Pioneering social epidemiology: CSEPH marks 25 years of transformative research
A quarter century of breaking boundaries in public health
The Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health (CSEPH) at the University of Michigan School of Public Health recently celebrated a remarkable milestone—25 years of groundbreaking research that has fundamentally changed how we understand the social determinants of health. Over the course of this academic year, the center has worked on several projects to highlight the work the group has done throughout the years.
"The 25th anniversary is an opportunity to both celebrate our accomplishments and reflect on how our work has shaped the field of social epidemiology," says Nancy Fleischer, associate professor of Epidemiology and co-director of CSEPH. "What began as a pioneering approach to public health research has now become an essential framework for understanding and addressing health inequities."
From revolutionary idea to established science
When CSEPH was founded in 1999, the idea that neighborhood context could profoundly influence health outcomes wasn't part of the standard conversation on what influences health. Today, it's fundamental public health knowledge.
"While today it's not even very innovative to consider neighborhood context as a determinant of health, that's because of the work done by people at CSEPH like Ana Diez Roux, who was our director for many years. She, along with George Kaplan, developed many of the methods for understanding neighborhood context," explains Briana Mezuk, professor of Epidemiology and co-director of CSEPH.
Mezuk notes this pioneering work went "beyond describing where health is, to trying to understand what are the active ingredients in neighborhoods—whether that's the physical context or the social context—and how that shapes health."
"What sets CSEPH apart is our commitment to examining the structural factors that create and perpetuate health disparities," adds Fleischer. "Our researchers don't just document health inequities—they work to identify the underlying mechanisms and develop approaches to address them."
Another key scientific contribution from CSEPH has been understanding the connections between social and biological factors—work that helped establish the now thriving field of social epigenomics.
"One of the studies that was really innovative in this space was the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis," Mezuk explains. "This foundational work on what is now an entire field has continued to grow both in terms of the work we do in the center and now in our training."
Today, CSEPH continues to push boundaries with diverse research on stroke, mental health, disability, and health inequities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the center demonstrated its adaptability and commitment to addressing pressing public health challenges.
"When the COVID pandemic happened, many of our faculty dropped everything they were doing to help contextualize the pandemic and the inequities in its impact, both in Michigan and the broader United States," says Mezuk. "It demonstrates our commitment to putting social inequities and population health first."
Training the next generation of health equity leaders
Training has always been central to CSEPH's mission, representing what Mezuk calls "the two sides of CSEPH, which we feel are really reinforcing to each other."
The center has a rich history of preparing future leaders in social epidemiology.
"The University of Michigan first offered a course in social epidemiology in 1997, which is kind of mind-blowing when you think about it,” Mezuk said. “I mean, we didn't even have Google yet. The fact that we were already beginning to be on the forefront of this, and that this course has continued to be offered since that time, is a testament to the deep roots of the intellectual history here.”.
Today, CSEPH hosts several innovative training programs, including the Michigan Integrative Well-Being and Inequality (MIWI) Summer Institute for early-career faculty and the Interdisciplinary Research Training in Health and Aging (IRTHA) program for doctoral students, which has trained nearly 50 PhD students since 2008.
In 2020, CSEPH formalized their educational approach by establishing a graduate-level certificate in social epidemiology—now the most popular certificate program at the School of Public Health.
"Our goal was to formalize all the classes that were being offered at the school on this topic into something that's both intentional and accessible to students," explains Mezuk. With more than 80 graduates since its inception and 15 to 25 new students declaring the certificate each year, the program attracts students not just from the School of Public Health but from across the university.
"The certificate program represents our commitment to training the next generation of social epidemiologists," Fleischer notes. "We're providing students with the theoretical foundation and methodological tools they need to conduct rigorous research on social determinants of health. It's about creating a pipeline of scholars who will continue to advance the field."
A celebration of progress and promise
To mark its 25th anniversary, CSEPH organized several commemorative initiatives throughout 2024-2025.
On October 24, 2024, the center hosted a day-long celebration that brought together students, faculty, staff, and alumni from CSEPH and the Department of Epidemiology. The event featured a vibrant poster session showcasing research by students, fellows, and staff; an alumni panel of former PhD students; and the Epidemiology Department's prestigious Thomas Francis Jr. Memorial Lecture delivered by former CSEPH director Ana Diez Roux.
"There was a lot of great energy in the room," Mezuk recalls.
"Bringing together current and former CSEPH members created this powerful sense of continuity," says Fleischer. "You could see how ideas that were developed 20 to 25 years ago have evolved and expanded through generations of researchers. That's the true measure of our center's impact—the intellectual lineage we've created."
The commemoration continues into 2025 with a special seminar series highlighting research from CSEPH alumni.
"This year we've been intentional about inviting CSEPH alums to give those seminars," Mezuk explains. "The fact that so many of these people are leading innovative research is what we're most proud of as a center."
Preserving history, shaping the future
As part of the anniversary celebration, CSEPH undertook an oral history project to capture the center's evolution and impact. The center's team interviewed current and former CSEPH directors, analyzing the conversations to identify recurring themes and pivotal moments in the center's history.
The project highlights how community and collaboration have been central to CSEPH's success from the beginning. George Kaplan, the founding director who led CSEPH, attributes the center's success to intellectual curiosity and genuine collaboration:
We had a really strong core of people who were willing to step outside of the normal boundaries of epidemiology and try something different, and had a strong commitment to doing this collaboratively."
George Kaplan, CSEPH Director, 1999-2009
Carlos Mendes de Leon, a professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and former CSEPH director, recalls the intellectually stimulating environment that sparked creativity:
We had always generated lively discussion on important topics, finding inspiration in the work we were all doing, and hearing from others."
Carlos Mendes de Leon, CSEPH Director, 2014-2017
"This oral history project isn't just about documenting the past—it's about understanding our roots to better shape the future of social epidemiology," notes Fleischer. "The conversations we've captured reveal not just scientific achievements but the human connections and bold thinking that made them possible."
Looking to the next 25 years
As CSEPH embarks on its next quarter-century, Mezuk reflects on the center's enduring impact: "We are recognized as an international leader in research and training in the field of social epidemiology. Over the past 25 years, we have literally trained hundreds of graduate students, doctoral students, and fellows, many of whom have become leaders in the field of public health."
"Looking ahead, we're focused on expanding our interdisciplinary collaborations and developing innovative methodologies," says Fleischer. "The challenges facing population health today—from the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to challenges with misinformation to a rapidly changing landscape in public health and biomedical research—require us to continuously evolve our approaches while staying true to our core mission of addressing health inequities."
The center continues to innovate and lead research and training efforts focused on addressing health inequities and bridging disciplinary silos. With a strong foundation of collaborative research, committed mentorship, and innovative approaches to complex health challenges, CSEPH is well-positioned to continue its pioneering work for decades to come.
Media Contact
Destiny Cook
PR and Communications ManagerUniversity of Michigan School of Public Health734-647-8650