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SPH News Archive

School of Public Health to Partner with Washington University on $50 Million Translational Research Grant

The School of Public Health is part of a new institute created as part of a national effort to translate basic science discoveries into treatments and cures for patients more quickly. Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis will lead a regional group of institutions under a new $50 million, five-year NIH grant program that will greatly enhance clinical and translational research. The Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) created by the grant is a collaboration among several regional institutions including Washington University; Saint Louis University School of Public Health, Doisy College of Health Sciences and Center for HealthCare Ethics; BJC HealthCare; the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Nursing; Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing; St. Louis College of Pharmacy and others. . . . more

SLU Study Is First to Examine Role of Fathers in Deflecting Problem Behavior.  Children whose mothers are depressed are less likely to develop problem behaviors if their fathers are actively engaged in family life, a Saint Louis University researcher finds. Jen Jen Chang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Community Health in Epidemiology at the Saint Louis University School of Public Health and principal investigator, published the results of the 10-year, population-based study in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. . . . more

SPH Professor Recognized As One of Area's "Health Care Heroes." Dr. Timothy McBride, Professor of Health Management and Policy at the School of Public Health, was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as one of its 2007 Health Care Heroes for his work in public policy. Dr. McBride is also Director of the Division of Health Policy and one of the foremost authorities on the impact of health policy issues on Missourians and on residents of rural areas across the nation. . . . more

SPH Doctoral Students Take Home Top Honors at CDC Conference.  Two SPH doctoral students, Katherine Eddens, MPH and Kassandra Alcaraz, MPH, received top honors at the 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Cancer Conference held last month in Atlanta, Ga.  They were recognized for poster presentations of their research.  The awards were sponsored by CDC and the Association of Schools of Public Health, and each included a $500 prize. Of three first prizes awarded during the four-day meeting, two were won by Alcaraz and Eddens. . . . more

SPH Student Research Presented at ASTHO National Conference.  Saint Louis University School of Public Health students presented research at the first-ever student poster session at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) conference on Oct. 3-5 in St. Louis. One student will be recognized for submitting the best poster, which carries a cash prize of $150. This is the first year that ASTHO has created a special event to include students from a school of public health located in the city of its annual conference. . . . more

Smoking, Depression Are Genetically Connected, SLU SPH Researcher Finds.  In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) School of Public Health Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Qiang John Fu, M.D., Ph.D. has found that a person's risk of developing major depression and nicotine addiction are linked by genes.  "Some people with a history of depression may become smokers as a way of self-medicating," said Dr. Fu. "Some people who are smokers might become depressed when they try to give up cigarettes and can't." . . . . more

Institute for Biosecurity Has Successfull Rollout of Inaugural Summer Institute.  The Institute for Biosecurity, a research and education center within the SLU School of Public Health, has just successfully completed its first-ever intensive on-site courses within its Masters program in Biosecurity and Disaster Preparedness. During the week of July 30, the Institute offered “Global Terrorism in the 21st Century.” That was followed the next week with “Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious Diseases.”  These courses are the first on-site courses offered in the Institute's distance-based Master's degree program, allowing students to complete 6 hours toward their degree requirements in the span of just two weeks. . . . more

SLU SPH Researcher Lends Expertise at Industrial Hygiene Conference.  Dr. Anu Dixit, Assitant Professor of Community Health in Environmental and Ocucpational Health, recently organized a roundtable on "Sucessful Mold Remediation: Challenges and Barriers" at the 2007 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition held in Philadelphia, PA. This rountable involved presentations by the leading experts in mold remediation field and it was attended by more than 200 conference attendees.  Click here for more information about AIHA and mold remediation.

SLU SPH Alumna Wins Poster Competetion at National Meeting.  On August 14, 2007 Kate Eddens (MPH 2007) presented Screen for Life: A collaboration using targeted health messages to increase participation in a state colorectal cancer screening program at the 2007 CDC Cancer Conference: Meeting Future Challenges in Atlanta, GA. Ms. Eddens won the ASPH student poster competition for her section, Building Partnerships. 

SPH Researchers Study Impact of New Town Community on Fitness.  Researchers at the SLU School of Public Health aim to determine whether neighborhoods designed for walking and biking actually lead residents to adopt a more active lifestyle. The New Town at St. Charles will act as a guinea pig. The study is one of the first studies conducted in the United States to date. The SHIFT project (Study of Health in Families in Transition to New Town) will be conducted over a three-year period, including around 360 New Town residents. . . . more

MPH Alumna Wins Award as New Investigator.  Angela Recktenwald (MPH 2004) was selected by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) to receive the 2007 New Investigator Award for her abstract, “ Publication No: 240 - Attributable Cost During Index Hospitalization of Deep Chest Surgical Site Infection Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG),” which has been accepted for presentation at the APIC 2007 Annual Conference in San Jose, California. . . . more

School of Public Health Graduate Wins Award for Publication.  Katherine Eddens, MPH 2007, was awarded $1000 by the journal, Cases in Public Health Communication & Marketing, for the best case focused on the well-being of older adults.  The case appeared in the inaugural edition of the journal, which is published by the School of Public Health and Health Services at The George Washington University. . . . more

Home Gardening Fosters Good Eating Habits in Children, SLU SPH Researchers Find.  U.S. children served homegrown fruits and vegetables are more likely to eat more than those who seldom get farm-fresh produce, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.  "It was a simple, clear finding," study author Debra Haire-Joshu, director of Saint Louis University's Obesity Prevention Center, said in a statement. "Whether a food is homegrown makes a difference. Garden produce creates what we call a 'positive food environment." . . . more

Read the journal abstract here .

School of Public Health Programs Among the Best in U.S. News Rankings.  The master's degree in Health Administration at the SLU School of Public Health has been climbing in reputation in recent years, and is ranked No. 12 this year in the U.S. News and World Report rankings in its "Best Graduate Schools 2008" issue. "We are delighted at the high rating for the master in health administration program," said Connie Evashwick, Sc.D., dean of the School of Public Health. "The faculty have worked extremely hard to merit this high rating, and it is well deserved."  In the same issue, SLU's School of Public Health is ranked No. 21 overall, also an improvement from its previous ranking. . . . more

SPH Researchers Receive $5,832,379 in Grants and Contracts.  School of Public Health researchers have had remarkable success in being awarded a number of grants and contracts in recent months.  The research ranges from chronic disease prevention to control of environmental exposures and public health workforce training. . . . more

SPH Students' Research Wins Acclaim at SLU GSA Research Symposium.  Eleven graduate students from the School of Public Health were chosen to participate in the 13th Annual Graduate Student Research Symposium held on Friday, March 30, at SLU's Busch Student Center. Three of these students' presentations were selected as prize winners.  Rebecca Bryan and Mary Homan were chosen for Second Place honors and Daniel Morris was awarded a Third Place prize.  See the names of all student participants and the names of the prize winning research papers here.

SPH Associate Professor Appointed to Editorial Board of Leading Journal.   Kanak Gautam, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy, has been appointed to the Editorial Board of Health Care Management Review, a leading, peer-reviewed journal that addresses important issues in health services management and practice and provides the latest developments in the health care field.  Dr. Gautam's appointment to the prestigious Editorial Board is for three years and is renewable.

SPH Health Policy Student Wins Fellowship.  Tanchica Terry, a student in the MPH in Health Policy program at Saint Louis University School of Public Health, has been selected as one of the two 2007-2008 David A. Winston Health Policy Fellows. The Fellowship, sponsored by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), is designed to give the Fellows a yearlong, post-graduate opportunity to learn about health policy development in Washington, D.C. . . . more

Program to Promote Good Nutrition and Fitness for Young Mothers.  With funding from the National Cancer Institute, the Parents As Teachers (PAT) National Center and Saint Louis University School of Public Health have rolled out a pilot program in Jefferson City, MO to help postpartum adolescents develop healthy nutrition and fitness habits.  Called Moms 4 Healthy Balance, the program provides information and support to promote healthy choices.  Researchers will track the results of the program over the next five years. If successful, it could be implemented nation-wide. . . more

MPH Student Receives APHA Award.  MPH student, Corrie Joshu, was selected as the first place award recipient of the Student Poster Award Contest of the Environmental Section of the APHA. The title of the poster is "Examination of the built environment and obesity across levels of urbanization in the United States". Corrie and others examined the influence of personal and neighborhood barriers, as well as county sprawl, on obesity. They also looked at how personal and neighborhood barriers impact obesity differently across different levels of urbanization. Click here for the link to the full abstract. . . . more

SPH Professor Weighs In on Urban Sprawl and Obesity.  Ross Brownson, PhD, was recently quoted in an issue of Science News that explored the relationship between growing urban outlines and obesity and whether the evidence could suggest a smarter way to build urban areas in the future. . . . more

Announcing The Commitment.  The newsletter for the Department of Health Management and Policy - click here to view online.

SPH Alumnus Chosen for Board.  MPH Alumnus and SPH employee, Christopher Smith, was selected to be a member of the Board of Directors of the Black Caucus of Health Workers of the American Public Health Association. He will serve a two-year, member-at-large position on the board.

Tobacco Prevention News.  Two members of the SPH Community, Pat Lindsey (Tobacco Free Missouri) and Doug Luke, Ph.D. (Center for Tobacco Policy Research) were quoted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the sale of single cigarettes. . . . . more

Factors for a "Healthy Community" Identified.  Is your town a healthy town?  Researchers at Saint Louis University say they've identified certain characteristics that encourage both physical activity and aesthetic satisfaction in a community environment.  On of the lead researchers, Laura Brennan Ramirez, an adjunct assistant professor of community health at Saint Louis University School of Public health, said in a news release, "We haven't really designed our communities well for older adults, particularly once they get to the point that they can't drive." .... more

Heather McCollum, first year MHA/JD student, was part of the winning team at the 15th annual Health Law Mood Court Competition.  She and her partner a current 3rd year law student, successfully competed against 31 other teams from 21 schools with impressive records of oral advocacy such as South Texas, University of Houston, Michigan State, Hamline University and others. Heather and Brent won 1st place overall as well as 1st place for best brief (so 1st place in writing and oral advocacy)... more

Briana Jegier, a doctoral student in health management and policy, won a one-year health services research dissertation grant (R36) from the Agency Health Research Quality (AHRQ). These highly-competitive national awards are given out to only a few health services doctoral candidates nationally each year (fewer than 10) and will fund the time, travel, and research expenses for the candidate's work on their dissertation for an amount up to $35,000. Using primary data collected at several hospitals across the U.S., Briana will study the costs and cost-effectiveness of breast-feeding for mothers especially those with infants with very low birth weights.