pleased to host a delegation from the People's Republic of China who were visiting the United State to discuss health policy and the social determinants of health. Joining the discussion was former Surgeon General David Satcher, currently at Morehouse School of Medicine. Pictured from left to right are:
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Professor Dong Zhe, Chief Operating Officer of Global Health Institute at Peking University
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Professor David Satcher, Former Surgeon General of the United States
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Professor Guo Yan, Chair of Global Health, PU School of Public Health, WHO Commissioner of Social Determinants
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Professor Meng Qingyue, Executive Director, China Center for Health Development at Peking University
MPH Student Leads Efforts to Increase Walking to School
Susan Henderson, MD, a second year MPH student is leading the effort to encourage elementary school students in DeKalb County to walk to school. Watch a short video of Susan's efforts here.
The Institute Welcomes Bruce Perry to the IPH Faculty
Dr. Bruce Perry has joined the Institute of Public Health as Visiting Professor for the 2009-2010 academic year. Dr. Perry has served as a senior executive in integrated healthcare systems and multi-specialty medical groups. He will teach courses on Healthcare systems, Healthcare quality, and Leadership in healthcare. To learn more about Dr. Perry, click here.
IPH Welcomes Largest MPH Class
The Institute of Public Health (IPH) welcomed its largest class of students to the MPH degree program at its Fall Orientation this year. Close to 40 students will be starting this fall in the MPH program and ten in the Graduate Certificate of Public Health program. IPH is entering its 5th year and will graduate its 100th student this academic year. Click here to enlarge image.
Dr. Rothenberg Selected as one of three Global Health Mentors
The International Association of National Public Health Institutes has selected Richard Rothenberg, MD, MPH, Professor in the Institute of Public Health, as one of three mentors to help develop global health research capacity. Dr. Rothenberg has been paired with Dr. Mary Mayige of the National Institute for Medical Research in Tanzania. Click here for more.
IPH Director Comments on Effective Tobacco Control Programs
Michael Eriksen, Director of the Institute of Public Health, published an editorial in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the effectiveness of counter-marketing programs in reducing teen tobacco use. Click here for more.
IPH Hosts Colombian Public Health Experts
Six public health experts from Colombia, interested in chronic disease and obesity prevention, visited the Institute of Public Health to discuss mutual approaches to obesity prevention and possible future collaborations.
IPH Faculty Receive Center of Excellence Designation
On July 1, the Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) was awarded a $2.6 million, five-year grant as a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). CLD is located within the Center for Healthy Development in the College of Health and Human Sciences. Funding comes from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (DHHS) to support CLD's mission of translating research into sustainable community practices that contribute to independent, self-determined, inclusive, and productive lives. Dan Crimmins, Ph.D. serves as the Director of the University Center for Excellence.
Accountable Communities : Healthy Together- Asthma (ACHT-A)
Acollaborative between the Georgia State University Institute of Public Health, Southside Medical Center, and the Department of Early Care and Learning: Bright from the Start. The initiative is led by the Institute of Public Health with Francesca Lopez, MSPH as Project Director. Funded by the Healthcare Georgia Foundation, the purpose of ACHT-A is to decrease the burden and experience of adverse effects associated with childhood asthma within NPU-V by the development of a program to address the multiple modalities of educational, medical, and environmental interventions for the management and control of asthma and its symptoms. Our program targets children with asthma and those responsible for their care, to include parents, caregivers, doctors, community clinic nurses, and school teachers. Key components of the ACHT-A Program include (1) Training for asthmatic children their caregivers, parents, practitioners, and educators on asthma recognition and management, (2) In-home Environmental Assessment and Intervention, (3) Patient Navigation & Primary Care Services, (4) Healthcare vouchers, (5)Sibling childcare during medical appointments, (6) Transportation to medical appointments and (7) Evaluation.
IPH Director Featured on PBS Newshour
Michael Eriksen, Director of GSU's Institute of Public Health, was interviewed by Judy Woodruff on the June 11th edition of PBS Newshour discussing the significance of Senate passage of a bill giving the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco. Read the transcript of the interview here or view the video here.
IPH Director Explores China
As part of the Gates Foundation-funded "China Tobacco Control Partnership," Dr. Eriksen recently visited Qingdao and Tangshan, China as possible cities for the project. The "China Tobacco Control Partnership" is a project of Emory's Global Health Institute, with Georgia State University serving as a key partner. The photo is of the research team in Qingdao, a 2008 Olympic City that was host to the Olympic Sailing Competition.
Adolescent Suicide Attempts and Perceptions of Overweight
Associate Professor Monica Swahn and a number of current MPH students have just published a major study in the Journal of Adolescent Health on the relationship between perceived body weight and suicide attempts among adolescents.
IPH Faculty Research on Adolescent Smoking Cessation
Kymberle Sterling, Assistant Professor in the Institute of Public Health, has just published two peer-reviewed articles on her research on adolescent smoking cessation. One paper on the psychometric properties of nicotine addiction assessment for adolescents appears in Addictive Behaviors. The second on the unique features of adolescent smoking cessation programs appears in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
April Grand Rounds: “Physical Activity for Americans: Why Exercise is Medicine™”
Dr. Mindy Millard-Stafford, Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the President of the American College of Sports Medicine, was the speaker for April Grand Rounds. Her talk, which coincided with National Public Health week, provided an engaging introduction to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Dr. Millard-Stafford discussed both the recommendations for adults and children and how to interpret them. A link to the guidelines and other information about the guidelines can be found here.
IPH Students Recognized at Honors Day
Eleven IPH students were recognized at the College of Health and Human Sciences 2009 Honors Day for their academic achievement and commitment to service. For a complete list of honorees, please click here.
IPH Director Weighs in on Novel Tobacco Products
While FDA regulation of tobacco products is being debated in the U.S. Congress, companies are introducing novel ways of delivering nicotine to smokers, only without the smoke. The evidence on the safety and efficacy of these products is lacking, but they also are likely to be much safer than traditional cigarette smoking. Read an WebMD article on electronic cigarettes.
Researcher finds health improvements with use of water filters in developing countries
ATLANTA –A Georgia State University professor has found that a type of water filter helps to significantly reduce the odds of waterborne diarrheal disease in developing countries by improving water quality. More >>>
IPH Class Recognizes National Public Health Week (NPHW)
Students in the Foundations of Public Health Administration and Policy course taught by Prof. John Steward created the following presentation: (click here) in conjunction with NPHW. The students captured in photos various scenes in the community that depict aspects of public health. The purpose was to demonstrate the wide range of facilities, activities, and features that involve public health, so that awareness of the impact of public health on the community was enhanced.
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Second Fulbright Scholar Receives Weston Award
Zakia Maroof, a Fulbright Scholar from Afghanistan studying at the Institute of Public Health was recently notified by the US State Department that she has received the Weston award. This is the second IPH Fulbright Scholar to receive the prestigious Weston Award this year. The goal of the Weston Award is to strengthen the Fulbright Program in two world regions with great need and was sponsored by Fulbright alumnus Josh Weston. To learn more about the Fulbright program, click here.
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March Grand Rounds: “Cultivating Healthy Communities: Lessons Learned"
Dr. Wayne Giles, Director of the Division of Adult and Community Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was the speaker for March Grand Rounds. His talk focused on the various programs that are available through the Healthy Communities Program. The talk mentioned successes from programs such as ACHIEVE (Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and EnVironmental change) and Strategic Alliance for Health (SAH) Communities.
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PLAY Recognized by Georgia Federation of Public Health Educators
PLAY (Policy Leadership for Active Youth), a project funded by the Healthcare Georgia Foundation, was recently recognized by the Georgia Federation of Public Health Educators, for its contribution to public health practice in the state of Georgia. IPH Director, Michael Eriksen, and Jeff Koplan, Director of Emory's Global Health Institute, accepted the award on behalf of PLAY.
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Public Private Partnerships in Public Health
Elizabeth Majestic, Associate Adjunct Professor in the Institute of Public Health, is Guest Editor for the current issue of Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) , one of the official journals of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The April issue of PCD highlights the importance of partnerships in achieving national public health objectives and includes an editorial by Elizabeth Majestic and a video interview with Michael Eriksen.
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IPH Faculty and Students Presenting at National Injury Meeting
Associate Professor Monica Swahn, Bethany West (recent IPH MPH graduate) and Bina Ali (current IPH MPH student) are presenting their research findings at the Society for the Advancement of Injury and Violence Research 2009 meeting at the Emory Conference Center http://www.savirweb.org/. Read about the IPH research on violent behavior and suicide by viewing their posters: Monica Swhan, Bethany West, Bina Ali.
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IPH Fulbright Student Receives the Weston Award
Dr. Adidja Amani, a first year MPH student, was recently awarded the Weston award, which assists students from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia during their studies in the United States. The goal of this gift is to strengthen the Fulbright Program in two world regions with great need and was sponsored by Fulbright alumnus Josh Weston. To learn more about the Fulbright program, click here.
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February Grand Rounds: "From Local to Global: Fulbright Student Perspectives on Public Health Challenges"
Fulbright students from the Institute of Public Health shared their views and experiences in public health. The talks focused on challenges to improving health from both infectious as well as chronic diseases in Cameroon, Indonesia, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire and Haiti.
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IPH Director Starts China Tobacco Project
In collaboration with colleagues at Emory University, Professor Michael Eriksen just returned from the initial visit to China to plan the China Tobacco Partnership, a five-year, $14 million project awarded to the Emory University's Global Health Institute by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Pictured in the photo are collaborators from Emory University, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation China Office, the Think Tank and the China Medical Board.
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IPH Faculty Author Study on Effective Ways of Preventing Child Maltreatment
Dan Whitaker and John Lutzker of GSU's Center for Healthy Development recently co-authored a study with colleagues from the University of South Carolina and the University of Queensland in Australia on an effective parent training program that can reduce rates of child maltreatment. The study was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and highlighted on the homepage of the US Department of Health and Human Services.. Read the entire study here.
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IPH Hosts First Grand Rounds of the Spring 2009 Semester
The Institute of Public Health (IPH) in conjunction with the Public Health Institute Student Association (PHISA) had Dr. Karen Gieseker, assistant professor at IPH, as the first speaker of the semester. Dr. Gieseker developed and coordinated IPH Grand Rounds for more than two years. Dr. Gieseker discussed her research in Kenya and Tanzania in her talk “Global Public Health: From Outbreak to Prevention.” View the schedule for Spring 2009 and click here for additional information on Public Health Grounds.
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The Need for Federal Tobacco Policy
Institute of Public Health Director Michael Eriksen authored an Op-Ed article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the need for enlightened Federal policies on tobacco in order to stem the harm caused by continued smoking. Professor Eriksen calls for increased excise taxes on tobacco products to decrease consumption, product regulation to make sure tobacco is treated commensurate with the harm that it causes, and ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control so the US can regain its stature in global tobacco control.
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Former Associate Director of IPH Named College President
Valerie Hepburn, Associate Director of the Institute of Public Health from 2003 to 2007, has been named President of the College of Coastal Georgia. Read more about the announcement from the Board of Regents here.
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IPH Welcomes New MPH Class
The Institute of Public Health is pleased to welcome its 10th class of students to the MPH degree program. Starting in August 2004, Georgia State University is proud to have accepted over 200 students and conferred over 75 MPH degrees.
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Fall 2008 Graduation
Kelly Stimpert, Ban Majeed, Jessica Howell, Jianhua Yang and Jeannette St. Pierre are among the 15 new MPH graduates attending the Georgia State University commencement on December 16. This brings the total number of graduates from the Institute of Public Health to 71.
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IPH Hosts Final Grand Rounds of the Semester
The Institute of Public Health (IPH) in conjunction with the Partnership for Urban Health Research (PUHR) sponsored a panel discussion on "Interdisciplinary Research on Race & Health." Dr. Cassandra White, Department of Anthropology, Dr. Erin Ruel, Department of Sociology, Dr. Makungu M. Akinyela, Department of African American Studies and Dr. Sarita K. Davis, Department of African American Studies presented their research and engaged the audience in an open and frank discussion about race and health. Learn more about Public Health Grand Rounds and PUHR.