On the Heights: January 2026

January 27, 2026

Stay informed with the latest from the University of Michigan School of Public Health community in our monthly digest. Faculty expertise in action, groundbreaking research, policy advocacy, and community engagement highlight our continued commitment to advancing public health and creating positive change.

Funding and grants

Kate Bauer selected to lead Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health Policy

Associate professor of Nutritional Sciences Kate Bauer is directing the newly funded Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health Policy, one of 10 research teams awarded seed funding through Impact Institutes, an initiative from the Office of the Vice President for Research. The institute brings together interdisciplinary expertise at the intersections of food, nutrition, health and policy, serving as a hub for innovative, community-informed policy research and leadership development. Each institute receives $200,000 over two years to position for long-term sustainability and external funding.

Faculty receive Graham Sustainability Institute Catalyst Grants

Multiple Michigan Public Health faculty members received funding through the Graham Sustainability Institute's 2026 Catalyst Grant program. Simone Charles, Marie O'Neill, and Carina Gronlund are leading or participating in two projects: developing practical resources for community response to wildfire smoke in rural communities, and creating an educational tool for community health workers to support extreme heat preparedness and sustainable cooling strategies.

Center for Global Health Equity awards $545,000 to support faculty research

The Center for Global Health Equity announced $545,000 in funding through its Seed Grant and Impact Accelerator programs to support University of Michigan faculty research in 11 countries. Rahul Ladhania from the Department of Health Management and Policy received funding as the principal investigator on a School of Public Health-led project “TABRIE – BRIGHT: Empowering People Living with HIV Through Digital Assistance and Telehealth in a High-Stigma Region of Indonesia.” 

Research

Devon Payne-Sturges explores racism and environmental health in Germany

Devon Payne-Sturges recently published qualitative research examining how structural racism shapes environmental health outcomes in Germany. The study appears in Frontiers in Public Health and draws from interviews with 14 anti-racism researchers and educators across 10 German cities. Despite Germany's 2020 anti-discrimination initiatives, participants identified significant gaps in addressing structural racism within community health, medical training, and environmental justice policy.

Kendrin Sonneville's research examines disordered eating concerns in pediatric weight interventions

Kendrin Sonneville's latest study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that nearly half of parents of children ages 3-11 with high body weights reported concerns about disordered eating behaviors at the start of a behavioral intervention. The research, which examined families participating in a motivational interviewing-based counseling program, found that these concerns did not worsen during the intervention, suggesting this approach provides a protective environment without reinforcing weight stigma. The findings underscore the need for sensitive screening tools and trained clinician guidance to support both physical and emotional well-being in pediatric populations.

Minal Patel publishes two studies examining social needs and financial concerns in healthcare

Assistant professor Minal Patel from the Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity has published two studies examining how patients navigate social and financial challenges in healthcare settings. Her research in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that while nearly one in four primary care patients experience social isolation, only 9% request assistance, with those facing multiple co-occurring social needs being nine times more likely to seek help. In Supportive Care in Cancer, Patel's team analyzed how commercially insured cancer patients use employer-sponsored virtual navigation services and found that 82% raised financial matters during non-financial care coordination encounters, with 14% reporting financial stress affecting their well-being despite having insurance coverage.

PhD student Ester Lee's cardiovascular research featured in national gun violence roundup

Health Behavior & Health Equity doctoral student Esther Lee's research on gun violence and cardiovascular disease was highlighted in The Trace's comprehensive roundup of gun violence research. The study, published in Social Science & Medicine, found that people living in communities with more gun violence were more likely to die of cardiovascular disease. 

In the spotlight

Leigh Pearce joins The Lancet’s Commission on Ovarian Cancer

Epidemiology professor Leigh Pearce has been named a commissioner on The Lancet's Commission on Ovarian Cancer, a multidisciplinary initiative bringing together experts to address gaps in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship while providing actionable policy recommendations to reduce global mortality.

Sumit Agarwal named to JAMA Editorial Fellowship Program

Sumit Agarwal, an assistant professor of Internal Medicine and Health Management and Policy, has been selected as one of ten academic physicians and nurses to join the 2026 JAMA Editorial Fellowship Program. Agarwal, a primary care physician and health economist, will work with JAMA's editorial team to learn about editorial decision-making and enhance skills in scientific communication while bringing expertise from his research on how social and economic policies impact access to care and health.

MD/MPH student Blake Hardin merges research and advocacy

MD/MPH student Blake Hardin is featured in Points of Blue for his work combining medical research with health advocacy. Hardin's dual-degree path reflects the growing integration of public health perspectives into clinical medicine. His work prepares the next generation of physician-leaders to address both individual patient care and population-level health challenges.