On the Heights: May 2025
Stay informed with the latest from the Michigan Public Health community in our monthly digest. Departmental news, research highlights, community achievements, and more to help you stay connected with the Michigan Public Health community. Explore the impactful work of our faculty, students, and partners as we continue to advance public health initiatives and celebrate our collective successes.
Michigan Public Health faculty receive reappointments, promotions
Belinda Needham has been reappointed chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Needham’s research focuses on approaches to assess health disparities and identify the social, structural, psychological, behavioral, and physiological factors that lead to poor health.
Three Michigan Public Health faculty also received promotions:
- Nancy Fleischer, professor of Epidemiology with tenure
- Jihyoun Jeon, research scientist of Epidemiology
- Michael Rubyan, clinical associate professor of Health Management and Policy
Biostatistics professor recognized for achievements in STEM, overcoming adversity
The Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program at the University of Michigan recognized the achievements of Mousumi Banerjee, Anant M. Kshirsagar Collegiate Research Professor of Biostatistics and Global Public Health, with the 2025 Willie Hobbs Moore Achievement Award. This award celebrates individuals whose achievements in science, technology, engineering, and math are particularly inspirational in light of the challenges or roadblocks they have faced in their pursuit of a STEM degree or career.
Lindsay Kobayashi appointed associate director for research
The Center for Global Health Equity at the University of Michigan announced the appointment of Lindsay Kobayashi, associate professor of Epidemiology and Global Public Health, as associate director for research. In this role, Kobayashi will lead the center’s research strategy, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations that address global health disparities, particularly among aging populations.
Kobayashi's research focuses on the social epidemiology of cognitive aging from a global perspective, investigating how social and economic factors throughout the life course influence cognitive health in older adults. She utilizes data from internationally harmonized longitudinal studies of aging, including populations in the United States, England, India, China, Mexico, and South Africa.
Environmental exposures and health outcomes
The emerging field of exposomics is transforming how we understand environmental factors affecting human health by examining the comprehensive effects of physical, chemical, biological, and social influences over a lifetime. As Environmental Health Sciences chair and professor Dana Dolinoy notes, "This article underscores the transformative potential of exposomics in connecting environmental influences with human health outcomes, marking a pivotal shift toward a more comprehensive understanding of disease etiology." This research calls for an integrated approach that combines cutting-edge technologies with collaborative efforts to advance public health initiatives and disease prevention.
Michigan Public Health faculty join research effort to develop health promotion games
Rahul Ladhania, assistant professor of Biostatistics and Health Management and Policy, has joined a research partnership developing and integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into digital vaccines: gamified digital interventions that leverage mobile device technology and neurocognitive training to promote healthier behaviors in children.
The research partnership brings together The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the University of Singapore, the University of Michigan School of Public Health,
and the firm FriendsLearn to utilize AI in innovative digital therapeutic solutions
for precision disease prevention.
"This innovative collaboration merges AI with public health interventions in ways
that could transform how we approach disease prevention, particularly in children,"
said F. DuBois Bowman, dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
"Dr. Ladhania's involvement reflects the University of Michigan School of Public Health's
commitment to pursuing strategic collaborations and leveraging emerging technologies
to improve health across populations."
Learn more about Ladhania’s work on a mobile game that encourages healthy eating choices.
How health and health systems shape political engagement and trust in democratic institutions
Scott Greer and Michelle Falkenbach from the Department of Health Management and Policy collaborated on a study published in The Lancet Regional Health on the role of health and health management systems in shaping political engagement and rebuilding trust in democratic institutions.
The study found that when individuals or communities experience a decline in their health, they feel “let down” by the health system and other public institutions meant to support their well-being. Consequently, they are less likely to vote. Those who continue to vote are increasingly drawn to anti-establishment, anti-democratic parties that promise to radically reform the system. Once in power, however, these parties often weaken public health protections or exclude select populations from the health system. The result can be a self-reinforcing feedback loop between declining health and political discontent.
The study highlights the importance of access to and positive experiences with care, especially for communities that feel the most alienated from the health system. It concludes that clinicians, policy makers, and political actors must pay more attention to the political needs of people in poor health to maintain an inclusive, functional democracy.
Beyond bias: New study uncovers how discrimination affects health behaviors differently across groups
New research from Sari Reisner, associate professor of Epidemiology, examines how six types of discrimination—racism, sexism, heterosexism, cissexism, ageism, and sizeism—affect smoking and vaping behaviors using both "implicit" (unconscious) and "explicit" (conscious) measurement approaches. The study found that marginalized groups report experiencing more discrimination, with about 15% of participants reporting current smoking or vaping (higher rates among people of color, nonbinary/genderqueer people, and LGBTQ+ individuals).
Interestingly, for people in dominant groups, explicit discrimination is linked to higher rates of smoking/vaping, while marginalized groups showed no difference between implicit and explicit measures—suggesting these communities may have developed better coping strategies. Researchers recommend using both measurement approaches in future studies, analyzing discrimination types separately for different groups, and considering sociopolitical influences when developing tailored health interventions.